If My Husband Dies as a Senior Citizen, Do I Get His Social Security?

Social Security provides retirement benefits for the worker who reaches retirement age. If the worker dies, qualifying survivors may collect survivor benefits based on the work history of the deceased worker. A spouse caring for a deceased’s minor child can qualify for survivor benefits at any age. A spouse age ​60 or older​ can collect Social Security survivor benefits as well.

If your spouse received Social Security benefits, then Social Security will have checked qualifications at the time retirement benefits started. An individual must have a minimum of ​10 years​ or ​40 credits​ of employment paying Social Security taxes to receive benefits. Deceased workers may have fewer credits to meet qualifications.

Social Security bases retirement benefit calculations on average lifetime earnings. These same calculations carry over for survivor benefits calculations.

A survivor must prove marriage to the deceased and must be a minimum of ​60 years old​ unless caring for deceased’s child who is under 16. The survivor must not remarry prior to age ​60​, or ​age 50​ if disabled. If you are receiving Social Security benefits based on your spouse’s work history, notification to Social Security changes your payments from spousal benefits to survivor benefits.

You will likely receive an increase in monthly benefits once Social Security makes the change, as spousal benefits at full retirement age are ​50 percent​ of the worker’s benefits. Survivor benefits are ​71.5 percent​ or more of the worker's benefits, depending on the age of the survivor.

The full retirement age in 2020 is ​66 years and 2 months​ for people born in 1955; this age gradually rises to ​67​ for those born in later years. Generally, individuals can start receiving their retirement benefit at any point from age ​62​ up until age ​70​ in 2020, and the benefit will be higher the longer it is delayed.

The expected benefit amount for surviving spouses depends on their retirement age. At the full retirement age of 66 to 67, the surviving spouse may receive ​100 percent​ of the deceased spouse’s monthly benefit. The surviving spouse receives ​71.5 percent​ of the deceased spouse’s benefit at age 60, or age 50 if disabled.

The Social Security Administration calculates benefits for a spouse between the age of 60 and full retirement age on a sliding scale from ​71.5 percent​ and ​100 percent​. If the deceased spouse collected early Social Security benefits, Social Security bases survivor benefits on the early benefits calculation and not on full retirement age calculations.

Qualifying survivors include minor or disabled children, spouses and sometimes parents. If several survivors qualify for benefits based on a deceased worker’s history, Social Security pays a maximum benefit equal to ​150 percent to 180 percent​ of the worker’s benefit while alive. This may reduce all benefits, including those of a spouse, to comply with the maximum calculation. A spouse who remarries after age 60 may collect benefits at age 62 based on the new spouse's benefits, if those benefits are greater.