What Happens With Your Late Spouse’s Social Security Benefits

What Happens With Your Spouse’s Social Security Benefits After Your Spouse Dies

Losing a spouse is devastating at any point in life. You may have a lot on your plate, making funeral arrangements and contacting family and friends while you are grieving. But it’s important to contact Social Security, especially if your spouse was receiving Social Security benefits. Here’s why:

Why you need to contact Social Security immediately:

Social Security requires that you return any benefits paid to someone who already passed away. So it’s best to let them know as soon as reasonably possible when your spouse dies.

Your funeral home often would make the call for you, but it’s good to do this yourself.

Here is what you need to know about Social Security survivor benefits:

• If you are at full retirement age, you are entitled to 100% of your late spouse’s benefits. This is called survivor benefits.

• A surviving spouse needs to be at full retirement age to get 100 percent of whatever the late spouse was entitled to. If you claim survivor benefits before your full retirement age, the monthly payment will be between 71.5 percent and 99 percent of the deceased’s benefit.

• The full retirement age for survivor benefits is 66 for someone born in 1956, and two months later for people born in 1957, and will increase incrementally to 67, but at a different pace than for retirement benefits.

• If you were already receiving 50% of your late spouse’s benefits, you will now get 100%.

• If you are receiving your own benefits, you get to choose which is higher- your own benefits or survivor benefits. You can’t have both. This can have an impact on your budget as you lose half of your normal income. On top of this, you can get bumped up into a higher tax bracket.

• After the loss of your spouse, your filing status changes from married filing jointly to single. This can put you in a higher tax bracket. Be sure to consult your tax or financial advisor for strategies on how to minimize the impact of this.

Losing a spouse is never easy. Contacting Social Security could spare you the hassle of repaying benefits sent to your late spouse and will make sure the benefits are transferred to you depending on your situation as explained above. Receiving survivor benefits will at least help that you don’t struggle financially as you mourn the loss of a very important person in your life.

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Need additional help?

For other questions about your specific situation, contact us. You may also call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or go here.

Check out this board for more resources for widows.

Download this Financial Checklist to help you after the loss of your spouse.

If you are wondering what to do with a life insurance payout, book a meeting with us for a complimentary consultation.

Sheilla Vidal is a Retirement Income Certified Professional RICP® and life insurance broker. Sheilla is also a physical therapist, wife, mother of two, and one of the caregivers for her 85-year-old father. She is an avid learner.  She writes, speaks, and recognizes that her work in helping clients live with dignity is her God-given mission.