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When a Social Security beneficiary dies, his or her surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits. About 3.8 million widows and widowers, including some who were divorced from late beneficiaries, were receiving survivor benefits as of August 2024.
Widows and widowers are entitled to 100 percent of their late spouse’s Social Security benefit if they claim survivor benefits at their own full retirement age. FRA for survivor benefits differs from that for retirement benefits; it’s 66 and 4 months if the survivor was born in 1958 and rising in steps to 67 for those born in 1962 and after.
The Government Pension Offset affects only your Social Security spousal or survivor benefit. If you are collecting Social Security retirement benefits and a non-covered government pension, you may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision. The GPO applies only to your government pension. If you are collecting a deceased spouse’s ...
If we're talking about your retirement benefit, the answer is no. Social Security has no marriage penalty. The monthly retirement payments that you and your prospective spouse get are calculated separately, based on your individual earnings histories, and they don't change when you tie the knot, whether it's your first, second or fifth time.
You can file the application with a Social Security representative, either by telephone at 800-772-1213 or at your local Social Security office. Local offices fully reopened in April 2020 after being closed to walk-in traffic for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic , but Social Security recommends calling in advance and scheduling ...
A similar rule, the Government Pension Offset (GPO), reduces Social Security spousal or survivor benefits for spouses, ex-spouses, widows and widowers who also collect a non-covered pension from their government jobs. The reduction can be up to two-thirds of the government pension amount, and under this rule — unlike with the WEP — your ...
Survivor: For most widows and widowers, the earliest age of eligibility for survivor benefits is 60 (50 if you are disabled). The portion of your late spouse’s Social Security that you can collect rises from 71.5 percent if you file at 60 (or during your 50s if you are disabled) to 100 percent at your full retirement age.
5 Social Security Decisions That Can Be Costly. Social Security can make up a big portion of your retirement income. Maximizing your benefits starts with making the best choices for you, based on your age, marital status, work plans and more. Watch this free AARP webinar for expert guidance on avoiding Social Security pitfalls that could cost ...
They no longer have a child in their care who is younger than 16 or disabled and entitled to benefits on the late worker’s earnings record. They remarry. Some exceptions exist if the marriage is to someone receiving certain kinds of Social Security benefits. They become entitled to widow’s or widower’s benefits.
Survivor benefits are distinct from Social Security's lump-sum death benefit, a one-time payment of $255 to a deceased beneficiary's family. To receive this payment, you must file the application (by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213 or visiting your local office ) within two years of the person's death.