Are There Annual Social Security Benefits for Survivors?

The Social Security Act protects survivors from financial suffering when they experience the loss of a loved one who had previously worked and contributed to Social Security. Nearly 6.4 million widows, widowers, children and other survivors received benefits in October 2010, ensuring that families without any means to provide for themselves had support.

Definition

• Survivor's benefits are paid monthly to surviving family members of those who worked long enough while paying Social Security taxes. Survivor's benefits are related to retirement benefits in a few ways. First, in order for a family to qualify for survivor's benefits, the deceased worker must have worked long enough. Secondly, the amount of the survivor's benefit is determined as a percentage of the deceased worker's retirement benefit. The average monthly benefit for all survivors as of October 2010 was $993.

Work Qualifications

• Survivor's benefits are funded by federal taxes, therefore your deceased spouse must have paid Social Security taxes during his working years for you to receive benefits as his survivor. He must also have earned at least 40 Social Security work credits for you to collect benefits. Social Security awards up to four credits a year, one credit representing each $1,000 the worker made annually. The limit is four credits a year, but the higher the salary was during your spouse's working years (and the longer he worked), the higher your benefit will be.

Widows/Widowers

• Aged widows and widowers receive the majority of survivor's benefits. To qualify, you must be at least 60 years old---though you may want to wait until full retirement age to receive benefits, since your benefit amount will be higher. Full retirement age varies depending on your birth year. If you were born between 1937 and 1942, your full retirement age is 65; if born between 1943 and 1959, it is 66; and if born after 1960, it is 67.

Other Survivors

• Children, divorced spouses, and disabled family members may also receive survivor's benefits. Any child under age 18 may receive benefits, a disabled widow/widower may receive a reduced benefit as early as age 50, a widow/widower of any age who cares for the deceased's child may receive benefits and a divorced widow/widower may receive benefits if that person was married to the deceased for at least 10 years. An adult child may receive survivor's benefits at any age if she was disabled before age 22. In some cases, grandchildren and stepchildren may also qualify for benefits.

Applying

• If the funeral director hasn't already contacted you, you must provide him with the deceased's Social Security number so he may report the death. To set up survivor's benefits for you or your family, call Social Security's main line, 800-772-1213 (800-325-0778 if you are deaf or hard of hearing), between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays to set up an appointment. For the application, you will typically need proof of citizenship, your marriage certificate, tax information, and other basic personal information like your name and Social Security number.