You may be able to collect 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, their Social Security benefit does not automatically go to you. Instead, you become may be able to access for survivor benefits — a separate payment based on their earnings record. The amount you receive and when you can start collecting both depend on your age at the time of their death and your family situation.
The Social Security Administration does not transfer a deceased person's benefit to a surviving spouse. You must contact Social Security yourself to report the death and ask about survivor benefits. This is not automatic, and many surviving spouses do not realize they have options.
Key Takeaways
- A surviving spouse can collect up to 100% of what the deceased spouse was receiving, but only at full retirement age or older; younger spouses receive a reduced amount.
- If you are caring for your deceased spouse's child under age 16, you can collect survivor benefits at any age.
- You must contact Social Security to report the death and request survivor benefits; the money does not transfer automatically.
- If you remarry before age 60, you lose survivor benefits from that marriage, though you may still have rights to benefits from a later spouse.
- Your own work history may may have access to you to a higher benefit than survivor benefits alone, and Social Security will pay whichever is larger.
How much a surviving spouse receives
The amount you receive as a surviving spouse depends on your age when you start collecting. At your full retirement age — which is 66 to 67 for most people alive today — you can receive 100% of what your spouse was getting at the time of death. If your spouse had not yet started collecting, Social Security calculates what they would have received at their full retirement age.
If you start collecting before your full retirement age, the payment is reduced. At age 60, a surviving spouse typically receives about 71.5% of the deceased spouse's benefit. The reduction is steeper the younger you are. At age 50, you receive about 71.5% only if you are disabled; otherwise, you cannot collect survivor benefits until age 60.
If you are caring for your deceased spouse's biological or legally adopted child who is under age 16, you can collect survivor benefits at any age, and the reduction does not explore — you receive 75% of what your spouse was receiving.
When to contact Social Security and what to bring
Contact Social Security as soon as possible after your spouse's death. You can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit your local Social Security office in person. Have the following information ready: your spouse's Social Security number, the date of death, and your own Social Security number.
You will also need a copy of the death certificate. The funeral home usually obtains multiple certified copies; ask for at least five. Social Security will need one, and you may need others for banks, insurance companies, and other organizations.
If you are explore for survivor benefits as a parent caring for a child under 16, bring proof of your relationship to the child (birth certificate or adoption papers) and proof that you are the child's primary caregiver.
How your own work history affects what you receive
You may be may have access to to two different benefits: survivor benefits based on your spouse's earnings, and a retirement benefit based on your own work history. Social Security pays you the larger of the two amounts, not both combined.
If you have worked and paid Social Security taxes, you have your own retirement benefit waiting for you at your full retirement age. If that benefit is larger than the survivor benefit from your spouse, Social Security will pay your own benefit instead. This matters most if you had higher earnings than your spouse or worked longer.
You can also delay collecting your own retirement benefit to let it grow while collecting survivor benefits first, though the rules for this are complex. Ask Social Security directly about your specific situation before you decide when to start collecting.
Remarriage and how it affects survivor benefits
If you remarry before age 60, you lose survivor benefits from your deceased spouse. If you remarry at age 60 or older, you keep the survivor benefits and do not lose them. This rule applies even if your new marriage ends in divorce.
If you remarry and then that marriage ends, you may have survivor rights from both spouses, depending on the ages at which you married and remarried. Social Security will calculate which benefits you are may have access to to and pay the largest amount.
What happens to your spouse's benefit if they were already collecting
If your spouse was already receiving Social Security when they died, their final check may still be in the mail or deposited to their account. You or your spouse's estate may be may have access to to that payment. Report the death to Social Security, and they will tell you what to do with any payment received after the death date.
If your spouse was receiving benefits through direct deposit, the bank may freeze the account once they learn of the death. Contact the bank and Social Security together to sort out any payments made after the death.
Children and other family members who may collect
Your spouse's unmarried children under age 19 (or up to age 19 if still in high school) can collect survivor benefits. Disabled adult children can collect at any age if the disability began before age 22. Each child typically receives 75% of what your spouse was receiving, but there is a family maximum — usually 150% to 180% of your spouse's benefit — that applies when multiple family members collect.
If you have a child from a previous relationship, that child is not may have access to to your deceased spouse's benefits unless your spouse legally adopted them. Stepchildren and grandchildren have different rules; ask Social Security about your specific family situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a certain age to collect my spouse's Social Security?
You can start at age 60 for a reduced benefit, or wait until your full retirement age (66 to 67) for the full amount. If you are caring for a child under 16, you can collect at any age. If you are disabled, you may be able to collect at age 50.
What if my spouse had not started collecting Social Security yet?
Social Security calculates what your spouse would have received at their full retirement age and bases your survivor benefit on that amount. You do not receive less because they died before claiming.
Can I collect my own Social Security and my spouse's at the same time?
No. Social Security pays you whichever benefit is larger — either your own retirement benefit or the survivor benefit from your spouse. You cannot receive both. If your own benefit is larger, you get that instead.
What if I was divorced from my spouse when they died?
You may still be may have access to to survivor benefits if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and you have not remarried before age 60. Contact Social Security to find out whether you may have access to.
How long does it take to start receiving survivor benefits?
Processing times vary, but Social Security typically begins payments within one to three months of your request. Have all required documents ready when you explore to avoid delays.