Private life insurance policies
Named beneficiaries of any life insurance the person held — personally or through a bank/mortgage.
Varies — often the single largest payment a family receives.
Money you may be owed after a death
Some of this expires. Bereaved families miss survivor pensions, death-in-service cover and one-off payments simply because nobody tells them the money exists.
Anywhere
Workplace "death in service" benefit
Families of someone who was employed — many employers pay a lump sum (often a multiple of salary).
Commonly 2–4× annual salary, where offered.
Private & occupational pension survivor benefits
Spouses, partners or dependants named on a workplace or personal pension.
A survivor pension and/or a lump sum, depending on the scheme.
What to do when someone dies in Spain
Pensión de viudedad
Surviving spouse or registered pareja de hecho meeting the contribution and cohabitation requirements.
A monthly pension based on the deceased's contribution base.
Pensión de orfandad
Children of the deceased under the age limit (higher if studying or with a disability).
A monthly pension per eligible child.
Auxilio por defunción
Whoever paid the funeral costs (usually a relative who lived with the deceased).
A small one-off lump sum (€46.50 — a long-fixed amount).
Seguro de decesos & the life-insurance registry
Many people in Spain hold a seguro de decesos (funeral insurance) — and may have unknown life policies.
Covers funeral costs; life policies can pay a lump sum.
Prestación en favor de familiares
Certain relatives — grandchildren, siblings, parents or grandparents (children are covered separately by orfandad) — who lived with and were financially dependent on…
A monthly benefit, subject to conditions.
What to do when someone dies in the UK
Bereavement Support Payment
If your husband, wife or civil partner died — or you lived together with children — and you were under State Pension age at the time.
A first lump sum (up to £3,500 with children, otherwise £2,500)…
Funeral Expenses Payment (Funeral Support Payment in Scotland)
If you are arranging the funeral and you (or your partner) get certain low-income benefits.
Help towards burial/cremation fees and some other costs.
Guardian's Allowance
If you are now bringing up a child whose parents have died (in some cases, one parent).
A weekly payment on top of Child Benefit.
Inherited State Pension & stopping payments
A surviving spouse or civil partner may inherit part of the deceased's State Pension or a protected payment.
Varies with their National Insurance record and when they reached…
What to do when someone dies in the United States
Social Security lump-sum death payment ($255)
A surviving spouse who lived with the deceased, or in some cases an eligible child.
A one-time payment of $255.
Social Security survivor benefits
Surviving spouses (generally 60+, or 50+ if disabled, or any age caring for the deceased's child under 16), children, and sometimes dependent parents.
A monthly benefit based on the deceased's earnings record.
VA burial benefits & survivor compensation
Survivors of a veteran — burial allowance, a gravesite or marker, and possibly Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or a survivor pension.
A burial/plot allowance plus, if eligible, ongoing monthly DIC.
Employer benefits, 401(k) & final pay
Beneficiaries of someone who was working — group life insurance, retirement accounts, final wages and unused PTO.
Varies; employer life cover and a 401(k)/pension can be substantial.
Unclaimed property & premium refunds
Estates of almost anyone — forgotten accounts, deposits, and prorated refunds of insurance/Medicare premiums.
Varies.