What SSDI survivor benefits are and who receives them

If your spouse worked and paid Social Security taxes, you may receive monthly payments from Social Security after their death. These payments—called survivor benefits—are not based on your own work history. They come from your deceased spouse's Social Security account, and you receive them because you were married to them.

Social Security pays survivor benefits to several categories of people: a widow or widower at any age if caring for the deceased's child under 16, a widow or widower at age 60 or older, a widow or widower at age 50 or older who is disabled, and children under 19 (or 19 if still in high school). You do not have to be poor or meet any income test to receive these payments.

The amount you receive is a percentage of what your spouse was receiving or would have received if they were still alive. Social Security calls this the Primary Insurance Amount, or PIA. Your payment is typically between 75 and 100 percent of that amount, depending on your age when you start receiving benefits.

Key Takeaways

  • You can receive survivor benefits at age 60, or at age 50 if you are disabled, without having worked enough to earn your own Social Security.
  • The payment amount depends on your spouse's work record and earnings history, not your own income or assets.
  • You must contact Social Security to report your spouse's death and request survivor benefits; the agency does not contact you automatically.
  • If you remarry before age 60, you lose may be able to access for benefits based on your deceased spouse's record, though you may later may have access to based on a new spouse's record.
  • You can receive your own retirement benefits and survivor benefits, but Social Security will calculate the total using a formula that may reduce one or both amounts.

Age requirements and when you can start receiving payments

The age at which you can receive survivor benefits determines how much you receive each month. At age 60, you can begin receiving full widow's benefits with no reduction. If you start at age 60, you receive 71.5 percent of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount. The longer you wait, the higher your monthly payment becomes.

If you are disabled, you can start receiving benefits as early as age 50. Disabled widow's benefits are 71.5 percent of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount. Disability in this context means you have a severe medical condition expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, and you are unable to work.

If you are caring for your spouse's child who is under age 16, you can receive benefits at any age. These are called caregiver benefits. You receive 75 percent of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount while you have a may have access to child in your care. Once the youngest child turns 16, your benefits stop until you reach age 60.

How to report your spouse's death and start the process

You must contact Social Security yourself to report your spouse's death and request survivor benefits. Social Security does not automatically know when someone dies unless a funeral home or state vital records office reports it, and even then the agency may not when ready connect that death to all family members who might be may have access to to benefits.

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office in person. You will need your spouse's Social Security number, your own Social Security number, and a copy of the death certificate. If you do not have a death certificate yet, you can still file—Social Security can help you obtain one or accept a funeral home's statement of death temporarily.

Social Security will ask you questions about your age, your marriage, any previous marriages, and whether you are caring for any children. Answer honestly. If you are unsure about something, say so rather than guessing. You can always provide additional information later.

How your payment amount is calculated

Your monthly payment is based on your spouse's earnings record, not your own. Social Security looks at your spouse's 35 highest-earning years (or fewer if they worked less than 35 years) and calculates their Primary Insurance Amount—the amount they would have received at their full retirement age.

Your payment is then a percentage of that amount. At age 60, you receive 71.5 percent. At age 70, you receive 99 percent. If you are disabled at age 50 or older, you receive 71.5 percent. If you are caring for a child under 16, you receive 75 percent. These percentages are fixed by law and do not change based on your income, assets, or other circumstances.

There is a family maximum: the total amount Social Security pays to all family members on one person's record cannot exceed 150 to 180 percent of that person's Primary Insurance Amount. If multiple family members are receiving benefits on your spouse's record—for example, you and two children—Social Security divides the family maximum among you. If you are the only beneficiary, you receive your full percentage.

Remarriage and how it affects your benefits

If you remarry before age 60, you lose your may be able to access for survivor benefits based on your deceased spouse's record. This rule exists whether you remarry at age 30 or age 59. Once you turn 60, you can remarry without losing benefits.

If you remarry after age 60, you keep your survivor benefits. You do not switch to benefits based on your new spouse's record unless those benefits would be higher. Social Security will calculate both amounts and pay you whichever is larger.

If your new marriage ends in divorce, you may later become may be able to access for survivor benefits on your deceased spouse's record again, depending on how long you were married and your current age. Contact Social Security to discuss your specific situation.

What happens if you work and earn income

There is no income limit for survivor benefits based on your assets or savings. However, if you are under full retirement age and you earn income from work, Social Security reduces your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above a certain amount. For 2024, that amount is $23,400 per year, though this figure changes annually.

Once you reach your full retirement age (which varies by birth year, typically between 66 and 67), you can earn any amount without any reduction to your benefits. The earnings test applies only to the months before you reach full retirement age.

Self-employment income counts toward this limit. If you own a business, report your net profit from self-employment. Pensions, investment income, and rental income do not count.

How survivor benefits interact with your own retirement benefits

If you have your own Social Security work record, you may eventually receive both survivor benefits and retirement benefits. However, Social Security does not pay both amounts in full. Instead, the agency uses a formula called the Government Pension Offset or Windfall Elimination Provision (depending on your situation) to calculate your total payment.

In most cases, you receive whichever benefit is higher. For example, if your own retirement benefit at age 62 would be $800 per month and your survivor benefit at age 60 would be $1,200 per month, Social Security pays you the $1,200. You do not receive both.

If you were born before January 2, 1954, different rules may explore to you. Contact Social Security to understand how your specific benefits will be calculated, as the rules for people born before that date are more complex.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive survivor benefits if my spouse and I were not legally married?

No. Social Security requires a legal marriage certificate. Common-law marriages are recognized in some states; if you were in a common-law marriage in a state that recognizes it, you may be able to provide evidence of that marriage to Social Security. Contact your local office to discuss your situation.

What if my spouse did not work long enough to earn Social Security?

Your spouse needed to work and pay Social Security taxes for at least 10 years (40 quarters) to have a Social Security record. If they did not meet this requirement, you cannot receive survivor benefits based on their record. You would need to rely on your own work record if you have one.

Do I have to wait until age 60 to receive benefits, or can I start earlier?

You can start at age 50 if you are disabled. If you are caring for your spouse's child under age 16, you can receive benefits at any age. Otherwise, the earliest age is 60. Starting earlier means a lower monthly payment for the rest of your life.

What happens to my survivor benefits if I move to another country?

You can receive survivor benefits while living outside the United States, with some exceptions. Citizens of certain countries cannot receive benefits while living there. Contact Social Security before moving to confirm your situation.

Can my adult child receive survivor benefits?

Only if they became disabled before age 22. Adult children who became disabled after age 22 do not may have access to, even if the disability is severe. Children under 19 (or 19 if in high school full-time) may have access to regardless of disability status.