How Social Security Survivor Benefits Work

Apr 9

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Social Security survivor benefits are paid to spouses and dependents of the deceased to serve as an additional income stream. While these benefits typically only replace a portion of lost income, the program does intend to provide some financial relief for day-to-day living expenses. Here's a little more about them…

How survivor benefits work for surviving spouses

When one spouse passes away before the other, the surviving spouse can claim a survivor benefit: a monthly payment that typically lasts for the rest of his/her life.

Surviving spouses can begin collecting benefits as early as age 60 and sometimes even earlier in some cases. For example, surviving spouses can collect benefits as early as age 50 if they have a disability and may qualify at any age while caring for a child under age 16 or who has a disability.

If surviving spouses decide to remarry before turning 60 (age 50, if disabled), they won't qualify for survivor benefits while married; should their marriage end, however, they can regain eligibility. Lastly, if surviving spouses remarry after turning 60, their Social Security survivor benefits will continue without interruption.

Additional family members—including children, stepchildren, grandchildren, step-grandchildren, adopted children, and even surviving divorced spouses—may qualify for survivor benefits, each under specific circumstances we'll explain shortly.

How to calculate survivor benefits

The amount of this benefit is based on the deceased spouse’s earnings history—the more the deceased contributed to Social Security, the higher the benefit for the survivor (generally)—and the age of the surviving spouse.

Specifically, the benefit represents a percentage—typically ranging from 71.5% to 100%—of what the deceased would have received in Social Security benefits at his/her full retirement age (FRA).

Here are some examples of benefits surviving spouses may be entitled to:

If you claim benefits at your full retirement age or older (age 67, for those born in 1962 or later), you'll generally receive 100% of your spouse's benefit.
If you're between age 60 and your full retirement age, your benefit will range from 71.5% to 99% of your spouse’s benefit. In this scenario, the longer you wait, the higher the percentage (e.g., increasing to over 80% at age 63 and 90% at age 65).
If you're under age 60 and care for a child under age 16, you're entitled to 75% of your spouse's benefit amount regardless of your age.

What surviving spouses who receive Social Security checks should know

If you're already receiving a Social Security check based on your work history, you cannot combine your benefits with those of your deceased spouse; if the survivor benefit is higher than the amount you currently receive, you'll need to contact or visit your local Social Security office to apply for the survivor benefit.

Actions to take if a deceased spouse was receiving Social Security

If your deceased spouse was receiving Social Security benefits at the time of his/her death, you must return the benefits received for the month when he/she died (as well as any received in subsequent months). For example, if your spouse passed away in November, you would need to return the benefits for November, December, and so on and so forth.

Additionally, if the funds were deposited directly into your spouse's bank account, you'll need to contact the financial institution to request their return to the Social Security Administration.

Survivor benefits eligibility for divorced spouses

A divorced spouse of the deceased can collect survivor benefits if they were married for at least ten years, with the percentage of benefits mirroring those received by surviving widows (as previously mentioned). If the divorced spouse remarries, the same eligibility rules apply.

Survivor benefits eligibility for children

Minor and disabled children can receive Social Security survivor benefits if they're under 18 years old (age 19 for full-time students), unmarried at the time of the parent's passing, or age 18+ with a disability diagnosed before age 22. The benefit amount is typically 75% of the deceased parent’s entitlement.

Legally adopted grandchildren and step-grandchildren may also qualify for benefits if their grandparent becomes disabled or passes away (if the child’s natural or adoptive parents are deceased or disabled). Additional conditions are in play here, so it's best to check with the Social Security Administration for more details.

Working and collecting Social Security survivor benefits simultaneously

If you work before reaching your full retirement age, your monthly Social Security check may be temporarily reduced if you earn more than the yearly earnings limit set by the Social Security Administration (SSA).

If you haven't yet reached your FRA for the entire year, the SSA will deduct $1 from your Social Security survivor benefit payments for every $2 you earn above the annual earnings limit—currently $23,400 (for 2025). This means that if you earn $40,000 in a year, Social Security will withhold up to $8,400 of your survivor benefit as you're $16,600 over the earnings limit.

If you work during the year you reach your FRA, the reduction shifts to $1 for every $3 you earn above the limit; this limit is $61,100 for 2025 but only considers earnings up to the month before you reach your full retirement age (e.g., if you earn $55,000 from January through October and reach your FRA in November, $2,033 is withheld). It's important to note that once you reach full retirement age, your earnings won't reduce your Social Security benefits regardless of how much you earn.

Finally, know that withholding means the Social Security Administration will halt your checks until the owed amount is fully recouped. For example, if you owe $3,500 and your monthly Social Security check is $1,000, you won't receive a check for four months—with the $500 balance owed to you refunded at a later date.

Lump sum death payment for surviving spouses and children

The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides a one-time lump sum payment of $255 to surviving spouses so long as they resided with the deceased at the time of death; should this not be the case, they'd need to qualify for benefits based on the deceased’s employment record instead.

In the absence of an eligible surviving spouse, the lump sum can be paid to the deceased’s child (or children) if—during the month he/she passed—the child was already receiving benefits on the deceased worker’s record or became eligible for benefits upon the deceased worker’s death.

Eligible lump sum recipients must apply for this payment within two years of the date of death, provided they aren’t already receiving benefits.

Other survivor benefit considerations

Additional details regarding Social Security survivor benefits include:

· Survivor benefits begin from the date you apply and are not retroactive to the date of death.

· When multiple family members receive survivor benefits, they're subject to a maximum family benefit cap reflecting the total amount Social Security will pay (based on the deceased individual's earnings record). This cap generally ranges from 150% to 180% of the deceased spouse’s basic benefit rate; if total survivor benefits exceed this cap, each family member's payment is reduced proportionately (with any benefits paid to a surviving divorced spouse, based on disability or age, not counting toward this maximum amount).

· It's common for surviving or divorced spouses to initially claim survivor benefits and later switch to their own Social Security retirement benefits. Many individuals use this strategy to allow the survivor benefit to increase over time, ultimately leading to a larger benefit than the original.

How to apply for Social Security survivor benefits

An online application is unfortunately not yet available for survivor benefits, meaning you'll need to call the Social Security Administration at 800-722-1213 to schedule an appointment. Be sure to ask which specific documents to bring along with you, typically your marriage certificate (or final divorce decree if you're applying as a surviving divorced spouse), the death certificate, your Social Security card, and your deceased spouse’s Social Security number.

In sum: Social Security survivor benefits

While Social Security survivor benefits are sometimes an integral component of your financial plan, the rules surrounding them unfortunately aren’t the most straightforward—which is precisely why enlisting the help of a trusted financial advisor is often recommended.

Have questions about Social Security survivor benefits or anything else related to your finances? Schedule a FREE discovery call with one of our financial advisors to get them answered!

About the author
The content in this post was developed by our team of writers and reviewed by our team of CFP® professionals here at Vision Retirement.

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