Surviving Payee Negotiating Treasury Check

Social Security benefit checks are issued jointly to individuals of the same family. A Social Security benefit check issued jointly to two or more individuals of the same family shall, upon the death of one of the joint payees prior to the negotiation of such check, be returned to the Social Security district office or the Treasury Regional Financial Center. Payment of the check to the surviving payee or payees may be authorized by placing on the face of the check a stamped legend signed by an official of the Social Security Administration or the Treasury Regional Financial Center, redesignating such survivor or survivors as the payee or payees of the check. A check bearing such stamped legend, signed as herein prescribed, may be endorsed and negotiated by the person or persons named as if such check originally had been drawn payable to such person or persons.

For other Treasury checks, an executor or administrator of an estate that has been appointed in accordance with applicable state law may endorse checks issued for the following classes of payments the right to which under law does not terminate with the death of the payee: payments for the redemption of currencies or for principal and/or interest on U.S. securities, payments for tax refunds and payments for goods and services. If an executor or administrator has not been appointed, all checks issued to a deceased payee must be returned to the certifying agency for determination as to whether, under applicable law, payment is due and to whom it may be made. All others would also have to be returned.

First published on BankersOnline.com 10/13/08