7 CFR § 707.7 - Release application.
No payment may be made under this part unless a proper program application was filed in accordance with the rules for the program that generated the payment. That application must have been timely and filed by someone legally authorized to act for the deceased, disappeared, or declared-incompetent person. The filer can be the party that earned the payment themselves—such as the case of a person who filed a program application before they died—or someone legally authorized to act for the party that earned the payment. All program conditions for payment must have been met before the death, disappearance, or incompetency except for the timely filing of the application for payment by the person legally authorized to act for the party earning the payment. But, further, for the payment to be released under the rules of this part, a second application must be filed. That second application is a release application filed under this section. In particular, as to the latter, where all other conditions have been met, persons desiring to claim payment for themselves or an estate in accordance with this part 707 must do so by filing a release application on Form FSA-325, “Application for Payment of Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, Disappeared or Have Been Declared Incompetent.If the person who died, disappeared, or was declared incompetent did not apply for payment by filing the applicable program application for payment form, such program application for payment must also be filed in accordance with applicable regulations. If the payment is made under the Naval Stores Conservation Program, Part II of the Form FSA-325 shall be executed by the local District Supervisor of the U.S. Forest Service. In connection with applications for payment under all other programs itemized in § 707.1, Form FSA-325, and program applications for payments where required, shall be filed with the FSA county office where the person who earned the payment would have been required to file his application.