The survivor benefit is a tax-free monthly payment from the SSA. It is given to the spouse, divorced spouse, child, or dependent parent of a deceased individual who has worked and paid the social security taxes.
The SSA sends this payment only to those who meet the certain eligibility requirements. It is received every month on time without any delay, so the recipient of this benefit doesn’t face any problem due to financial constraint.
If you qualify for this payment, you can apply through the SSA local office. Note that the monthly payout under this benefit is received on a certain Thursday of a month, based on the birthday of the deceased person.
Who is eligible to get the SSA survivor benefit?
The survivor benefits are received by the spouse, divorced spouse, child, and dependent parent of the deceased person; the eligibility requirements vary from one another. The details for the same are available below.
Spouse:
- You must have been married to the deceased person for at least nine months; the duration isn’t applicable in case of death due to accident, military service, or disasters.
- The minimum required age is 60 years; if you are disabled, you must have turned at least 50. In the case of caring for a deceased person’s child under 16 or disabled, there is no minimum age requirement.
- Additionally, it is mandatory that you haven’t married before the age of 60 or 50 in certain situations.
Divorced Spouse:
- Your marriage with the deceased person must have lasted at least 10 years.
- You must have been married to someone else before reaching the age of 60 (50, if you are disabled).
Child:
- You must be unmarried and a biological child, adopted child, stepchild, or grandchild of the deceased person.
- Your age shouldn’t be above 18 years. If it is between 18 and 19, you should be a full-time high school student.
- If you are disabled and above 18 years old, you can get this benefit—if your disability began before the age of 21.
Dependent Parent:
- You must be at least 62 years old.
- You must have been dependent on the deceased person for at least half of your financial support.
How much is received under the SSA survivor benefit?
The amount you can get under the survivor benefit varies based on the deceased person’s Social Security earnings record, relationship to you, and your circumstances, such as age, disability, caring for a child, etc. Learn about the payouts from below.
- As a spouse or divorced spouse, you can get 71.5% of the deceased person’s monthly social security benefit. Note if you delay in applying for survivor benefits until your FRA, you may get a maximum benefit.
- If you are caring for a child under 16 or a disabled child, you can get full benefits, whatever your age is and whenever you apply for the survivor benefits.
- If you are a child under 18, a full-time high school student aged18-19, or a disabled person, you can get 75% of the deceased person’s benefit.
- If you are a dependent parent and you are aged 62 years or more, you can get 82.5% of the deceased person’s.
To get this benefit, for an individual under FRA, it is mandatory that your gross earnings from work don’t exceed the limit of $23,400. If your income exceeds, your benefit will phase out. For each $2 increase, $1 will be deducted from your social security benefit.
How to apply for the SSA survivor benefit in 2025?
In order to apply for the survivor benefit, please follow the instructions given below if you are eligible to apply as a spouse, divorced spouse, child, or dependent parent.
- Firstly, you need to gather your SSN; the deceased worker’s SSN; the death certificate; your birth certificate; the marriage certificate, if applying as a spouse; the divorce decree, if applicable; the dependent child’s birth certificate or adoption papers; and W-2 forms.
- Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, and make sure to schedule an appointment at your local Social Security office.
- Visit the SSA office with required documents and details, and fill in the application form for survivor benefits. You may be asked some basic questions; answer them correctly.
- Make sure you also provide the banking details if you want to get the benefit via direct deposit in your bank; if you want to get it via paper check, you have to submit the details to get this payment.
After applying for the survivor benefit, you have to wait for 2 to 4 weeks to get your first payment from the social security benefit.
How will the SSA survivor benefit be received?
The survivor benefits from the SSA will be received by you as per the official schedule. Note that if the deceased person’s birthday falls between 1 and 10, 11 and 20, and 21 and 31, you will get your payment on the second, third, and fourth Wednesday, respectively, of each month.
Note that the SSA sends the payment on the scheduled date without any delay. If you choose to get the payment via direct deposit, it will be sent to you on the day payment will be sent out; in the case of a paper check, you may have to wait for a week.
Disclaimer: SSA Survivor Benefit details are for informational purposes only. Eligibility and payment amounts are determined by the Social Security Administration.
