Surviving Spouse Checklist: Household Bills and Income

Which role are you handling?

You can have more than one role. Start with the task in front of you and the question it raises.

A spouse’s name on a statement, a beneficiary designation and an estate appointment answer different questions. A bank’s account agreement can determine whether joint money passes to a surviving owner or whether the deceased owner’s share passes to their heirs. CFPB joint-account guidance.

Our guide to probate and non-probate assets explains those categories. Letters testamentary explains court authority when that becomes the task.

List the household bills

Start with bills and statements you already have. Add details as providers answer your questions.

Recording a bill does not establish that it is yours to pay. For an automatic payment, ask which account funded it and what the bank or company requires if that arrangement changes.

The CFPB’s guide for surviving spouses includes a bills worksheet and questions about changing household finances. Our sheet adds room for account-name questions and follow-up contacts.

Separate confirmed income from pending answers

A previous deposit can tell you whom to contact. It does not tell you what payment will continue after the death.

Use separate rows for pension, insurance and Social Security questions, since the contacts and documents may differ. Keep possible payments marked as unconfirmed until the provider confirms them; the worksheet does not calculate benefits.

Social Security offers monthly survivor payments to eligible family members. The agency determines eligibility and the payment. Its survivor-benefits overview explains where to begin.

Prepare your next calls

After each contact, record the date, whom you spoke with, any reference number, the document or form requested, and your next question.

Bank or credit union

Joint accounts can have different ownership terms. The CFPB describes rights of survivorship and tenants-in-common accounts, and suggests checking the agreement or asking the bank. Read the CFPB explanation.

Our bank-account guide covers the account questions in more depth.

Employer, pension or insurance contact

Ask who handles a survivor claim, which form applies, what proof is requested, and how to follow up. Record the contact and document request. Add a benefit amount only after the provider confirms it.

Social Security

Funeral homes usually report a death to Social Security. Confirm whether that was handled. If it was not, SSA lists its telephone contact for reporting the death. SSA death-reporting guidance.

For widow’s, widower’s or surviving divorced spouse’s benefits, SSA lists phone and local-office application channels. You can call 1-800-772-1213, or use TTY 1-800-325-0778 if you are deaf or hard of hearing. SSA says missing documents do not have to delay filing a claim; it can help you obtain them. SSA application preparation.

The Social Security after-death guide explains reporting, payment questions and survivor benefits. Keep Social Security numbers and other private identifiers off this worksheet. Provide requested details through the agency’s official channel.

Questions about debts and household support

A deceased spouse’s debt does not automatically become the survivor’s personal debt. Shared debt and state-law exceptions can make a survivor responsible. A joint credit-card holder and an authorized user also have different roles. An estate representative’s role alone does not make estate debts payable from their own money. CFPB guidance on a spouse’s debt.

Use our debts-after-death guide for the debt questions. If you need to ask about support from the estate while it is being handled, the family-allowance guide routes that question to the relevant state information. This worksheet does not establish eligibility for that support or an amount you can withdraw.

Print the bills, income and contact worksheet

The blank worksheet covers household bills and income, then contact and document notes. The fictional example shows how to record a question while waiting for an answer.

Print the blank version and fill it in by hand. There is no login or document upload. Keep full account numbers, Social Security numbers and passwords off the sheet; a company name and the location of a document are enough for a working note.

The downloadable PDF includes blank sheets and a separately labeled fictional sample, so the example stays separate from your records.