Social Security Benefits

A Message From The Social Security Administration:
 Your funeral director is helping the Social Security Office by giving you this information about Social Security benefits. If the deceased was receiving benefits, you need to contact us to report the death. If you think you may be eligible for survivor benefits, you should contact us to apply for these benefits.

HOW DO SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS HELP FAMILIES?

 

Social Security benefits help to ease the financial burden that follows a death. Almost all children under the age of 18 will receive monetary benefits if a working parent dies.  Other family members may be eligible for benefits, too.  Anyone who has worked and paid Social Security (FICA) taxes has the right to Social Security benefits for his or her family. The amount of prior work needed to pay survivor benefits is dependant on the worker's age at the time of their death.  It may be as little as one and one half years. No one needs more than ten years.



WHO QUALIFIES FOR SURVIVOR BENEFITS?

 

• Widows & widowers age 60 or older;

  
• Widows & widowers at any age if caring for the deceased's child or children who are under the age of 16 or disabled;

  
• Divorced wives & husbands age 60 or older, if married to the deceased 10 years or more;

  
• Widows, widowers, divorced wives and divorced husbands age 50 or older, if they are disabled;

  
• Minor children up to age 18;
-Children age 18-19, if they attend school full-time;
  
• Children over age 18, if they became disabled before age 22; and

  
• The deceased worker's parents age 62 or older, if they were being supported by the worker.


  

WHO QUALIFIES TO RECEIVE A ONE-TIME “DEATH BENEFIT” PAYMENT? 



In addition to the monthly survivor benefits that family members may be eligible to receive, a one-time payment of $255.00 can be paid to a spouse who was living with the worker at the time of their death.