What To Do About Social Security When Your Spouse Dies

A widow widower or surviving divorced spouse cannot apply online for survivors benefits.

What to do about social security when your spouse dies. There can be several changes to your Social Security benefit if your spouse does. If your spouse dies on January 28 you would not be due the proceeds of that January Social Security check even though he or she was alive for 28 days of the month. Social Security is a key source of financial security to widowed spouses in old age. Have your spouses Social Security number handy and call the Social Security Administration office to find out what you need to do to receive survivor benefits.

A surviving spouse is entitled to a survivors benefit under certain circumstances said Deva Panambur a. If your deceased spouse was receiving Social Security disability benefits you undoubtedly have questions about whether you can continue to collect any of these benefits. To report a death or apply for benefits call 800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office. When both spouses are living both can claim Social Security if theyre eligible.

Once you and your spouse start receiving Social Security benefits upon the death of your spouse you will continue to receive your benefit or your spouses but not both. My advice is always be proactive and contact Social Security as soon as possible after your spouse passes away as benefits will only start once you apply. If you will also receive a pension based on work not covered by Social Security such as government or foreign work your Social Security benefits as a survivor may be affected. Depending on circumstances survivor benefits could be payable to you.

Manage your tax pensions and benefits if your spouse has died Check how benefits are. Social Security will pay you either your retirement benefits or survivor benefits whichever amount is higher. About 75 million individuals age 60 and older receive benefits based at least in part on a deceased spouses work record. A surviving spouse or child may receive a special lump-sum death payment of 255 if they meet certain requirements.

Get 5-6 copies of death certificate from the funeral director. You must call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 TTY number at 1-800-325-0778 Alternatively you can go in person to your local Social Security field office. A surviving spouse will receive full benefits at full retirement age or reduced benefits as early as age 60. Your tax benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.

Additionally you may begin receiving benefits as early as age 50 if you became disabled before or within seven years of your spouses death. Contact Social Security to report death and apply for lump sum death benefit 255 and possible increase in Social Security for you. The death of a spouse can be distressing for a number of reasons not the least of which is the potential loss of income. This isnt something you can do online.

If youre at least 60 but not yet at Social Securitys definition of full retirement age your payout will be somewhere in the range of 71 to 99 of your deceased spouses full benefit. If you wait until after you turn 60 you can get the benefits. Also if your spouse died young enough that you remarried before you turned 60 you wont be able to collect a widowwidowers benefit. Survivor benefits are considered separate.

If you took benefits at age 66 and then turned 66 on September 28 you would get a check for the whole month of September even though you were only 66 for three days of the month. You can claim up to 50 of your ex-spouses primary insurance amount. In addition a surviving spouse living in the same household is eligible to receive a one-time lump-sum payment of 255. The higher the earnings the higher their social security retirement benefits.

You can either keep your own benefits or claim your spouses benefits since they were higher. Lets say the husband earns 1200 from the program and you earn 800. A Special Lump-Sum Death Payment. You will continue to have access to all jointly-held accounts and safe-deposit boxes.