An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Benefits.gov has been discontinued. USA.gov is the new centralized place for finding government benefits for health care, housing, food, unemployment, and more.
You can return the person’s passport to the Department of State (DOS) for cancellation. (See “How do I cancel the passport of a deceased relative?” for instructions.)
This helps prevent identity theft.
The DOS will send the canceled passport back if you want it or they can destroy it.
Financial institutions and other organizations to notify of a death
Report the person’s death to banks, credit card companies, credit bureaus, and other financial organizations. And contact utilities and places where the person had memberships and subscriptions. Learn from the Federal Trade Commission what to do about any debts the person had.
Death benefits from the government
After a family member’s death, you may be eligible for death benefits from the government. These can include: