Social Security’s $255 Is Only One Payment

The one-time payment stayed capped at $255 since 1954, and only a surviving spouse or qualifying child can receive it within a 2-yr window.
The larger benefit is ongoing: the program pays ~5.8M survivors monthly, with avg. checks near $1.6K, and widows or widowers averaging about $1.9K.
A surviving spouse can claim as early as 60, with benefits starting near ~70% and reaching full value at full retirement age.
Ex-spouses, minor children, disabled adult children, caregiving spouses, and dependent parents may also qualify, but grown children generally get nothing and death-month checks return.
Planning matters: review beneficiaries, tell family about the application steps, and consider life insurance when dependents would not receive survivor support from the program.