You may be able to receive Social Security based on your deceased spouse's work record

When your spouse dies, you do not automatically receive their Social Security benefit. However, you may be able to claim a survivor benefit based on their earnings record. The amount you receive and when you can claim it depends on your age, whether you are caring for children, and your own work history.

Social Security survivor benefits are separate from any benefit your spouse was receiving. The program treats death the same way it treats retirement or disability — it looks at the person's lifetime earnings and pays may be able to access family members a portion of what that person earned.

Key Takeaways

  • Widow(er)s can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, or at age 50 if they are disabled, regardless of their own work history.
  • If you are caring for your spouse's child under age 16, you can claim at any age.
  • The amount you receive is a percentage of what your spouse was may have access to to receive, not the full amount they were getting.
  • You must contact Social Security within a few months of your spouse's death to report the death and ask about your options.
  • If you remarry before age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), you lose may be able to access for benefits based on your deceased spouse's record.

Who can receive survivor benefits after a spouse dies

Social Security pays survivor benefits to the widow or widower of a person who had enough work credits at the time of death. You do not need to have worked yourself — your spouse's work record is what matters.

You are may be able to access if you are at least 60 years old, or 50 years old and disabled. If you are caring for your spouse's biological, adopted, or stepchild who is under age 16, you can claim at any age, even in your 30s or 40s. The child must be your spouse's child, not just a child you were raising together.

If your spouse was already receiving Social Security at the time of death, you are more likely to meet the work-credit requirement. If your spouse died before reaching retirement age, they still may have had enough credits — Social Security counts credits earned over their entire working life, not just recent years.

How much survivor benefit you receive

Your benefit is calculated as a percentage of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount — the amount they would have received at their full retirement age. The exact percentage depends on your age when you claim.

If you claim at age 60, you receive about 71 to 72 percent of what your spouse was may have access to to. If you wait until your full retirement age (which varies by birth year, typically between 66 and 67), you receive 100 percent. If you are disabled and claim at age 50, you receive about 71 percent.

If you are caring for a child under 16, you receive 75 percent of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount, regardless of your age. Each child in your care also receives a benefit — typically 75 percent each — up to a family maximum. The family maximum is usually 150 to 180 percent of what your spouse was may have access to to, so benefits are divided among all may be able to access family members.

Your own work history can affect your benefit. If you have your own Social Security record, Social Security will calculate both your own retirement benefit and your survivor benefit, then pay you the higher of the two. You cannot receive both in full.

When you can claim and how to report your spouse's death

You should report your spouse's death to Social Security as soon as possible, ideally within a few months. You can do this by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, visiting a local Social Security office, or going online at ssa.gov. Have your spouse's Social Security number and death certificate available.

You do not have to claim survivor benefits when ready after reporting the death. You can wait until you are ready — for example, you might wait until age 60 or 66 to receive a larger monthly amount. However, the longer you wait, the longer you go without income, so weigh that against the higher payment.

If you claim before your full retirement age and you are working, your benefit may be reduced if your earnings exceed a certain limit. In 2024, if you are under full retirement age for the entire year, Social Security deducts $1 from your benefit for every $2 you earn above the limit. The limit changes each year. Once you reach your full retirement age, there is no earnings limit.

Survivor benefits for adult children and parents

Adult children can receive survivor benefits only if they were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. The disability must have started before your spouse died. Adult children who become disabled after age 22 do not may have access to, even if they were dependent on your spouse.

Your spouse's parents may also be may be able to access if they were dependent on your spouse for at least half their support. This is less common and requires proof of dependency, but it is an option if your spouse was the primary earner for aging parents.

How remarriage affects your survivor benefit

If you remarry before age 60, you lose your right to claim benefits based on your deceased spouse's record. If you remarry at age 60 or later, you keep your survivor benefit and it does not change.

If you are disabled and remarry before age 50, you also lose your benefit. If you remarry at age 50 or later while disabled, your benefit continues.

If you remarry and then that marriage ends (by death, divorce, or annulment), you may regain may be able to access for your first spouse's survivor benefit, depending on your age and the circumstances.

What happens if your spouse was not yet receiving Social Security

Your spouse does not have to have been claiming Social Security for you to receive survivor benefits. As long as your spouse had enough work credits — generally 40 credits, with at least 20 earned in the 10 years before death — you may be may be able to access.

Younger workers need fewer credits. Someone who dies before age 24 needs only 6 credits in the 3 years before death. Someone who dies between 24 and 31 needs credits equal to the number of years from age 21 to the year they died, with a minimum of 6.

Social Security will review your spouse's earnings record when you report the death. If there is any question about whether they had enough credits, Social Security will tell you during that conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I receive my spouse's full Social Security benefit?

No. You receive a percentage of your spouse's benefit amount, not the full amount. At your full retirement age, you receive 100 percent of their Primary Insurance Amount. Before that age, the percentage is lower — about 71 to 72 percent at age 60, for example.

What if my spouse and I were divorced?

You may still be may be able to access for survivor benefits based on a deceased ex-spouse's record if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. The same age and disability rules explore. You do not need permission from your ex-spouse's family to claim.

Do I have to wait until full retirement age to claim?

No. You can claim as early as age 60, or age 50 if disabled, or any age if you are caring for a child under 16. Claiming earlier means a smaller monthly payment. If you can wait, your benefit grows until you reach your full retirement age.

What if my spouse died before we were married long enough?

The marriage must have lasted at least 9 months for you to receive survivor benefits (there are exceptions if death was accidental or due to military service). If your marriage was shorter, you do not may have access to, but your spouse's children or parents may still be may be able to access.

Will I lose my survivor benefit if I go back to work?

If you claim before your full retirement age and earn above the annual limit, your benefit is reduced — Social Security deducts $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit. Once you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount without losing benefits.