Massachusetts Life Producer Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT considered to be an expense for surviving family members of a deceased wage earner?

1. Funeral expenses

2. Unemployment tax expenses

3. Medical bills

4. Dependent support costs

The correct answer is: Unemployment tax expenses

The correct answer is indeed the category that does not qualify as an expense incurred by surviving family members of a deceased wage earner. Unemployment tax expenses are typically obligations that the deceased individual had incurred during their employment and do not directly impact the financial situation of the surviving family members following a death. These taxes are paid by employers and contribute to state unemployment funds, but they are not a direct expense that the family must bear upon the loss of a loved one. In contrast, funeral expenses, medical bills, and dependent support costs are all immediate financial burdens that surviving family members often face when a wage earner passes away. Funeral expenses can be substantial and are necessary for honoring the deceased, medical bills might accumulate if the deceased incurred health-related costs before passing, and dependent support costs relate to the financial support that surviving family members need to cover living expenses after the loss of the primary income provider. Therefore, it's clear why unemployment tax expenses do not fall into the same category as these direct, immediate expenses.