Social security surviving benefits can be collected by the survivor as soon as a month after the death of the beneficiary. However, a survivor should apply immediately because some benefits are not retroactive. If a person waits three months after a death, he or she may not be eligible to claim the last three checks. This can result in a large bill for the survivors.
The benefits for a surviving spouse can be withdrawn early or switched to a reduced benefit at the surviving spouse’s age. If the surviving spouse was working prior to their death, they may be able to withdraw their retirement application and apply for survivor benefits. The benefit will be reduced if the survivor withdraws early. For an additional fee, the determining factor is whether or not the deceased person’s benefit would be taxable.
After the death of a spouse, the surviving spouse can choose to apply for a retirement benefit. A higher benefit may be switched to a survivor at a later date. Depending on the amount of the benefits, switching benefits is the most appropriate choice. If the deceased person was retired and had accumulated credits during his or her career, the survivor can collect the retirement benefit while the survivor’s survivor benefit reduces.
Whether or not a survivor’s benefit will be increased by their death is entirely up to the individual. If a survivor has no children, they can file for benefits early. However, after reaching the full retirement age, their survivor’s benefit will decrease by one dollar. The maximum survivor benefit is 71.5% of the FRA of the surviving spouse.
If a survivor’s deceased spouse had died before their normal retirement age, the surviving spouse will receive a reduced benefit. The survivor’s benefit will be reduced if the person was younger than the survivor’s age. The surviving spouse’s survivor can also start collecting survivor benefits before the normal retirement age. The benefits depend on the age of the deceased’s spouse.
Survivors can begin receiving benefits at age 50 if their relationship to the deceased was close. A surviving spouse can continue to receive benefits if the death of a worker was a long-term job. Upon the death of a spouse, the surviving spouse may be able to claim survivor benefits for themselves. Alternatively, the survivor can start collecting benefits at age 70, if he or she was employed for at least 10 years.
If a surviving spouse dies, the survivor may still qualify to receive benefits. As long as the survivor has been working for at least five years, he or she can start receiving benefits at age 50. For example, a surviving spouse can begin receiving Social Security benefits at age 65. After reaching full retirement age, however, a widow can still receive a benefit after the death of his or her spouse.
Depending on the date of death, a survivor may be able to receive benefits for as long as his or her spouse was employed. If the deceased spouse was under the full retirement age, he or she can claim a survivor benefit. If the survivor was older, the survivor may be able to claim benefits if his or her monthly benefit is less than full retirement age.
If a surviving spouse had not had children, he or she could still qualify for a survivor benefit at age 60. If the deceased spouse was younger than full retirement age, he or she could have gotten a survivor benefit at age 16. Similarly, the surviving spouse can get survivor benefits until he or she is 61. The benefits will be reduced if the surviving spouse is under the same age as the deceased.
Survivor benefits are paid to the surviving spouse and children of an eligible worker. They are especially important to young families that have children. Knowing how a survivor benefit works will help the family understand how much the deceased spouse’s surviving spouse will get when they die. For most, this means knowing that if their spouse had a spouse, he or she was eligible for social security spousal benefits.
