Survivor Benefits: Four Tips Widows Need to Know
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 1, 2022
Months before the first Social Security check was issued in 1940, lawmakers made changes to the planned benefits. Instead of the retired worker’s benefit ending when he died, his widow could collect a survivor benefit for her lifetime. Since then, the eligibility rules for survivors have improved. The age requirements are lower, surviving ex-spouses are eligible, including surviving spouses and partners of same-sex relationships.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that the surviving spouse is often unsure how to start claiming their survivor’s benefits. We have some information to assist you in applying for benefits as a surviving spouse.
If you are a widow (or your ex-spouse died), you may be eligible to receive benefits on your late spouse’s, or ex-spouse’s, Social Security record. How much you receive will depend on your age, the amount of benefits you may receive on your own record, and whether you have dependent children.
You may be entitled to receive a survivor’s benefit under the following circumstances:
- At age 50 if you have a disability.
- At age 60 (the benefit amount will be reduced).
- At any age if you have a child under your care who is under age 16 or who became disabled before age 22.
- If you were widowed and remarried after age 60.
If you’re entitled to retirement benefits – but haven’t applied yet – you have an option. You can decide to apply for either the retirement or survivors benefits first. You can switch to the other (higher) benefit later.
To help make this decision, it’s important to know your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Your FRA is when you can start receiving your full retirement benefit amount. For instance, if you were born between January 2, 1943 through January 1, 1955, your FRA is 66. If you start receiving benefits before your FRA, your benefits will be reduced, generally for as long as you continue to receive benefits.
There are many variables involved. Contact Social Security to discuss which benefit to take first – before applying for either benefit. You want to be sure you’re choosing the option that best fits your financial circumstances.
All the information you need is on the Social Security website. You must apply for survivors benefits over the phone or make an appointment to apply in person. You will also need to provide certain original documents.
Local Social Security offices are helping people in person with or without an appointment. This means staff will take applications in person and they will be available to help and answer any question you may have. I encourage you to call and schedule an appointment in advance to save time and so you have all the documents we need to help you in one visit. Please share this information with your friends and family – and post it on social media.
Our posting of this blog does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any non-Social Security organization, author, or webpages.
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Juliette B.
Am I entitled to these benefits if was divorced from the deceased? Does my federal retirement income cancel any benefits? Is there a time limit on requesting these benefits?
Joanne
I was married for 17 years and then divorced when mike then died from ALS 10 years ago ..I had to apply for disability and having had worked most of my life as well but mostly as a server I wasn’t getting a lot as I was leaving I said doesn’t my late husbands union job fit in here and it added an additional 1200.00 per month no nothing cancels anything out only adds it on….hope I helped
Cynthia C.
I’d like to if I can get a widow’s & mine to I’m 60 but I can’t get rgt answer
A.C.
Hi, Cynthia. Thanks for visiting our blog. 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.
Dari
Im nearing full retirement age, am engaged to one who is 7 years younger and is on SSI. If we marry after I am collecing SS will they be able to file disability based on my record and get 50%…, I understand the SSI would no longer be available but the Lung cancer and is disability would remain…and they would still meet the criteria for disability.
They are only 56 currenty, I want to make sure they is protected should I pre decease them as well.
A.C.
Hi, Dari. To qualify for spouse’s benefits, your spouse must be age 62 or older. Keep in mind that if they qualify for their own benefits and for benefits as a spouse, we always pay their benefits first. Visit our Benefits Planner for more information. We hope this helps.
A.C.
Hi, Juliette. Thanks for your questions. If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who dies, you could get benefits the same as a widow or widower, provided that your marriage lasted 10 years or more. For more information, please visit our If You Are The Survivor page. As far as your federal retirement pension, you may be subject to an offset. A pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies, such as police officers and some teachers) may affect the amount of their Social Security benefit. Your benefits can be reduced based on one of two provisions: The Windfall Elimination Provision and The Government Pension Offset (WEP/GPO). The (WEP/GPO) offset will apply starting with the date the pension and Social Security benefit becomes concurrent. For additional specific questions, please contact us 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.
Patricia
I was married and divorced twice to my ex, he passed afterwards. The total married time was just over 10 years but I was denied the benefit based on his income because it was not consecutive years. Is the ‘married’ time lessened now, I heard it is.
A.C.
Hi, Patricia. Thanks for visiting our blog. To be eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years. For more information, please visit our If You Are The Survivor page. We hope this information is helpful.
Patricia
“If you are the divorced spouse of a worker who dies, you could get benefits the same as a widow or widower, provided that your marriage lasted 10 years or more.” I was informed that the 10 years did not have to be consecutive; that the total of 10 years was the rule. I provided proof of a total of 10 years but was denied. Should I appeal again?
A.C.
Hi, Patricia. Thanks for visiting our blog again. The decision to appeal is a personal one. Keep in mind you have 60 days from the date of the initial decision to appeal. For any 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.
Jane C.
If a former wife (15+ year marriage), age 62, is already collecting Early Retirement Benefits on her own earnings record when her former husband passes away, can she continue to collect her own Early Retirement Benefit until she reaches full retirement age and switch to the Survivor Benefit at that time?
If so, would the Survivor Benefit be in the entire amount of former husband’s retirement benefit, including the Delayed Retirement Credits he had been receiving because he deferred collecting his own retirement benefits until he reached 70 years old?
A.C.
Hi, Jane. Thanks for visiting our blog. The amount of a potential widow’s benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of the husband, when he started receiving his benefits, her age, and the amount of her own retirement benefit. We compare her own benefit with her potential survivor benefit. If her survivor benefit would be higher than her own current retirement benefit, she would be eligible for survivor benefits. For more information, please visit If You Are The Survivor page. We hope this helps.
Jane C.
Thank you. Can I just confirm, however, that the former wife collecting Early Retirement Benefits beginning at age 62, with the former husband passing when she is age 63, could continue to collect her own Early Retirement Benefits until she reaches age 66 and 8 months, her full retirement age for purposes of Survivor Benefits, so that she can maximize the Survivor Benefit by waiting until her own full retirement age to claim it? (The Survivor Benefit at her full retirement age would be substantially more than her own Early Retirement Benefit.)
A.C.
Hi, Jane. Thanks for visiting our blog. For those already receiving retirement benefits, you can only apply for benefits as a widow or widower if the retirement benefit you receive is less than the benefits you would receive as a survivor. For more information about how this works, please visit our If You Are The Survivor page. We hope this helps.
Jane C.
Thanks, the retirement benefit former wife would receive at 63 is less than the benefit she would receive as a survivor, whether she claims the survivor benefits at age 63 or at her full retirement age. By waiting until her full retirement age before switching from her own retirement benefit to the survivor benefit (rather than switching to the survivor benefit at age 63) she could maximize the amount of the survivor benefit. Is this allowed? Thank you.
Kim-Oanh N.
Does the deceased spouse benefit get to the highest if i claim his at age 70?
Because if i claim his at age 67, His benefit is equal to my benefit age 70. Pro and Con please
Joe B.
Claim the widow’s (survivor) benefit at 67. Switch to your own benefit at 70 where you will receive a higher benefit because you’ll receive 36 delayed retirement credits by not taking the retirement benefit at 67.
A.C.
Hi, Kim-Oanh. Thanks for your question. Social Security retirement benefits are increased by a certain percentage for each month you delay starting your benefits beyond full retirement age. This does not apply to survivors benefits. However, if you are eligible for retirement benefits, but haven’t applied yet, you have an additional option. You can apply for retirement or survivors benefits now and switch to the other (higher) benefit later. We hope this helps.
Melissa
What about there children? What do we get?
Angela R.
Children under 18 can get Auxiliary payment along with parent. Parent can only get that until child turns 16. There is a income requirement. You have to make less than $19,000. After 18 the child would need to apply for SSDI under parent. Once SS seems child disabled them once again you can get support again. Just as long as yr income stays under $19,000. You cant get anything unless yr 50 & deemed disabled or 60. Same income requirements. Yes it’s crap.show.
Tamela M.
Tamelamoreno
A.C.
Hi, Melissa. Thanks for your questions. When a person dies, his/her minor children can qualify for survivors’ benefits as long as they are under age 18 and unmarried. Also, if they are over 18 and disabled before age 22, they may qualify as well. You can find more information on how children can qualify for survivors’ benefits when a parent dies by reading our publication, Benefits for Children. You can also visit If You Are The Survivor page for more information about our survivors’ benefits. We hope this helps.
Barb
If I divorced my husband of 40 plus yrs. Can I get his SS when I’m eligible
A.C.
Hi, Barb. Thanks for your question. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information on how to qualify for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner. We hope this helps.
JEANNETTE T.
I TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT NOW, I AM NOW 64 AND WILL BE 65 IN AUGUST. MY EX HUSBAND DIED IN 2020 BUT HE REMARRIED. I WAS TOLD SINCE I WAS MARRIEND TO HIM OVER 11 YEARS THAT I AM ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE HIS SOCIAL SECURITY. I AM RECEIVING MY OWN NOW, BUT WANTED TO KNOW SHOULD I USE HIS FIRST AND THEN SWITCH TO MINE LATER AS I WILLL BE OLDER AND NEED MORE.
Angela R.
If his is more then yes. But you had to do prior to application of yrs.
A.C.
Hi, Jeannette. Thanks for visiting our blog. To be eligible for divorced spouse benefits, you had to be married to your former spouse for at least 10 years, and you cannot be eligible for a higher benefit on your own record. For more information on how to qualify for divorced spouse benefits, visit our Benefits Planner. We hope this helps.
Jean
My husband is 59 and on ss permanent disability. I am 61. If he passes can I receive benefit as his widow or do I need to wait until a certain age?
A.C.
Hi, Jean. Thanks for visiting our blog. The amount of your potential widow’s benefit is based on several factors, including: the earnings of your husband, when he started receiving his benefits, your age, and the amount of your own retirement benefit. We compare your own benefit with your potential survivor benefit. If your survivor benefit would be higher than your own current retirement benefit, you would be eligible for survivor benefits. For more information, please visit If You Are The Survivor page. We hope this helps.
David F.
My benefits were reduced becouse I also retired from Federal service. My wife passed away and I am woundering if I could draw her benefits sence she drew more than I do ?
A.C.
Hi, David. We are sorry to hear about your loss. A pension based on work that is not covered by Social Security (for example, Federal civil service and some State or local government agencies, such as police officers and some teachers) may affect the amount of their Social Security benefit. Your benefits can be reduced based on one of two provisions: The Windfall Elimination Provision and The Government Pension Offset (WEP/GPO). The (WEP/GPO) offset will apply starting with the date the pension and SSA benefit becomes concurrent. For additional specific questions, please contact us 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.
Susan R.
I lost all of my SS BENEFITS and 2/3 of my Widows benefit due to the Windfall Tax Elimination Act passed in the 1980’s. is this still true or shouldn’t I be given all of my monies owed for SS and Widows Benefit as of a new court ruling?