You may receive a portion of your deceased spouse's Social Security benefit, but the amount depends on your age and whether you are caring for their children.
When your spouse dies, you do not automatically receive their full benefit. Instead, you become may be able to access for a survivor benefit — a separate payment based on their earnings record. The amount you receive depends on three things: your age when you claim, whether you are caring for children under 16, and your own Social Security record.
If you have not yet reached your full retirement age, the survivor benefit is reduced. If you are at full retirement age or older, you receive the full amount — typically 100 percent of what your spouse was receiving at the time of death. If you are caring for their unmarried children under 16, you can claim at any age, but the payment is still reduced unless you wait until full retirement age.
Key Takeaways
- A surviving spouse at full retirement age or older receives 100 percent of the deceased spouse's benefit; claiming before that age reduces the payment permanently.
- If you are caring for the deceased spouse's unmarried children under 16, you can claim a reduced benefit at any age without waiting.
- You must contact Social Security directly to report the death and start the survivor benefit process — the agency does not contact you automatically.
- If you are divorced, you may still be may have access to to a survivor benefit if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and you have not remarried before age 60.
- Your own Social Security record may affect the final amount you receive, because Social Security pays the higher of your own benefit or the survivor benefit, not both.
How much a surviving spouse receives at different ages
The reduction for claiming before full retirement age is steep and permanent. At age 60, a surviving spouse receives about 71.5 percent of the deceased spouse's benefit. At 65, the amount rises to roughly 86 percent. At full retirement age — which is 66 to 67 depending on birth year — you receive the full 100 percent.
These percentages do not change once you claim. If you claim at 60 and receive 71.5 percent, that remains your payment for life, even after you reach full retirement age. This is different from your own Social Security benefit, where waiting increases your payment. For survivor benefits, the reduction is permanent, so the decision about when to claim should account for how long you expect to live and whether you need the money now.
If you are caring for a child under 16, the rules are different. You can claim at any age and receive a reduced benefit — typically 75 percent of the deceased spouse's amount. This option exists because caregiving may prevent you from working. Once the youngest child turns 16, your benefit stops until you reach 60, when you can claim again as a widow or widower.
What you need to do to start receiving the benefit
Contact Social Security as soon as possible after your spouse's death. You will need the death certificate, your spouse's Social Security number, and your own Social Security number. Social Security does not automatically know about the death, even if it was reported to Medicare or other agencies.
You can report the death and start the process by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, visiting a local Social Security office, or using the online portal at ssa.gov if you have a my Social Security account. Have your spouse's death certificate ready — you may need to provide a certified copy, though Social Security can sometimes verify the death through other records.
The agency will ask when you want your benefit to begin. If you are already at full retirement age, claim when ready — there is no advantage to waiting. If you are younger and do not need the money right away, ask about the reduction percentage for your age so you can decide whether to claim now or wait.
How your own Social Security record affects the survivor benefit
If you are also receiving your own Social Security benefit, Social Security pays you whichever amount is higher — your own benefit or the survivor benefit — but not both combined. This is called the deemed filing rule, and it means you do not receive a bonus for having two records.
For example, if your own benefit at full retirement age is $1,500 and your spouse's survivor benefit is $2,000, you receive $2,000. If your own benefit is $2,200, you receive $2,200. The agency compares the two and pays the larger one.
If you have not yet claimed your own Social Security benefit, you have a choice: claim the survivor benefit now and your own benefit later, or wait and claim both at full retirement age. The math depends on your age, your earnings record, and your life expectancy. A Social Security representative can show you the payment amounts for different claiming ages so you can compare.
Survivor benefits for divorced spouses
If you were divorced from your deceased spouse, you may still receive a survivor benefit if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and you have not remarried before age 60. The rules are the same as for current spouses: the amount depends on your age and your own benefit record.
If you remarried after age 60, you can still claim on your ex-spouse's record. If you remarried before age 60, you lose the right to the survivor benefit unless that later marriage ended in death or divorce.
What happens to your spouse's benefit if you do not claim
If you do not claim the survivor benefit, it does not go to anyone else or increase later. Unlike your own Social Security benefit, which grows if you delay past full retirement age, a survivor benefit does not increase after your spouse's death. The only reason to delay is if you are not yet at full retirement age and want to avoid the permanent reduction — but even then, the benefit does not grow; it straightforward stays at the reduced rate until you claim.
If you are working and under full retirement age, you should know that earnings can reduce your benefit. In 2024, Social Security reduces your payment by $1 for every $2 you earn above a certain threshold (the threshold changes yearly). Once you reach full retirement age, there is no earnings limit. This is another reason to understand your options before claiming.
How to report your spouse's death to Social Security
The funeral home often reports the death to Social Security automatically, but you should confirm. Call 1-800-772-1213 and ask whether Social Security has a record of the death. If not, report it yourself using the death certificate.
You will also need to report the death to Medicare if your spouse was enrolled, to the Veterans Administration if they were a veteran, and to any pension plans they participated in through work. Each agency has its own process, and missing a important date can affect your benefits or result in overpayments you will have to repay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim my spouse's Social Security before I claim my own?
Yes. You can claim the survivor benefit at any age (or at any age if caring for a child under 16), and claim your own benefit later. Social Security will pay whichever is higher at any given time. This strategy can work if your own benefit will be significantly larger when you wait, because you can collect the survivor benefit in the meantime.
What if my spouse was not yet receiving Social Security when they died?
You can still claim a survivor benefit based on their earnings record. The amount is calculated as if they had claimed at their full retirement age. You do not need them to have been receiving benefits — only that they had earned enough credits through work to be insured for survivor benefits.
Do I lose the survivor benefit if I remarry?
If you remarry before age 60, you lose the right to the survivor benefit. If you remarry at 60 or later, you keep it. If you remarry and then that marriage ends, you may be able to claim on your new spouse's record instead, or go back to the survivor benefit from your first spouse — whichever is higher.
How long does it take to receive the first payment?
Social Security typically processes survivor benefits within two to four weeks of your claim, though it can take longer if the agency needs additional documents or if there are complications with the death record. Ask for a timeline when you report the death.
Can my children receive benefits on my deceased spouse's record?
Yes. Unmarried children under 19 (or up to 23 if full-time students) can receive survivor benefits. Each child receives a separate payment based on the deceased parent's record. The total paid to all family members cannot exceed a certain percentage of the deceased worker's benefit, so each child's payment may be reduced if there are multiple beneficiaries.