What You Need to Know about Social Security Survivor Benefits

It took nearly two years for one woman to obtain her Social Security survivor benefits, despite her three decades of working in a county District Attorney's office and knowing how to navigate government systems. Ironically, the very same systems created to help widows and widowers during a time of grief end up adding to their stress, says a recent article from Next Avenue, “’What I Learned About Survivor Benefits After My Husband Died.’”

Perhaps the most essential way to prevent problems is to take care of any possible snags while your spouse or partner is still living. This starts with understanding the essentials of survivor benefits for Social Security, pensions, or annuities. It also includes reviewing the names of account beneficiaries.

Three facts to bear in mind:

1. When a spouse dies, the surviving spouse does not receive two benefits. They receive one Social Security benefit, usually the higher of the two amounts. Planning for the loss of one of the two checks is essential.
2. Survivor benefits are based on two things. First, the spouse's age when they pass, and second, the surviving spouse’s age when claiming survivor benefits. Those already collecting benefits can switch to the higher of the two benefits.
3. Even if the decedent spouse hadn’t filed for Social Security at their death, the survivor's benefit amount is based on the amount the decedent would have received at their Full Retirement age (FRA). If the spouse was older than the FRA when they died, their benefit amount would be adjusted for those years.

In the example above, the widow wasn’t expecting two checks, and she knew she was entitled to 100 percent of her spouse’s benefit because she had been married for at least nine months and didn’t remarry before turning 60. She also had claimed her survivor benefit after reaching at least FRA for survivor benefits, which has a different set of rules than regular FRA. The FRA is 66 and 4 months for survivor benefits if born in 1958. It’s 66 and 6 months for those born in 1959 and rises to age 67 for those born in 1962 or later.

She knew her husband’s benefits were higher than hers, but didn’t know how much higher. This one detail was the missing fact, causing her benefits to be tied up for more than 18 months. She needed to provide endless verifications, identification, and other documents to get it figured out.

Here’s what you need to know and be prepared to provided to avoid or at least minimize the stress of collecting survivor benefits:

• Report the death of a spouse to Social Security as soon as possible
• An original death certificate
• Your own and your spouse’s Social Security numbers
• Your birth certificate
• A marriage certificate if you’re a surviving spouse
• Divorce papers if you’re applying as a surviving divorced spouse
• SSNs for any dependent children and their birth certificates
• The most recent W-2 Wage and Tax statement or the latest federal self-employment tax returns
• The name of your bank and account number for direct deposits

Planning for survivor benefits should be included as you go through the estate planning process. Your estate planning attorney will have helpful tips to ensure both spouses are well protected and prepared for one of life’s hardest events.

Reference: Next Avenue (May 7, 2025) “’What I Learned About Survivor Benefits After My Husband Died’”