Our Lifetime Commitment to You and Yours
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: December 13, 2018
Social Security is here with information, tools, and benefits to help you secure today and tomorrow. Our journey together begins when you’re born and get your Social Security card. It continues when you get your first job and follows you through your entire career, marriage, and retirement. Our commitment is to be with you throughout life’s journey.
Our promise extends to surviving family members when a worker dies.
Some of the Social Security taxes you pay go toward survivors benefits for your family. In the event of your death, certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefits; these include widows and widowers, divorced widows and widowers, children, and dependent parents.
The amount of benefits your survivors receive depends on your lifetime earnings. The higher your earnings are, the higher their benefits will be. The value of your survivors benefit may be more than the value of your individual life insurance.
By making sure your earnings are posting correctly, you are passing down protections to your survivors, just as your parents did before you. You can do this by:
- Creating a personal my Social Security account. Your my Social Security account is secure and gives you immediate access to your earnings records, Social Security benefit estimates, and a printable Social Security Statement.
- Visiting our Benefits Planner for Survivors to help you better understand your and your family’s Social Security protection as you plan for your financial future.
- Checking your Social Security Statement to see an estimate of survivors benefits we could pay your family. It also shows an estimate of your retirement and disability benefits and provides other important information.
For more information, please visit our website or read our publication Survivors Benefits. You can also help us spread the word by sharing this information with your family and friends.
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About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Comments
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samuel c.
did my social security will encrease now for my intired life earning iam 67 years and my incom from sc still the same only a litter bit for all my life incom that i work
Pim B.
Good info & Thanks
James T.
When my wife passed away in 2024, she was getting disability benefits from social security, am I eligible to receive any benefits from her social security?
Vonda V.
Hi James, we are very sorry for your loss. If your wife worked long enough into Social Security, you may be eligible for survivor benefits on her record.
If you are receiving retirement benefits on your own record, you can only apply for benefits as a widower if your retirement benefit amount is less than the benefits you would receive as a survivor. If you are not receiving benefits, widowers benefits are payable as early as age 60 (for a reduced benefit) or a full widowers benefit at your full retirement age or older.
You cannot apply for survivors benefits online. If you need to inquire or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can speak to a Social Security representative between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also visit your local Social Security office.
Donald G.
I have not had any success in finding out why vets cannot choose cremation. It would certainly amount to a significant cost reduction and reduce required plot space, but mainly I think that there many vets who would prefer cremation and a spot in a Wall of Remembrance in a National Cemetery.
Tanya R.
Veterans can choose cremation. When my father died in October 2012, he was cremated and my sister and her husband got the flag. His cremains were scattered in our garden.
Harold g.
I got my statement today shows increase that medicare took away why don’t you keep the statement and stuff it where the sun don’t shine until i actually get a raise i can spend taking MY valuable time opening an envelope with nothing in it iritates me. when you retire the goverment will do it to you !
Lesly F.
If i will 65 years old on March 2019 why can be qualify for elderly benefits if have 25 earned credit since the year’s 2000.
Kellie M.
I tried logging in to my social security .
My password or user name was not correct.
The message said I would receive a new one via mail in 10 days its been 3 weeks .
No mail
Vonda V.
Hi Kellie, thanks for using our blog. Sorry to hear you are having difficulties with your my Social Security account.
For assistance with your account, you may:
•Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”.
Mary
I am again troubled that I am not receiving my full earned benefit. Left and divorced after 32 years of marriage, I had to take Social Security divorced benefit early, based on his higher income as I stopped work to care for our 2 children when they were born at age 30.I was given a discounted benefit.
My former Husband passed away in 2008 on his 61st birthday after 2 years of colon cancer I do not know if he collected SS Disability.
My benefit did not change at his passing, although I have been told by friends that theirs did when their former husbands passed. And they know of others who received an automatic increase.
I had questioned this quite a while back and was told I was receiving the correct benefit. Could that be correct?
Thank you.
Vonda V.
Hi Mary. If you apply for a surviving divorced spouse’s benefit at your full retirement age, you would be eligible for 100 percent of the deceased worker’s benefit amount.
To file for surviving divorced spouse’s benefits, you cannot apply online. To apply for survivor benefits, please call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to make an appointment. Representatives are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also call or visit your local Social Security office.
Kenneth A.
It is my opinion that those working in the Social Security Administration are not recognized enough for the work they do EVERY DAY, such as this blog to name just this one thing. There are always those who can never get enough money, and would have no reservations taking their share and ever one else’s. Keep up the good work.
Thank you.
CarolS
Thank you for agreeing with me. Yes, non-working surviving spouses are taking benefits paid for by others, not their spouses.
Vonda V.
Thank you, Kenneth! Your thoughts are important to us and we’re pleased when feedback is positive. We try hard to provide the best possible service to our customers and your satisfaction is our reward.
CarolS
Just a few comments:
1. Thank you for the warm and fuzzy sentiments, however, along with the V.A., the Soc Sec Admin is a barely functioning Federal agency. Currently, no appointed agency head for 5 years (only an “acting” agency head), having to wait for more than an hour to get through on the telephone, appeals that take more than 600 days to resolve while claimants die and commit suicide, and the impending crisis from more Baby Boomers applying for SS benefits and SSA inadequate budget.
2. I know Soc Sec Admin is not responsible for SSA legislation. It does not seem fair for, all things equal, married employees receive more in SSA benefits (non-working contributing surviving spouse benefits ) than single employees.
3. Why doesn’t SSA explain to Ways and Means Soc Sec committee that the Gov Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision, while they sound unbiased, when applied 82% of those who qualify are women! Added note: SSA staff do not understand the GPO/WEP and dispense incorrect information preventing people from planning for their retirement ( I received incorrect info for four years, only to be shocked when I finally applied for retirement benefits).
4. The SSA cannot offer anyone “protections” as the SSA trust funds may not be adequate beyond 2034.