Social Security Survivors Benefits Explained
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 2, 2023
We are here for surviving family members when a worker dies. 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, the higher their benefits. That’s why it’s important to make sure your earnings history is correct in our records. That starts with creating your personal my Social Security account.
A 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. The Statement will let you see an estimate of the survivors benefits we could pay your family.
You may also want to visit our Benefits Planner for Survivors to help you better understand Social Security protections for you and your family as you plan for your financial future.
Please visit our website or read our publication, Survivors Benefits, for more information. You can also help us spread the word by sharing this information with your family and friends.
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Tags: my Social Security, my Social Security account, Social Security benefits, survivors benefits
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Stephanie F.
MY HUSBAND OCTOBER 26,2021, I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT GET WIFE SERVERS BENEFITS UNTIL THIS YEAR, I AM HOLD ON THE PHONE AS I TYPE THIS LETTER TO TALK TO SOME ONE ABOUT GETTING SPOUSES BENEFITS. I HAVE HIS BANK ALL MY INFORMATION, AND I AM HOLDING ON THE PHONE TO TALK TO SSOMEONE ABOUT RECEIVING MY BENEFITS FROM MY HUSBAND. I ALSO HAVE MEDICAL PROBLEMS. SO I DO NEED HIS BENEFITS. I HAVE MEDICINES I NEED TO BUY. AND MEDICAL PAYMENTS TO MAKE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO. AND HOW LONG IT WILL BE BEFORE I CAN RECEIVE MY HUSBAND BENEFITS. THANK YOU
A.C.
Hi, Stephanie. We are sorry to hear about your loss. You are eligible to apply for survivor benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled). However, there are other factors that may affect your entitlement to these benefits. To find more information on survivors benefits, please visit If You Are The Survivor page. If you still need assistance, please call your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Kathleen J.
I have a very small state pension and I’m being told I’m not entitled to a portion of my husbands benefits. Its my understanding that due to my own pension SS would offset the amount I would get from my husband’s benefits. I understand the offset issue and I’m not disputing that but I do have an issue with being told I wont get any of his benefits and no one is willing to help. I am talking about a $2,489.40 reduction in my monthly income due to SS giving nothing of his benefits. I submitted the Request for Reconsideration on 3/17/22 but have not heard anything. I was assigned an advocate to help me through this process because one very kind person I spoke to at SS said I was getting screwed over. The phone conference was for yesterday (3/31/22 @ 2 pm). No one called so I’m back at square one. I called today and got the nastiest woman and ended up hanging up because I could see the conversation was going nowhere. I’ve been dealing with this since February 9th and have hit roadblock after roadblock. I am in desperate need of help. I cant even get through to my local SS office because the the phone prompts don’t allow me to ask for a representative. And since I can’t get a live person & SS is still working under COVID restrictions, I can’t schedule an in-person consultation. Is there an advocacy group that I can contact for help? Any advise is welcome. I’m at my wits end.
A.C.
Hi, Kathleen. We are sorry to hear about your experience. We encourage you to continue working with your local Social Security office. You can ask to speak to a manager on your next call. You can also submit feedback by visiting our Contact Social Security page. Once there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email A Question to our Support Team” form where you can complete and submit a compliment, complaint, or suggestion. We hope this helps.
Mary A.
One question only If I remarry, do I lose my husband of 42 years social security?
A.C.
Hi, Mary. Thanks for your question. If you receive retirement or Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) benefits, your marriage will not affect your benefit. If you are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), widow or widower’s benefits, your marriage may affect your benefit. To learn more about how marriage affects benefits, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Barbara G.
I have received my SSA 1099 for 2021. Where do I need to file that information on my IRS 1040 form?
A.C.
Hi, Barbara. Thanks for visiting our blog. For tax questions, you will need to contact the IRS. Their toll-free number is 1-800-829-1040 or you can visit their website. We hope this helps.
Jennifer E.
My husband died on March 11, 2022. I would like to get his social security as mine is not as much as his was. I called your office and they were going to send me a form to complete and drop off at our local branch as they do not see people in person. I got a letter instead with no form to complete. I am so frustrated by this and have been sitting on hold again to try to get the proper form. Cannot find it on your website. Not happy.
A.C.
Hi, Jennifer. We are sorry to hear about your loss. We are currently having problems with our phone lines. You may experience service issues, including poor call quality, dropped calls, and long wait times. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and we appreciate your patience. We encourage you to continue to work with your local office. Wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter Wednesdays through Fridays or later in the day. We hope this is resolved soon.
Mona S.
Rlght phone problems, and yet we figured out how to send a man to the moon. My dear I am so sorry for your loss. Call them everyday. You tell the next worker at Social Security building, where ever that person is, that YOU NEED TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT. Explain the bottom line, you will not get anything from them until you meet with a benefits worker in person. They WILL put you off until you make it crystal clear You’ve lost your husband, you’re grieving, and you just need your benefits to start immediately because you’ve lost your patients, you did not receive via mail an application that was promised, and it appears they’ve not helped at all, and their process is not really a process. If you are not given an appointment, call in to someone representing SSI, 3 times a day. Morning Lunch Before the leave. SHAKE THE TREE.
Debra F.
Hi, my husband passed away February 5, 2021. I now receive widow’s benefit. However, he was alive for a short time in 2021. When I file my taxes for my 2021 stimulus, can I file for him as well?
A.C.
Hi, Debra. We are sorry to hear about your loss. For tax questions, you will need to contact the IRS. Their toll-free number is 1-800-829-1040 or you can visit their website. We hope this helps.
dej h.
If my child father passed away at 18 (still in high school) and never had a job, is there a way i can get benefits?
A.C.
HI, Dej. Thanks for visiting our blog. Certain eligible family members may be able to receive monthly survivor benefits. For more information on this, please read our publication, How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies. For additional specific questions, please call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Mildred W.
My husband on 1/2/2022. He was 80. My birthday is 5/8/43. What benefits do I get and how much? Thank you.
Judy O.
Good afternoon,
I would like to know if I could receive survivor benefits from my ex-husband. We were married 10 years. He died about 8 years ago. Neither of us remarried. I have his SS, info from the funeral, divorce decree. If this is a possibility I think I could get you all the info you need. I, also, have waited on the phone to speak with someone at the SSA to no avail. I just saw this website today. Thank you.
A.C.
Hi, Judy. Thanks for visiting our blog. If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who died and you are not married, you may qualify for benefits just the same as a widow or widower. For more information, please visit our webpage, Survivors Planner: Surviving Divorced Spouse. We hope this information helps.
Roxanne G.
My husband died January 11, 2022. I contacted my local SS office soon after his death. I received the $255 one time death benefit on 1/24/2022.
However, my SS benefits have NOT converted to Widow’s benefits. I contacted my local SS office again on 3/09/2022. The agent sent a message to the payment center while I was on the phone w/him. However benefits have still not converted. How can I get help with this? It is extremely frustrating. Please advise as to how this can be corrected. Thank you.
A.C.
Hi, Roxane. We are sorry to hear about your loss. We encourage you to continue to work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. Wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter Wednesdays through Fridays or later in the day. You can ask to speak to a manager on your next call. We hope this helps.
Mildred C.
My husband on 1/3/22. What benefits do I get? I am 78 years old.
A.C.
Hi, Mildred. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.