Social Security Survivor Benefits
The financial impact of a loved one’s death can add stress to an already difficult time. At Disability Advice, we help eligible family members maintain financial stability after a loss by pursuing Social Security survivor benefits.
What Are Social Security Survivor Benefits?
Survivor benefits provide a monthly income to certain family members of a person who worked and contributed to Social Security before their death. These payments replace part of the earnings the deceased worker would have provided. They are designed to support family members who have relied on that income, such as a spouse, child, or dependent parent.
How Survivor Benefits Work
Social Security survivor benefits are based on the deceased’s work history. When someone works and pays Social Security taxes, they earn credits that may qualify their family for survivor benefits.
After establishing basic eligibility, the Social Security Administration calculates the survivors’ monthly benefit amount using the deceased worker’s lifetime earnings.
Who Is Eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits?
Eligibility mostly depends on your relationship to the deceased and their work record. Spouses, children, and dependent parents may qualify if the worker earned enough Social Security credits. A worker’s family will generally be eligible once the worker has 10 years of work experience , but younger workers need fewer years to meet the requirement.
Surviving Spouses
A surviving husband or wife may qualify for survivor benefits if the deceased spouse worked and paid into Social Security. As a surviving spouse, you may be eligible to get full benefits at your full retirement age. However, those 60 or older may be entitled to partial benefits. In addition, those 50 or older with a qualifying disability and those caring for a child under 16 or with a disability may be entitled to survivor benefits.
Children of the Deceased
A worker’s dependent children may be eligible for survivor benefits if they are unmarried and meet one of the following criteria:
- They are under the age of 18.
- They are under 19 and attending primary or secondary school full-time.
- They became disabled before turning 22, regardless of their current age.
Those eligible may include biological children, adopted children, stepchildren, grandchildren, and step-grandchildren who depended on the deceased’s income at the time of death.
Dependent Parents
Parents age 62 or older may qualify for survivor benefits if they depended on their deceased child for at least half of their financial support. To qualify, you must be the deceased’s biological parent or have become their stepparent or adoptive parent before they turned 16.
How Much Are Social Security Survivor Benefits?
The SSA calculates survivor benefits using the deceased worker’s average lifetime earnings. These earnings determine a basic benefit amount, which serves as the foundation for calculating what each survivor can receive. Benefit percentages depend on the survivor’s age, relationship to the deceased, and number of additional eligible survivors.
Percentage of Benefits Paid
Each eligible family member receives a percentage of the worker’s basic benefit amount, up to the family maximum. Typical payment percentages include:
- Surviving spouse at full retirement age or older: 100% of the deceased’s benefit
- Surviving spouse between age 60 and full retirement age: 5% to 99%
- Surviving spouse of any age caring for a child under 16 or with a disability: 75%
- Each eligible child: 75%
- One dependent parent: 82.5%
- Two dependent parents: 75% each
Family Maximum Rules
The SSA limits the total amount it pays to all eligible survivors combined. The family maximum ranges from 150% to 180% of the deceased worker’s full benefit amount. If total benefits for all survivors exceed that percentage, the SSA will reduce each person’s payment proportionally to keep the combined amount within the limit.
How To Apply for Social Security Survivor Benefits
If you’re not currently receiving Social Security, you can apply by calling 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your local Social Security office.
You don’t need to apply if you already receive family Social Security benefits. After you or the funeral home notifies the SSA about your loved one’s death, the SSA will automatically update your benefit type and amount.
Contact or visit the SSA if you’re currently receiving benefits for your own work. If the SSA determines that you can get more money as a surviving spouse, you’ll get a combination of benefits equaling the higher amount.
Documents You’ll Need
When you apply for survivor benefits, the SSA will ask for documents confirming your eligibility, such as the following:
- Proof of death, such as a death certificate or a statement from the funeral home
- Social Security numbers for both you and the deceased
- Your birth certificate
- Your marriage certificate or divorce papers, if applying as a surviving spouse or former spouse
- Your dependent children’s birth certificates and Social Security numbers, if applicable
- The deceased’s most recent W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns
- Bank statements or other proof that your child provided at least half of your financial support, if applying as a dependent parent
- Your bank account information for direct deposit
Timeline for Applying
You can apply for survivor benefits immediately after your loved one’s death. The SSA often pays benefits starting from the month you apply for them rather than the month of death, so filing quickly can help you avoid losing potential benefits.
Many survivors are eligible for a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment . To receive this payment, you must apply within two years of your loved one’s death.
Survivor Benefits for Special Situations
Some families qualify for survivor benefits under unique circumstances. Special rules cover divorced spouses, survivors with disabilities, and families of deceased service members.
Divorced Spouses
Divorced spouses may qualify for survivor benefits if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and the surviving ex-spouse meets the regular spousal age or disability requirements. The age requirement does not apply if the divorced survivor is caring for a child under 16 or a disabled child who qualifies for benefits on the deceased worker’s record.
Disabled Survivors
A surviving spouse or divorced spouse with a qualifying disability can begin receiving benefits as early as age 50. Disabled adult children may also qualify for survivor benefits if their condition arose before age 22 and they remain unmarried.
Military Families
A special rule allows benefits for certain survivors of U.S. military service members who worked only one and a half years in the three years before their death. Eligible survivors in these cases include minor children and spouses caring for children.
Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings About Survivor Benefits
Awareness of common mistakes and myths about survivor benefits can help you avoid problems with your claim.
Assuming You Don’t Qualify
Many families believe they can’t receive survivor benefits because the deceased wasn’t collecting Social Security Disability or retirement benefits before their death. In reality, eligibility is based on the worker’s earnings record. People with unusual relationships to the deceased, such as ex-spouses or parents, may also miss out on benefits by assuming they don’t qualify.
Missing Deadlines
Delays in reporting a death or applying can result in lost benefits. Missing the two-year deadline for the one-time death payment can also prevent you from getting the full benefits you’re entitled to.
Not Reporting Changes
You must report life changes such as remarriage, new or lost employment, or losing custody of a child to the SSA. Failing to do so can lead to overpayments that you’ll need to repay or even a permanent loss of benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions About Survivor Benefits
We answer common questions about Social Security survivor benefits below.
Can You Collect Survivor Benefits and Your Own Retirement at the Same Time?
Yes, the SSA allows you to claim both retirement benefits and survivor benefits at the same time. If you qualify for both your own retirement and your spouse’s benefits, the SSA will pay your own benefits first. However, if the survivor benefits as a spouse are higher than your own retirement benefit, you will get a combination of the two equaling the higher amount.
Do Survivor Benefits End if You Remarry?
Remarriage will not affect your survivor benefits if you remarry after age 60, or after age 50 if you have a disability. If you remarry before those ages, you typically cannot collect benefits based on your late spouse’s work.
Can a Child Receive Survivor Benefits if They’re in College?
Usually not. Survivor benefits for children end when the child turns 18, or age 19 if still in high school. However, a disabled adult child may continue to receive benefits if their disability began before age 22.
How Long Do Survivor Benefits Last?
Eligible spouses and disabled adult children may receive benefits for life. Children’s benefits usually end at age 18 or 19.
Are Survivor Benefits Taxable?
You’ll owe taxes on your survivor benefits if your combined income—half of your annual Social Security benefits plus any other income—exceeds $25,000 as an individual filer or $32,000 as a joint filer.
Social Security Survivor Benefits – Get Help Navigating Your Claim
Social Security survivor benefits provide critical financial support to grieving families, but the rules and approval process can be complex. Disability Advice can help you get your benefits right the first time by explaining your options, preparing your documentation, and guiding you through every step of the claim or appeal process.
Contact us today to connect with our advocates at no cost.
On This Page
- What Are Social Security Survivor Benefits?
- Who Is Eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits?
- How Much Are Social Security Survivor Benefits?
- How To Apply for Social Security Survivor Benefits
- Survivor Benefits for Special Situations
- Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings About Survivor Benefits
- Frequently Asked Questions About Survivor Benefits
- Social Security Survivor Benefits – Get Help Navigating Your Claim
