At the time of a death, Wetzel and Son will file all of the required forms with the Pennsylvania Department of Heath. Death certificates for a current death are obtained through a local registrar and are only available from the funeral home at the time of death.

Death certificates for other than a current death are obtained directly from the Pennsylvania Department of Heath. Wetzel and Son can assist in obtaining the relevant records by providing the required forms and information personally to you. The Pennsylvania Department of Heath can also provide the required documentation and information. All details and on-line ordering are available directly from the state of Pennsylvania at the following web address:

At the time of a death, Wetzel and Son will file all of the required forms with the Social Security Administration. Please note several points regarding Social Security eligibility which are listed below:

• The Social Security Administration makes their monthly payments one month behind. For example, the benefit for the month of May is received in the first week of June.
• If any person passes away before the end of the month, they are not eligible for that month's social security check. For example, if a person passes away on May 15th, he will not be eligible for the check that would arrive in the beginning of June. The government does not prorate the social security monthly benefit, so he would not be eligible for any portion of the check for May even though he lived for half of the month.
• People who have passed away are eligible for a $255 death or burial benefit if they have worked and paid into social security out of their weekly paychecks for a minimum of four consecutive years and have a surviving spouse or dependent child living at the same home address.
• If a person passes away, the surviving spouse is eligible for the largest of the couple's two social security checks, with the lesser check being discontinued. For example, if a husband receives a larger social security than his wife, and he passes away, his wife would be eligible for his monthly social security check and her smaller check would be discontinued.

• Wetzel and Son will file with the government for all benefits which you may be eligible for.
• A copy of the veteran's honorable discharge paper from the armed forces, along with a copy of government form DD-214 (in many instances this is on the back of the discharge), is required for Wetzel and Son to be able to complete all of the forms for the government benefits.
• If the veteran's discharge papers are lost or missing, Wetzel and Son will file with the government to obtain a replacement copy for you.

• An American Flag, to be displayed during the funeral and then to be presented to the family at the completion of the services.
• An honor guard from the appropriate service branch can often be obtained to fold and present the American flag to the family and play Taps at the cemetery.
• Free of charge certified copies of the death certificate are available, for either a veteran or their spouse if the death occurs in Pennsylvania. Free veteran's death certificates are mailed directly to the family by the State of Pennsylvania 6 to 8 weeks after an order is placed.
• A small monetary benefit, which is available from each county in Pennsylvania if the veteran or deceased veteran's spouse meets the county residency requirements.
• A free cemetery monument or marker provided by the Veterans Administration; many local cemeteries require a fee for the installation of this monument or marker.
• Veterans who pass away during military service or due to military service related injuries may qualify for additional benefits.

Additional information and documentation of a veteran's record (discharge) can be obtained directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Philadelphia:

Department of Veterans Affairs VAROIC Philadelphia
5000 Wissahickon Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19101
215-842-2000

or at the following web address: 

WWW.VA.GOV