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Social Security Survivor Benefits

Social Security survivor benefits are monthly payments provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to eligible family members of a deceased worker who paid enough into the Social Security system during their working life.

Key Points About Social Security Survivor Benefits:

  • Eligibility:
    To qualify, the deceased must have earned enough Social Security credits, typically by working about 10 years. The amount of benefits depends on the deceased's earnings history—the more they paid into Social Security, the higher the survivor benefits.

  • Who Can Receive Benefits:

    • Surviving spouses:
      • Can receive benefits as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled).
      • Can receive full benefits at any age if they are caring for the deceased’s child under 16 or disabled.
      • Remarriage before age 60 (or 50 if disabled) generally disqualifies the spouse from survivor benefits, but remarriage after those ages does not affect eligibility.
      • If already receiving their own Social Security retirement benefits, they can switch to survivor benefits if the survivor amount is higher.
    • Children:
      • Unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if full-time students) or disabled children who became disabled before age 22 may qualify.
    • Other family members:
      • Dependent parents (age 62 or older), stepchildren, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and surviving divorced spouses may also be eligible under certain conditions.

  • Purpose:
    Survivor benefits provide an income stream to help replace some of the lost income after a worker’s death, assisting surviving family members with day-to-day living expenses.

  • Application Process:
    The SSA should be notified promptly after the worker’s death, often by the funeral home. Survivors not already receiving benefits must apply directly to the SSA, typically by phone or in person, as online applications are not available for survivor benefits.

In summary, Social Security survivor benefits offer financial support to widows, widowers, children, and other dependents of deceased workers who contributed sufficiently to Social Security, helping ease the financial burden after a loss.

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