Pennsylvania workers compensation provides for death benefit compensation. There are benefits for weekly compensation payable to the dependents of the injured workers,a s well as a reimbursement for burial expenses (now up to $3000). Usually the burial benefits are paid directly to the undertaker, but when they are already paid, can be reimbursed to the person who paid them.One issue that arises in these cases is the definition of who is a dependent. The depdendents hve the right to receive lifetime benefits, even when no claim was filed prior to death. Even a widow, who did not at the time of death live with the decedent, may receive benefits if she was receiving support under a support agreement. After the surviving wife's share, it is also possible for dependent children to receive benefits. Once these benefits are in place, they continue until the widow remarries, or dies. If the widow remarries, she recevies a 104 week dower payment as a lump sum. The other dependents (siblings, chidlren) receive benefits only until the age of 18 (but they can continue beyond that age in the case of a diabled dependent).
The amount fo the death benefits vary in when there was total dependency rather than partial dependency upon the decedent.
