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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Paul B.
My wife just recently died, after 57 years of marriage.
Can I file notice of her death on line?
Her S. S. retirement benefits were approximately $300.00 a month more than mine. Am I entitled to any of her benefits?
A.C.
Hi, Paul. We are sorry for your loss. Typically, the funeral director notifies us directly to report a death. To verify and to inquire about benefits, please contact your local Social Security office. For more information about widower’s benefits, check out our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Martin S.
Hi. I’m Martin. I got married to a Thai national 5yrs ago. Can she receive my benefits if I pass. She will be in Thailand also if I’m gone.
A.C.
Hi, Martin. She may be eligible for survivors benefits. In certain cases, noncitizens can receive Social Security benefits. But, in order for her to receive benefits, we must have evidence of her lawful presence. That means before we can pay out benefits for any given month, we must have evidence that she was lawfully present in the United States, during that month. To learn more, check out our Survivors Benefits webpage and our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
sandra w.
my husband and i were married over 50 years. he died 3 1/2 years ago and i worked till age of 71. i receive my SSA plus his widow pension. i would like to remarry. Will i loose any of my current SSA benefits?
A.C.
Hi, Sandra. 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.
Mark
Hello Sandra,
Are you receiving his pension or Social Security Survivor Benefits? As far as Social Security Survivor Benefits you can marry after 60 without any penalty. You can collect the higher of Your Social Security Benefits or Survivor Benefits on his wages. If you husbands pension was some kind of Teachers or Government Pension where he could not collect Social Security then that I a much more complicated situation and you would want to talk to a Social Security Representative that is able to handle more complex situations. Be careful because the regular rank and file rep is not always well versed and they sometimes give out bad info.
Shirley A.
I was married to my ex-husband for 16 years and remarried. Can I collect his social security benefits even when I remarried. My husband passed but I don’t know how it works. Can you please help me
A.C.
Hi, Shirley. We are sorry to hear about your loss. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years, you have to be currently unmarried, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information on how to qualify and how to apply for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner: If You Are Divorced. For specific questions about potential benefits, please call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Marianne R.
I was married for more than 25 years and my husband passed at age 52. I applied for survivor benefits and was informed I made too much money, or I needed to be disabled to qualify. We were a two person income. I had to sell my house and move and I currently rent. I applied a second time and same answer but added I could apply, be approved, and not receive a check. Once again I made too much money. I wonder why I even bothered. Regardless of how much money I made, the real issue was I was trying to pay everything with only my salary! Unfortunately I was unable to get any money from the widows pension or survivor benefits. This benefit is only good if you are disabled. Despite the fact that I was severely mentally disabled- I will never collect anything and had to get a second job.
Kelly
I think it’s crazy what I can earn in addition to my survivors benefits. It’s poverty level. This really needs to change
Alice G.
There was some discrepancy on my application for social security benefits that I would like to have clarified. Thank you
Jordan W.
jwinters1951@gmail.com
A.C.
Hi, Alice. 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. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Elizabeth
My mother has been receiving my father’s soc security benefits (divorced spouse) and she turns 65 in a few months. Does that mean she will be auto-enrolled in Medicare? I cannot find a straight answer online.
A.C.
Hi, Elizabeth. Your mother will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and B if she is entitled to Social Security benefits at age 65. An information packet will arrive in the mail shortly before she becomes eligible. For more information, check out our publication, Medicare. We hope this helps.
Elizabeth
Thank you. Still a little concerned because her 1st month of eligibility was December and she hasn’t received anything yet. I told her to call her local office but they aren’t always the easiest to get in touch with.
Margaret U.
My husband and I were married for 7 years when he divorced me he is now dead and I’m wondering if I can collect on his social security
A.C.
Hi, Margaret. We are sorry to hear that. The marriage had to have lasted for at least 10 years in order for you to be eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits based on your ex-husband’s earnings.. For additional information on Survivor benefits, check out our Survivors Planner. We hope this helps.
Cheryl J.
My husband died 12 years ago at the age of 49. I have not remarried. I am working but I am starting to experience some health issues. Woukd I be able to get Widows benefits from my husbands record and then when I reach fill retirement age switch to my SSI benefits based on my work record?
A.C.
Hi, Cheryl. We are sorry for your loss. You are eligible to apply for widow’s benefits when you reach age 60 (age 50 or over if disabled and you meet the other requirements). For more information about widow’s benefits, check out our Survivors Planner. In addition, the earliest age you can get your own retirement benefits is 62. In many cases, you could begin receiving your survivor benefit at a reduced rate and then, at your full retirement age, switch to your retirement benefit at an unreduced rate. You can read more about how this works by visiting our Receiving Survivors Benefits Early webpage. We hope this helps.