Social Security Survivor Benefits: Who Qualifies and How Much

“A person may be entitled to more than one benefit at the same time. For example, a person may be entitled as a retired worker on their own record and as a spouse on another record. However, a person's benefit amount can never exceed the highest single benefit to which that person is entitled.”

“Method B – A widow is entitled to a benefit of $1000 before reduction. They are also entitled to a RIB of $400 before reduction. Each benefit is reduced separately. The widow benefit is reduced to $900 and the RIB is reduced to $380. The reduced RIB is subtracted from the reduced widow benefit. The result is the excess widow benefit payable - $520. The total paid is $900, the sum of the reduced excess widow benefit and the reduced RIB.”

“We use the deceased worker’s basic benefit amount to calculate the percentage survivors can get. The percentage depends on the survivor’s age and relationship to the worker. If the worker who died was getting reduced benefits, we’ll base your survivor’s benefit on that amount.”

“In most typical claims for benefits a: Surviving spouse, at full retirement age or older, generally gets 100% of the worker’s basic benefit amount. Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but younger than full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker’s basic benefit amount. Surviving spouse, any age, with a child younger than age 16, gets 75% of the worker’s benefit amount. Child gets 75% of the worker’s benefit amount.”

“(a) Your monthly benefit is equal to the insured person's primary insurance amount. If the insured person dies before reaching age 62 and you are first eligible after 1984, we may compute a special primary insurance amount to determine the amount of the monthly benefit (see § 404.212(b)). (b) We may increase your monthly benefit amount if the insured person delays filing for benefits or requests voluntary suspension of benefits, and thereby earns delayed retirement credit (see § 404.313), and/or works before the year 2000 after reaching full retirement age (as defined in § 404.409(a)). The amount of your monthly benefit may change as explained in § 404.304.”

“Payments start at 71.5% of your spouse’s benefit and increase the longer you wait to apply. For example, you might get: Over 75% at age 61. Over 80% at age 63. Over 90% at age 65. You can get up to 100% when you reach your Full Retirement Age for Survivor benefits (between ages 66–67).”

“For people born after 1/1/40, FRA is gradually increased to age 67. However, the maximum reduction is still set at 28.5%. This causes the fractions involved in widow(er) reduction to vary depending on the date of birth.”

“Beginning 1/84, disabled widow(er)s are deemed to be age 60 and there is no additional reduction for months before age 60. In other words, all disabled widow(er)s under age 60 receive .715 of the full unreduced WIB for 1/84 and later. […]”

“Your mother's or father's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance amount. The amount of your monthly benefit may change as explained in § 404.304.”

“Children generally get 75% of the parent’s benefit. However, there’s a limit to how much a family can receive, called the “family maximum.” We may lower everyone’s payments to stay under this limit. Ex-spouses don’t count toward the family maximum.”

“Your parent's monthly benefit before any reduction that may be made as explained in § 404.304, is figured in one of the following ways: (a) One parent entitled. Your parent's monthly benefit is equal to 82 1/2 percent of the insured person's primary insurance amount if you are the only parent entitled to benefits on his or her earnings record. (b) More than one parent entitled. Your parent's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance amount if there is another parent entitled to benefits on his or her earnings record.”

“There’s a limit to the benefits we can pay to you and other family members each month. The limit varies between 150% and 180% of the deceased worker’s benefit amount.”

“(a) Your monthly benefit is equal to the insured person's primary insurance amount. If the insured person dies before reaching age 62 and you are first eligible after 1984, we may compute a special primary insurance amount to determine the amount of the monthly benefit (see § 404.212(b)). (b) We may increase your monthly benefit amount if the insured person delays filing for benefits or requests voluntary suspension of benefits, and thereby earns delayed retirement credit (see § 404.313), and/or works before the year 2000 after reaching full retirement age (as defined in § 404.409(a)). The amount of your monthly benefit may change as explained in § 404.304.”

“Your widow's or widower's unreduced benefit amount (the worker's primary insurance amount after any reduction for the family maximum under § 404.403), is reduced or further reduced based on the number of months of entitlement prior to the month you attain full retirement age. This does not include any month in which you have in your care a child of the worker on whose earnings record you are entitled. The child must be entitled to child's benefits. The number of months of entitlement prior to full retirement age is multiplied by .285 and then divided by the number of months in the period beginning with the month of attainment of age 60 and ending with the month immediately before the month of attainment of full retirement age.”

“Your surviving spouse may be able to get full benefits at full retirement age. The full retirement age for survivors born from 1945 and 1956 is 66. The full retirement age for survivors increases gradually if you were born from 1957 to 1962. For anyone born 1962 or later, full survivors’ benefits are payable at age 67. This is different from the full retirement age for retirement benefits, which is 67 for people born in 1960 or later. Your surviving spouse can get reduced benefits as early as age 60. If your surviving spouse has a disability, benefits can begin as early as age 50.”

“Ms. Bogle is entitled to an unreduced widow benefit of $785.70 beginning at age 64. Her full retirement age for unreduced old-age benefits is 65 years and 4 months. She will receive benefits for 16 months prior to attainment of full retirement age. The number of months in the period from age 60 through full retirement age of 65 and 4 months is 64. The reduction in her benefit is $785.70 × 16 × .285 divided by 64 or $55.98. $55.98 is rounded to the next higher multiple of 10 cents ($56.00) and subtracted from $785.70. The result is a monthly benefit of $729.70.”

“Age means how many years old you are. You reach a particular age on the day before your birthday. For example, if your sixty-second birthday is on July 1, 1979, you became age 62 on June 30, 1979.”

“If you’ve worked long enough, we make a one-time payment of $255 when you die. We can only pay this benefit to your spouse or child if they meet certain requirements. Survivors must apply for this payment within 2 years of the date of your death.”

“If a person is fully or currently insured when he or she dies, a lump-sum death payment of $255 may be paid to the widow or widower of the deceased if he or she was living in the same household with the deceased at the time of his or her death. If the insured is not survived by a widow(er) who meets this requirement, all or part of the $255 payment may be made to someone else as described in § 404.392.”