Understanding Social Security Survivors Benefits
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: September 19, 2019
Unfortunately, tragedy can strike without any warning. The loss of the family wage earner can be devastating both emotionally and financially. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die.
Some of the Social Security taxes you pay go toward survivors benefits for workers and their families. The value of the survivors benefits you have under Social Security may even be more than the value of your individual life insurance. When you die, certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefits. These include widows and widowers (and divorced widows and widowers), children, and dependent parents.
Here are the people who can get survivors benefits based on your work:
- Your widow or widower may be able to get full benefits at full retirement age. The full retirement age for survivors is age 66 for people born in 1945-1956, with the full retirement age gradually increasing to age 67 for people born in 1962 or later. Your widow or widower can get reduced benefits as early as age 60. If your surviving spouse is disabled, benefits can begin as early as age 50.
- Your widow or widower can get benefits at any age if they take care of your child younger than age 16 or disabled, who is receiving Social Security benefits.
- Your unmarried children, younger than age 18 (or up to age 19 if they’re attending elementary or secondary school full time), can also get benefits. Your children can get benefits at any age if they were disabled before age 22. Under certain circumstances, we can also pay benefits to your stepchildren, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, or adopted children.
- Your dependent parents can get benefits if they’re age 62 or older. (For your parents to qualify as dependents, you must have provided at least half of their support.)
You can read more our publication Survivors Benefits for more information.
How much your family can get from Social Security depends on your average lifetime earnings. The more you earned, the more their benefits will be. For more information on widows, widowers, and other survivors, visit our webpage.
Social Security is with you through life’s journey. Be sure to tell friends and family about our Survivors Benefits and how we can help in times of need.
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About the Author
Mike Korbey, Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Mike Korbey, Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Elizabeth D.
I applied for my late husbands SS benefits in January, 2020. I turned 60 and the office stated I would receive a check in September/October of this year however I just want to confirm I will receive. Unable to reach anyone on telephone to confirm.
Ann C.
Hi, Elizabeth. 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 5:30 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Heath C.
My Mother is 83 yrs old and collects social security benefits already. I am her son, and Power Of Attorney since my Father passed away March 3, 2020. I was told I (or my Mother) would collect a check from social sec. for $255 from his death benefits which I dont believe we’ve ever collected. I was also told my Mother would be eligible to my Fathers S.S.benefits. How much if any is she entitled from the benefits he was collecting prior to his passing?
Glenda Chilton medicare #xxxxxxxxx
DOB 04-26-1937
Carl Chilton medicare #xxxxxxxxxx
DOB 04-05-1940 (i believe from memory)
DOD 03-03-2020
Im also wondering if my Mother is eligible for any other benefits offered by Social Security or any other agencys that could help us or assist us with the best care my family and I can get to help ensure we can give her the best care possible (wages paid out to hired help, for her 24/7 care, errand running,personal hygene needs, home cleaning, meal prep, ect. Currently our only help is paid out of pocket or unpaid family members who need to return to employment/income, and some service thru River City Hopice REAL LIFE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.
Thank you for any answers or help reguarding this or any upcoming Questions we may have.
Ann C.
Hi, Heath. We are sorry to hear about your loss. Please note that having a Power of Attorney does not give you legal authority to manage payments for someone receiving Social Security or SSI benefits. If your mother needs help managing her benefits, you may be interested in applying to become her representative payee. As a representative payee, you will have access to your mother’s records and the ability to update her account information. Please read our publication, A Guide For Representative Payees, for more information. For additional specific questions, please contact your local Social Security office. Just as a reminder – please be cautious about posting personal information on social media. We hope this helps.
Sharon P.
I became a widow, to my second husband,and have been collecting his SS since age 61. We got married in 2001 and I was 48 yrs old.I am now 67 years old and unmarried. If my divorced husband should die, he is now 78yrs old and retired, can I collect on his SS since I am not married along with the benefits from 2nd husband
Ann C.
Hi, Sharon. If the marriage lasted for at least 10 years, you may be eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits based on your ex-husband’s earnings. Keep in mind, if you are also eligible on another previous spouse, you will receive the higher of the two benefits not both. We hope this helps.
Blanca V.
I’m a 54.years old widow with a 15 year old son. receiving benefits, it’s there a limit for any of us to stop receiving benefits?
Ann C.
Hi, Blanca. Thanks for your question. If you are younger than full retirement age during all of 2020, we must deduct $1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $18,240. Check out how work affects Social Security payments here. We hope this helps!
Diana A.
Hi,
I began getting survivors benefits at age 59 due to being a disabled widow. I work part time and would like to know how much I can earn and not lose my survivors benefits.
Thank you
Ann C.
Hi, Diana. If you are referring to Social Security disability benefits, special rules allow you to work temporarily without losing your monthly Social Working Security disability benefits. After your nine-month trial work period, we still provide a safety net that allows you to work another three years risk free. During those three years, you can work and still receive benefits for any month in which your earnings do not exceed a certain limit. For 2020 those limits are: $2,110 for blind individuals; or $1,260 a month if you are not blind. For more information on working while receiving Social Security disability benefits, visit here. We hope this helps.
Cynthia D.
I am going to be 74 years old on August 22nd, and am receiving Social Security monthly payments via direct deposits. I have not yet received my Stimulus check!
Is there a reason for this?
Can someone from IRS or Social Security please respond? Thank you!
Vonda V.
Hi Cynthia, thank you for your question. Please visit the IRS Economic Impact Payments Information Center to answer your questions about eligibility, payment amounts, what to expect, when to expect it and more. If you are unable to find the answer, call the IRS hotline at 1-800-919-9835. Thanks!
Rodolfo W.
Mi esposa murio hace un par de anos. Solo recibi 240.- para gastos funerarios. Quiero saber si como viudo me corresponde algo, pues con lo cobrado por ambos, ibamos tirando, pero ahora con mis $647.- esta dificil para vivir.
nancy a.
can you get this benefit..if you re-marry?
Vonda V.
Hi Nancy, thanks for using our blog to ask your question. Widows that remarry after age 60 (age 50 if disabled), may continue to qualify for benefits on their deceased spouse’s Social Security record. If your new spouse is a Social Security beneficiary, you may want to apply for spouse’s benefits on that record. If that amount is higher, you may be entitled to the higher amount, based on both records. Generally, you must be married for one year before you can get spouse’s benefits. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page to see how marriage can affect Social Security benefits. We hope this helps!
Pamela K.
I expect to collect all money survivor payments owed to me and my 3 sons since January 2002… I saw how fraud took place… Oig must be fucking idiots
Pamela K.
My name is Pamela Phelps Kimmell… I became a widow Nov 17 2001 but the survivor awards to my 3 minor sons kept disappearing via ssa fraud when a Chambersburg SSA manager illegally paid 3 unentitled people including some fake Pamela Kimmell at 1977 Strathmore place in perkungie PA per Delaware trust bank and per merchant and trust bank.. That damn woman has a fake driver license with my name my birthdate my social security number and she claimed to be my dead husband’s wife and collected 2 illegal checks monthly per merchant and trust bank in Maryland collecting my same disability payment and a survivor check from my dead husband.. A second Fraudie James Roland Phelps of Maryland stole 990 a month from my oldest son Trevor Stefan Kimmell while a 3rd illegal fraud payment was made to a minor child whose ss number appears on the yearly ss1099 forms and IRS FORMS FOR CHILD PAYMENTS THE 4 PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED PAYMENT FRAUD IN SOCIAL SECURITY CHAMBERSBURG PA DID IT ILLEGALLY AND WITH MALICIOUS INTENT TO DEFRAUD ME. I OBTAINED ALL RECORDS OF PROOF FROM 3 BANKS IN MARYLAND AND FROM SSA 4 OFFICES IN MARYLAND ONE JUDGE AND FROM 2 LAWYERS. FRAUD HAS BEEN PROVEN. THE RECORD TAMPERING WAS COMPLETED BY CRIMINALS MAGGIE JAMES JAMES BREEN KURT WEINACHT AND TED KLINE IN SSA CHAMBERSBURG PA. SSA OWES ME OVER 550 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN UNPAID SURVIVOR AWARDS SINCE 2002 PER SSA MARYLAND OFFICES AND ALL ACCOUNTING RECORDS PROVED BY SSA TO BE INSIDER FRAUD. PAYING 3 UNENTITLED PEOPLE MY CHILDREN’S AWARDS AND THEN ILLEGALLY SWITCHING TO MY DISABILITY RECORD ILLEGALLY TO PAY LOWEST.. MY KIDS LOST 1200 EACH CHILD.. I LOST 1300. PAMELA KIMMELL THE FAKE PSYCH LYING BITCH AT 1977 STRATHMORE PLACE IN PERKUNGIE PA NEEDS TO BE ARRESTED AS DOES THE ADULT WHO FILED FAKE CLAIM ON MY DEAD HUSBAND’S RECORD.. JAMES ROLAND PHELPS CONFESSED IN JUNE 2020 HE DID DEFRAUD SSA BY LYING TO GET PAID 990 A MONTH YET DID NOT SUPPORT ME OR MY 3 MINOR SONS TREVOR ZACHARY OR AUSTIN KIMMELL AND HE NEVER LIVED IN MY HOME WHICH I OWNED LEGALLY AS OF OCTOBER 1988. I DEMAND HELP TO FORCE SSA TO PAY ME ALL UNPAID MONEY AND ALL MONEY RETURNED TO SSA MARYLAND AND ALL MONEY PAID TO 3 UNENTITLED PEOPLE ILLEGALLY. I WANT MAGGIE JAMES AREESTED FOR RECORD TAMPERING SWITCHING RECORDS AND LYING TO ME AS DID 3 OTHER SSA EMPLOYEES WHO KNOWINGLY PAID THE WRONG WIDOW. MY NAME IS PAMELA PHELPS KIMMELL. WAS Q CLASSIFIED FED AND AM FED UP WITH CRIMINAL ACTS AND LIES AND EXCUSES USED BY SSA PA VS SSA MARYLAND AND I GOT ENOUGH EVIDENTIARY DOCUMENTS TO PUT 7 PEOPLE INVOLVED INTO FEDERAL PRISON… HELP ME BECAUSE WILLIAM CASEY DID NOT DO HIS JOB EVEN WHEN LAWYER IN OFFICE OF CHIEF COUNSEL TO SSA DEMANDED JUSTICE AND TO PAY ME ALL MY INHERITED SURVIVOR AWARDS.. NO SUPERVISORS WERE EVER ABLE TO FORCE SSA CHAMBERSBURG TO PAY ME OR MY SONS THEY LIED AND PLAYED SICK GAMES WITH ME.. IF NECESSARY I AM CONFRONTING MAGGIE JAMES JAMES BREEN KURT WEINACHT AND RED KLINE IN PERSON TO FORCE THEM TO FIX THE MESS THEY CREATED AND WON’T HESITATE TO FIND FAKE PAMELA KIMMELL AS A FAKED WIFE OF WILLIAM FRANKLIN KIMMELL JR.. *** – ** – *** I AM DONE WITH WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS ROBBING ME ACROSS 19 YEARS.. NO MORE LIES. I GOT THE FULL FACTS IN MARYLAND BECAUSE PA WAS RUN BY CRIMINALS IN SSA.. THEY LIED AND I TAPE RECORDED THOSE ISUOTS BY PHONE AND EVEN GOT BLACKMAIL LETTERS. ALL THEY DID TO ME I’N PA WAS ROBB ME. HOW THE HELL CAN I COLLECT ONLY 215 A MONTH AND MY KIDS LOAT 1200 EACH TO GET ONLY A FUCKED UP 726.. FRAUD BEGAN IN JANUARY 2002…SEE THE FAKE NEW FAMILY MAX NIGER MAGGIE JAMES CREATED… FRAUD IS FRAUD THEFT IS THEFT… AND IT’S REAL. PAMELA PHELPS KIMMELL DISABLED WIDOW MOTHER VICTIM SOLE ENTITLED HEIR OF WILLIAM F KIMMELL ESTATE… BY LAW NO ONE ELSE HAD LEGAL RIGHTS BUT ME… AND I DIDN’T APPRECIATE 3 BANKS SHOWING ME HOW WHEN THEFT FRAUD TOOK PLACE… SO HELP ME DAMN IT. IT’S MY DAMN MONEY. I NEED IT NOW.. 20 YEARS OF LIES AND BULLSHIT PER IRS AND PER SSA OFFICES IN MARYLAND… WOW… FRAUD THEFT FUNDS DRUGS AND TERRORISM…