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Survivors’ Benefits

Survivors’ benefits are paid to family members when a worker dies. Survivors can receive benefits if the deceased worker was employed and contributed to Social Security long enough for someone his or her age to qualify. Surviving spouses of deceased wage earners are the primary class of beneficiaries entitled to survivors’ benefits under the Social Security Act. Although sometimes referred to asb “widow’s” or “widower’s” benefits, beneficiaries also include surviving divorced spouses who have minor or disabled children in their care. However, neither a surviving spouse nor a surviving divorced spouse may collect survivors’ benefits if they have remarried following the death of the wage earner. Surviving spouses and surviving divorced spouses can begin collecting survivors’ benefits at age 60, unless the surviving spouse or surviving divorced spouse is disabled, then he or she can begin collecting survivors’ benefits at age 50. In addition to monthly checks, a worker’s widow or widower may receive a lump-sum payment of $255 upon the worker’s death.

Survivors’ benefits are also payable to unmarried, dependent children under age 18 and to unmarried children of any age who are disabled prior to age 22. Thus, if a disabled, unmarried, dependent child of a worker became disabled prior to age 22, he or she will be entitled to receive survivors’ benefits for the duration of the disability. However, if the disabled surviving child remarries, his or her survivors’ benefits will be terminated, unless the disabled child marries another Social Security recipient.


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