Social Security Survivor Benefits: What Widows and Widowers Can Claim

When a worker dies, a surviving husband or wife can receive up to 100% of the benefit the deceased was receiving or was entitled to, provided the survivor waits until their own full retirement age. Survivor benefits can start as early as age 60 (or 50 if the survivor is disabled) at a reduced rate of 71.5%. If you also have your own retirement benefit, you can often take one first and switch to the other later.

Who can receive survivor benefits

Survivor benefits are part of the insurance protection that comes with Social Security-covered work. When an insured worker dies, several family members may be eligible:

• A widow or widower age 60 or older, or age 50 to 59 if disabled.
• A surviving spouse of any age who is caring for the deceased's child under 16 or disabled.
• A surviving divorced spouse, generally if the marriage lasted 10 years or more.
• Unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school), or older if disabled before 22.
• Dependent parents age 62 or older who relied on the worker for support.

This guide focuses on widows, widowers and surviving divorced spouses, who make up most survivor claims among older Americans.

Remarriage

Remarrying before age 60 (or before 50 if disabled) generally ends eligibility for survivor benefits on the former spouse's record. Remarrying at 60 or later does not. That rule can matter a great deal for people who find a new partner later in life.

How much a surviving spouse receives

The starting point is the benefit of the person who died. If the deceased was already receiving benefits, that is the actual monthly amount. If not, it is their primary insurance amount (PIA), the benefit payable at full retirement age, plus any delayed retirement credits they had earned.

From there, two things matter: the survivor's age when the benefit starts, and whether the deceased claimed early.

The survivor's claiming age

At the survivor's own full retirement age, the benefit is 100% of the deceased's amount. Starting earlier reduces it, down to 71.5% at age 60. The reduction is spread evenly across the months between 60 and full retirement age. Use our full retirement age calculator to find your survivor FRA, which is close to, though in some birth years slightly different from, your FRA for retirement benefits.

If the deceased claimed early: the 82.5% floor

When a worker claims retirement benefits before FRA, their check is permanently reduced, and that lower figure would normally pass to the survivor. To soften the impact, a special rule applies: the surviving spouse's benefit is limited to the larger of the deceased's actual benefit or 82.5% of the deceased's PIA.

Worked examples

All of these examples use a deceased spouse whose PIA was $2,000 a month and assume the survivor has a full retirement age of 67.

How those numbers were figured

• Claimed at 62: the deceased received 70% of $2,000, or $1,400. The floor is 82.5% × $2,000 = $1,650. At FRA, the survivor gets the larger figure, $1,650. At 60, the reduced survivor amount is 71.5% × $2,000 = $1,430. That is below the $1,650 limit, so the limit does not cut it further, and the survivor receives $1,430. When both spouses claim early, Social Security's exact computation can involve extra steps, so confirm your own figure before deciding.
• Claimed at FRA: 100% of $2,000 at the survivor's FRA, or 71.5% × $2,000 = $1,430 at 60.
• Waited to 70: the deceased's delayed credits raised the check to 124% × $2,000 = $2,480. The survivor inherits that full amount at FRA, or 71.5% × $2,480 = $1,773.20 at 60.

The third row shows why a higher-earning spouse who delays benefits is also buying a larger lifetime income for the partner who outlives them. Our guide to the Social Security break-even age discusses this trade-off in more depth.

Survivor benefits and your own retirement benefit

Many surviving spouses have earned their own retirement benefit too. Social Security will not pay both in full; you generally receive the higher of the two. But unlike spousal benefits, survivor benefits let you start one benefit and switch to the other later, because filing for one does not force you to file for both.

Strategy 1: survivor benefit first, then your own at 70

Helen is 60. Her late husband's benefit was $2,000, and her own PIA is $1,800 at 67. She could take a reduced survivor benefit of $1,430 at 60, then let her own benefit grow. At 70, her own benefit would be 124% × $1,800 = $2,232, and she would switch to it, receiving $802 a month more than her early survivor benefit.

Strategy 2: your own benefit first, then the survivor benefit

Walter is 62. His late wife's benefit was $2,400, and his own PIA is $1,000. He could take his own reduced benefit at 62, which is 70% × $1,000 = $700, and then switch at his FRA of 67 to the full, unreduced survivor benefit of $2,400.

The best order depends on both benefit amounts, your age, your health and whether you are still working. If you claim before FRA and keep a job, either benefit can be temporarily withheld under the 2027 earnings limit. Our benefit calculator can estimate your own record so you can compare.

Other things to know

The $255 lump-sum death payment

A one-time payment of $255 can be paid to a surviving spouse who was living with the deceased, or in some cases to a spouse or child receiving benefits on the deceased's record. It must generally be applied for within two years of the death.

Reporting a death and the final payment

Social Security benefits are paid a month behind: the payment received in one month is for the previous month. Because of that, the benefit for the month in which a person dies is not payable, and a check received after the death may need to be returned. Funeral homes often report the death, but it is wise to confirm that Social Security has been notified and to ask about survivor benefits at the same time. Survivor benefits do not start automatically for most people; you usually need to apply.

Repeal of the Government Pension Offset

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, repealed the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision. Widows and widowers who receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security no longer see their survivor benefits reduced by that pension.

Taxes

Survivor benefits are taxed the same way as retirement benefits. Whether any part is taxable depends on your combined income, and a widow or widower who switches from married filing jointly to single filing faces lower thresholds. See Is Social Security taxable? for details.

This guide is for general education and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules and amounts can change; confirm details with the Social Security Administration, the IRS or Medicare. Spotted an error? Let us know.