Question: how long has the social security death benefit been $255?
Answer: 2 In 2016, such payments were made for about 782,300 deaths, for a total of about $204 million in benefit payments. 3 The death payment was capped at $255 in 1954, and since 1982, almost all payments have equaled $255, so the real (inflation- adjusted) value of the benefit now declines each year.