Families face serious emotional and financial challenges following the loss of a loved one. Dependents may be uncertain about how they will provide for themselves and other family members without their loved one’s income. Fortunately, Social Security does offer some financial relief through survivor benefits. Survivor benefits are monthly payments issued to eligible family members of a deceased person who worked and paid into Social Security before they passed away.
What Are Survivor Benefits and Who Is Eligible For Them?
Social Security provides monthly income benefits for the families of workers who have died. Payments can be collected by minor children, widows and widowers, older disabled children, and dependent parents of the deceased. Step-children, adopted children, and grandchildren can also be considered for survivor benefits. The Social Security system operates on a credit system based on time worked. The exact number of credits necessary for a family to be eligible for survivor benefits depends on their loved one’s age at death. The younger the loved one was, the fewer credits surviving family members need to collect benefits. Forty credits is the maximum amount needed for Social Security benefits. Generally, that means someone must work and pay Social Security taxes for at least ten years for survivors to qualify. In 2024, workers receive one credit for every $1,730 earned, up to $6,920 for a total of four credits per year.
Those eligible for survivor benefits must apply for them over the phone or in person. No claims for survivor benefits can be submitted online. When surviving family members apply for benefits, they should have specific documents on hand, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of citizenship, or divorce decrees. And while there is no time limit to file for widow or widower benefits, there is a time limit to collect the one-time lump-sum death benefit. Therefore, surviving family should not waste any time applying.
Survivor Eligibility By Status
Spouses may be eligible for survivor benefits if they are:
- 60 years or older, or age 50-59 with a disability, and
- Were married for at least nine months before the spouse’s death, and
- Didn’t remarry before age 60, or age 50 for those with a disability.
Ex-spouses who were married to the deceased for at least 10 years, as well as some valid non-marital legal relationships, like domestic partnerships, may be eligible for benefits.
However, some circumstances allow spouses, ex-spouses, or other long-term partners to gain survivor benefits regardless of age or length of marriage. For example, caring for a child of the deceased will likely warrant survivor benefits.
Unmarried children of deceased workers may be eligible for survivor benefits if they are:
- 17 years old or younger
- 18 or 19 years old and in K-12 grade school full time
- Any age if they are disabled and developed that disability at age 21 or younger
Dependent parents may be eligible for survivor benefits if they are age 62 or older and were financially supported by their child who paid into Social Security and passed away.
How Are Survivor Benefit Payments Calculated?
The benefit amount surviving family members are entitled to is based on the maximum amount their loved one would have collected if they were still living. If a loved one’s death leaves a spouse with dependent children, a special provision allows benefits to be paid to them as long as the deceased earned six or more credits within the three calendar years before their death. Loved ones who begin collecting Social Security benefits before reaching full retirement age can still pass along reduced survivor benefits to living family members after their death.
Social Security also provides a one-time death benefit of $255 that can be paid to the living spouse if they were residing with the deceased spouse at the time of death or if the living spouse was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the deceased spouse’s record. If there is no surviving spouse, the one-time payment can be made to a child eligible for benefits on the deceased worker’s record on the month of their death.
Survivors should also beware of the possibility of a blackout period on benefits. A blackout period can occur when a child is too old to collect survivor benefits and the child’s remaining parent is too young to collect benefits either. This blackout period begins when the youngest surviving child reaches sixteen and continues until the surviving spouse retires.
Survivor Benefit Payments by Status
Spouses and ex-spouses begin receiving payments at 71.5% of their deceased spouse’s benefit. Amounts can increase the longer these individuals wait to apply for survivor benefits. 100% survivor benefits are only achieved when spouses or ex-spouses reach full retirement age between ages 66 and 67.
Children usually receive about 75% of their deceased parent’s benefit. However, there are limits, called family maximums, that dictate how much payments amount to. The Social Security Administration may limit payments to spouses and children to ensure the family maximum isn’t surpassed.
Can You Collect Retroactive Survivor Benefits?
Retroactive survivor benefits may apply in certain circumstances. If a surviving spouse is younger than full retirement age and files for survivor benefits within one month of the deceased spouse’s death, the surviving spouse can receive one month of retroactive benefits. Widows or widowers under full retirement age may qualify for up to six months of retroactive benefits if the deceased spouse claimed reduced Social Security benefits before they reached full retirement age.