What Happens to Your Social Security Benefit if Your Spouse Dies?
Social Security provides guaranteed income for life to retired workers and their spouses. When one spouse dies, survivors benefits allow the surviving spouse to inherit the deceased partner's payout. However, many Americans misunderstand the program, which could cause the…
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Social Security's survivors benefits allow the surviving spouse to inherit the deceased partner's payout, but many Americans misunderstand the program, which could cause them to miss out on financial support at a vulnerable time.
Imagine you and your spouse are getting two Social Security checks. When one of you dies, the other person can keep the bigger check. But if they already have the bigger check, nothing changes. They can still get the bigger check if they ask for it.
Analysis
The Difference Between Retirement Benefits and Survivors Benefits
Broadly speaking, Social Security benefits fall into three categories: (1) retirement benefits for retired workers and their spouses, (2) survivors benefits for widows and widowers, and (3) disability benefits for disabled workers and their spouses.
Retirement benefits are paid to retired workers and spouses. Retired-worker benefits are based on lifetime earnings and claim age. A worker's primary insurance amount (PIA), the payout awarded to individuals who claim Social Security at full retirement age (FRA), is calculated as a percentage of inflation-adjusted earnings from the 35 highest-paid years of work. The actual payout is then adjusted based on claim age, downward if they claim earlier and upward if they claim later.
Spousal benefits allow the spouses of retired workers to claim Social Security even if they have no personal work history. Payments are calculated as a percentage of the retired worker's PIA. The precise benefit awarded depends on the age at which the spouse claims Social Security, but it can't exceed 50% of the retired partner's PIA. Spouses who claim earlier than FRA receive a reduced payout, meaning less than 50% of the retired partner's PIA.
What Happens to Your Social Security Benefit When Your Spouse Dies?
In most cases, married couples receive two Social Security checks. Sometimes that means two retired-worker benefits; other times it means one retired-worker benefit and one spousal benefit. Either way, one revenue stream disappears when one spouse dies. Survivors benefits compensate for the lost income by letting widow(er)s keep the larger of the two Social Security checks. If the widow(er) already receives the larger check, nothing happens to their benefit when their spouse dies. But if the widow(er) receives the smaller check, they can replace their own retirement benefit with that of their deceased partner by applying for survivors benefits.
How to Apply for Survivors Benefits
To apply, the surviving spouse can either call the Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213) or visit their local Social Security office. The surviving spouse will need to provide proof of their marriage and the death of their spouse. They will also need to provide their Social Security number and date of birth. Once the application is submitted, the Social Security Administration will review it and determine the amount of the survivors benefit.
Key points
- Social Security provides guaranteed income for life to retired workers and their spouses.
- Survivors benefits allow the surviving spouse to inherit the deceased partner's payout.
- Many Americans misunderstand the program, which can cause them to miss out on financial support at a vulnerable time.
- The surviving spouse can apply for survivors benefits by calling the Social Security Administration or visiting their local Social Security office.
- The surviving spouse will need to provide proof of their marriage and the death of their spouse to apply for survivors benefits.
If the surviving spouse applies for survivors benefits, they can receive the larger of the two Social Security checks, which can provide them with a more stable financial situation.
If the surviving spouse does not apply for survivors benefits, they may miss out on a larger Social Security check, which can leave them with a reduced financial situation.
