Social Security Benefits: A Helpful Discussion On Terms To Obtain The Benefit And How To Get After A Family Member's Death The loss of a family member could be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Social Security is meant to be a survivor program and also a retirement program. Most people are conscious of Social Security retirement benefits, and many may even be aware that Social Security has disability benefits, but are you conscious that there are Social Security death benefits as well? In this article we'll discuss the one-time lump sum death benefit, monthly survivor benefits, who qualifies for survivor benefits, and methods to apply for benefits when a family member dies. One-Time Death Benefit: You may receive a one-time payment of $255 when a family member dies, based on your relationship to them and how long they have worked. Normally, only surviving spouses and children of deceased workers qualify for the one-time death benefit. Moreover, the deceased family member must have worked long enough to be insured under Social Security, but it does not matter if they were already collecting Social Security or not. The Death benefit payment is made to the surviving spouse living with the dead person at the time he/she passed, or if there is no surviving spouse, the payment is made to a child of the dead person. Spouses who are not living together when one spouse dies could still receive the death benefit if they were eligible for benefits on the deceased spouse's earnings in the month the spouse passed. If there's no surviving spouse or child who qualifies for the payment, then no payment will be made. This is a one-time, lump sum benefit; but some survivors may qualify for a monthly benefit along with the one-time death benefit. Monthly Survivor Benefits: In addition to the one-time payment, some family members may receive a monthly benefit for a dead person. Widows, widowers, children and dependent parents may qualify for per month survivor benefits. In some cases, even divorced widows and widowers might qualify to receive benefits when their ex-spouse dies. The monthly survivor benefit is also referred to as "survivors insurance" as it's much like a life insurance policy. To be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits, the dead worker must have worked and earned credits towards Social Security benefits. The number of years necessary to work depends on the age of the deceased family member. The following family members might qualify for survivor benefits: - a widow or widower, beginning at age 50 if disabled or sixty is not disabled; - a widow or widower who's caring for your child under the age of 16, no matter the age of the widow or widower, - unmarried children of the deceased also qualify if they're under age 18 (or age twenty two if they are handicapped). - in some cases, even grandchildren, step children or adopted children could qualify for survivor benefits. If you are divorced, you might qualify for survivor benefits on an ex-spouse if you were married for at least 10 years, and you're age 60 or older when your ex-spouse passes (you only need to be age 50 if you're disabled). Applying for Survivor Benefits: Social Security needs to be notified and Social Security widow benefits should be applied for right away after a family member has passed. To do it, you can call the Social Security Administration or visit the closest office to you. You'll need to present proof of death (death certificate or proof from a funeral home), your Social Security number and your dead family member's Social Security number, your birth certificate, your marriage certificate if married, divorce papers if you're divorced, and income information for the deceased family member ( W-2s or income tax returns) for the most recent year. How The Social Security Spousal Benefit Works Can a spouse collect on her husband's social security if she reaches retirement age before her husband? No. In order for a wife to collect Social Security benefits on her husband's earnings the following requirements must be met: Present Situation Regarding Social Security Spouse And Survivor Benefits When Social Security was established most women did not work. Lower or no earnings combined with a longer life span meant poverty for many women when their husbands passed away. Social Security recognized these challenges and have implemented several changes to the system to help women avoid poverty. Social Security Eligibility Criteria: What Are The Requirements For A Homemaker To Collect Social Security? When Social Security was first established, most families only had one bread-earner, and only the working spouse qualified for retirement benefits. This caused financial difficulties for the spouse who didn't work (and therefore didn't qualify for Social Security) if the working spouse passed away first. How You Will Proceed With Social Security Survivor Benefits After Your Spouse Passes Away When Social Security was first established, it only paid retirement income to workers who qualified. It was later amended to include benefits for spouses and survivors, which made it more of a family or insurance plan, instead of just a retirement plan. Submitting Your Social Security Application: When And How As you get closer to retirement one of your top questions is probably when and how to submit your Social Security application. Should you apply at age 62 or 66? What are the steps to applying for Social Security once you've decided to start collecting retirement benefits? Payday Loans:Understand More About It. Have you ever found yourself in an emergency situation? Do you require a substantial amount of money fast but don't know where to get it? Payday loans may be just the thing you need. 3 Ways A Financial Planner Can Easily Help You Realize Your Own Financial Objectives Many people wonder exactly what a financial planner does, and how they can help you. Here are just three ways a financial planner can help you achieve your financial dreams and goals. Discover Tips On How To Apply For Social Security If you areapproaching retirement, you are probably already looking into how to apply for Social Security benefits. Generally, you can apply once you are within 120 days of your 62nd birthday. There are several things you should know to make the application process as smooth as possible. |
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