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Social Security for Widowed Spouses in RetirementThe National Academy of Social Insurance provides this information to help those seeking to better understand Social Security, which continues to be a cornerstone of retirement security for American workers and their families. We encourage you to use the information on our site to increase your familiarity with social insurance programs as they currently exist and to envision how they could evolve to meet the needs of a changing world. Who is entitled to survivors’ benefits from Social Security?How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies SSA.gov/benefits/survivors Social Security is a key source of financial security to widowed spouses. About 7.8 million individuals aged 60 and older receive Social Security benefits based, at least in part, on a deceased spouse’s work record. These surviving spouse beneficiaries are overwhelmingly women. These beneficiaries include 3.6 million people who are eligible only as widowed spouses. Another 4.2 million who are entitled to benefits based on their own work records but whose deceased spouses’ benefit amounts were higher than their own, will receive higher benefits as individuals (although, as discussed below, lower household total benefits). How much do widowed spouses receive?Social Security survivors’ benefits are especially important to women (95% of survivor beneficiaries are women), because wives tend to earn less than their husbands, and they also typically outlive their husbands. When a retired worker dies, the surviving spouse receives a benefit equal to the deceased worker’s full retirement benefit. Depending on the widow’s or widower’s circumstances, however, this benefit may substantially reduce her (his) monthly household income because only one Social Security benefit is now arriving (whichever is higher), not the two benefits that the couple received before the spouse’s death. Women who had worked and earned their own Social Security benefits, in particular, may find themselves struggling to meet the rising fixed expenses that come with aging.
For more information on Social Security and survivor benefits, please visit the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/. Additional resources:
How can we help you?Stay up-to-date on the latest research & policy updates.Subscribe to our newsletterHow do I claim my deceased husband's Social Security?You can apply for benefits by calling our national toll-free service at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visiting your local Social Security office. An appointment is not required, but if you call ahead and schedule one, it may reduce the time you spend waiting to apply.
When a husband dies does the wife get his Social Security?Survivors Benefit Amount
Widow or widower, full retirement age or older — 100% of the deceased worker's benefit amount. Widow or widower, age 60 — full retirement age — 71½ to 99% of the deceased worker's basic amount. Widow or widower with a disability aged 50 through 59 — 71½%.
What documents are needed to apply for Social Security survivor benefits?Your date and place of birth and Social Security number; The name, Social Security number and date of birth or age of your current spouse and any former spouse. You should also know the dates and places of marriage and dates of divorce or death (if appropriate);
Can a widow collect her deceased husband's Social Security?Social Security will not combine a late spouse's benefit and your own and pay you both. When you are eligible for two benefits, such as a survivor benefit and a retirement payment, Social Security doesn't add them together but rather pays you the higher of the two amounts.
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