how to calculate surviving spouse social security benefits

When you apply for your retirement benefits, your wife can apply for an excess spousal benefit, which will then be calculated by subtracting her primary insurance amount (PIA) from 50% of your PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

Full Answer

How do you calculate survivor Social Security benefits?

There are three basic steps:

• Adjust historical earnings for inflation.
• Get monthly average from the highest 35 years
• Apply monthly average to benefits formula

How are Social Security survivor benefits calculated?

You can expect the following when applying for Social Security spousal benefits:

• You can receive up to 50% of your spouse’s Social Security benefit.
• You can apply for benefits if you have been married for at least one year.
• If you have been divorced for at least two years, you can apply if the marriage lasted 10 or more years.
• Starting benefits early may lead to a reduction in payments.

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How much is the SSA survivor benefits?

How Are Social Security Survivor Benefits Calculated? A one-time death benefit payment of $255 can be paid to your surviving spouse if they were living with you or if you were living apart and your...

How to calculate widow's benefits for Social Security?

How to Calculate a Widow's Benefits for Social Security

• Qualification. The deceased worker must meet qualifications for the survivors to collect benefits on her work history.
• Considerations. ...
• Age. ...
• Calculations. ...
• Misconceptions. ...

What percentage of Social Security benefits does a widow receive?

Widow or widower, full retirement age or older—100% of your benefit amount. Widow or widower, age 60 to full retirement age—71½ to 99% of your basic amount. A child under age 18 (19 if still in elementary or secondary school) or has a disability—75%.

How does Social Security calculate the survivor benefit if my spouse dies before claiming Social Security?

If your spouse had not yet reached full retirement age, Social Security bases the survivor benefit on the deceased's primary insurance amount — 100 percent of the benefit he or she would have been entitled to, based on lifetime earnings.

When my husband dies do I get his Social Security and mine?

Many people ask “can I collect my deceased spouse's social security and my own at the same time?” In fact, you cannot simply add together both a survivor benefit and your own retirement benefit. Instead, Social Security will pay the higher of the two amounts.

What is the difference between survivor benefits and widow benefits?

It is important to note a key difference between survivor benefits and spousal benefits. Spousal retirement benefits provide a maximum 50% of the other spouse's primary insurance amount (PIA). Alternatively, survivors' benefits are a maximum 100% of the deceased spouse's retirement benefit.

What happens when both spouse's collect Social Security and one dies?

If you are already receiving a spousal benefit when your husband or wife dies, Social Security will in most cases convert it automatically to a survivor benefit once the death is reported. Otherwise, you will need to apply for survivor benefits by phone at 800-772-1213 or in person at your local Social Security office.

How long does a widow receive survivor benefits?

for lifeWidows and widowers Generally, spouses and ex-spouses become eligible for survivor benefits at age 60 — 50 if they are disabled — provided they do not remarry before that age. These benefits are payable for life unless the spouse begins collecting a retirement benefit that is greater than the survivor benefit.

Can you collect 1/2 of spouse's Social Security and then your full amount?

Your full spouse's benefit could be up to one-half the amount your spouse is entitled to receive at their full retirement age. If you choose to begin receiving spouse's benefits before you reach full retirement age, your benefit amount will be permanently reduced.

When a spouse passes away does the surviving spouse get their Social Security?

About 7.8 million individuals aged 60 and older receive Social Security benefits based, at least in part, on a deceased spouse's work record. These surviving spouse beneficiaries are overwhelmingly women. These beneficiaries include 3.6 million people who are eligible only as widowed spouses.

How do survivors benefit amounts work?

We base your survivors benefit amount on the earnings of the person who died. The more they paid into Social Security, the higher your benefits would be.

Who gets lump sum when spouse dies?

Generally, the lump-sum is paid to the surviving spouse who was living in the same household as the worker when they died. If they were living apart, the surviving spouse can still receive the lump-sum if, during the month the worker died, they met one of the following:

Who receives benefits?

Certain family members may be eligible to receive monthly benefits, including:

Are other family members eligible?

Under certain circumstances, the following family members may be eligible:

How long do you have to wait to receive Social Security if you die?

If the eligible surviving spouse or child is not currently receiving benefits, they must apply for this payment within two years of the date of death. For more information about this lump-sum payment, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 ( TTY 1-800-325-0778 ).

What percentage of a widow's benefit is a widow?

Widow or widower, full retirement age or older — 100 percent of the deceased worker's benefit amount. Widow or widower, age 60 — full retirement age — 71½ to 99 percent of the deceased worker's basic amount. A child under age 18 (19 if still in elementary or secondary school) or disabled — 75 percent.

What age can you remarry?

If you remarry after you reach age 60 (age 50 if disabled), the remarriage will not affect your eligibility for survivors benefits.

How much does Social Security pay for a deceased spouse?

First, Social Security pays a death benefit of $255 if the surviving spouse lived with the deceased spouse. 3 This payment is made only once. More important is the monthly income. At a basic level, the monthly amount depends on the earnings of the deceased spouse over their whole life.

What happens when you start claiming survivor benefits?

When you start claiming your survivor benefit, you would get what their payment would have been at that later age. This will be a larger amount than if they had started sooner.

Who Can Get Survivor Benefits and at What Age?

After the death of a spouse, you can get a monthly Social Security survivor benefit. This is true as long as you have been married for at least nine months. 1

What happens if you collect a survivor benefit and have not reached FRA?

If you collect a survivor benefit and you have not yet reached FRA, the amount you get can go down if you are working. 7 This would happen if your income is higher than the earnings limit .

What age can you get a survivor benefit?

Survivor’s benefits include the effect of delayed retirement credits. If your spouse was already past age 66 or 67 and had not started taking Social Security, you may get a higher survivor benefit than if they had filed sooner.

What happens if you and your spouse start claiming?

If you and your spouse had both started claiming, the higher benefit amount becomes your monthly payment. The lower of the two payment amounts will be stopped.

How old do you have to be to claim spousal support?

If you are caring for the child of your deceased spouse, and the child is under the age of 16 , you can claim your spousal payment after their death even if you were married much less time. 2

How to ask your spouse to open their Social Security account?

Ask your spouse to create or open their my Social Security account, go to the ‘Plan for Retirement’ section, and note their retirement benefit estimate at their full retirement age or Primary Insurance Amount (PIA).

How long does it take to create a Social Security account?

Creating a free my Social Security account takes less than 10 minutes and you get access to many other online services. Plan for your future. Manage the present.

How much is spousal benefit?

The spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker's " primary insurance amount ," depending on the spouse's age at retirement. If the spouse begins receiving benefits before " normal (or full) retirement age ," the spouse will receive a reduced benefit. However, if a spouse is caring for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced.

What is the reduction factor for spousal benefits?

For a spouse who is not entitled to benefits on his or her own earnings record, this reduction factor is applied to the base spousal benefit, which is 50 percent of the worker's primary insurance amount. For example, if the worker's primary insurance amount is $1,600 and the worker's spouse chooses to begin receiving benefits 36 months ...

What age do you have to be to file for retirement?

Another requirement is that the spouse must be at least age 62 or have a qualifying child in her/his care.

Can a spouse reduce their spousal benefit?

However, if a spouse is caring for a qualifying child, the spousal benefit is not reduced. If a spouse is eligible for a retirement benefit based on his or her own earnings, and if that benefit is higher than the spousal benefit, then we pay the retirement benefit. Otherwise we pay the spousal benefit. Compute the effect of early retirement ...

How long do you have to work to get Social Security?

There are two different ways you can be “insured,” but the big, broad rule is that if you worked for at least 10 years, your beneficiaries can receive survivor benefits.

How old was Jo's husband when he died?

Jo’s husband died when he was 44. Jo was only 43, and up until that point, they ran a successful plumbing supply business together. Jo and her husband earned a high income, and his passing left her with the burden of running a demanding business alone.

Can a spouse receive Social Security if their spouse dies early?

Social Security survivors benefit can make life a lot easier for the surviving spouse if a higher-earning spouse dies early. Understanding what to expect in payments, and the basics of the calculations so you can spot inaccuracies, should be a central part of your retirement planning.

Can you receive benefits if you are fully insured?

These different benefit types each work differently with your insured status. If you are fully insured, your beneficiaries can receive any of these benefit types.

Does Social Security pay a limited amount of benefits?

Currently insured, which means Social Security will only pay a limited amount of benefits. I’ll get into the weeds on the differences in payments in just a moment. For now, know that to be considered fully insured, you need to have earned one credit for every year since you turned 22.

Do software programs know who is eligible for a benefit?

These software programs don ’t always know who is eligible for a benefit, under what conditions are they eligible and most importantly, how that specific benefit is calculated.

Do you count work history on Social Security?

To determine whether a person worked long enough to qualify for benefits, the Social Security administration counts work history by credits.

How to get Social Security benefits if you are divorced?

A representative at your local Social Security office can provide estimates of the benefit you can receive as a divorced spouse, based on your former wife’s or husband’s earnings record. Call Social Security at 800-772-1213 to make an appointment.

How long do you have to be married to get Social Security?

You’ll need to show your marriage certificate and divorce decree to prove that the union lasted at least 10 years, the basic qualification for ex-spouses to receive benefits. You also have to provide your former spouse’s Social Security number — or, if you don’t have that, his or her date of birth, place of birth and parents’ names — so Social Security can locate the relevant work record.

How to find out if my spousal benefit is affected?

There’s a calculator on the Social Security website that allows you to enter your information to find out how your spousal benefit will be affected if you file prior to your full retirement age.

How much is the spousal benefit reduction?

For the first 36 months before age 66 that you apply for a spousal benefit, your check is reduced by 25/36 of one percent. For each additional month that you file “early,” the reduction is 5/12 of one percent.

How old do you have to be to get spousal benefits?

If you file for a spousal benefit before age 66, the percentage you receive depends upon your age. There’s a two-stage process as to how Social Security calculates the reduction and it's based upon how many months ahead of your FRA you are filing:

What is the Social Security income limit for 2012?

If you are receiving income from a job (investment income doesn’t count), your spousal benefit may be reduced. The “income limit” for 2012 is $14,640. Assuming you are not going to reach full retirement age this year, for every $2 above this amount that you’re paid, Social Security will withhold $1 of your spousal benefit.

What is the maximum amount you can get from Social Security at 66?

3. If you are turning 66 this year, the earnings limit is $38,880. Once your earnings from a job exceed this amount, Social Security will withhold one out of every three dollars in benefits. Visit the following website and enter your date of birth and income to find out how your Social Security benefit might be affected by your earned income: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/COLA/RTeffect.html

Do federal workers get Social Security?

1. Many state, municipal and some federal workers do not pay into the Social Security system. In this case, neither the worker nor their spouse is entitled to Social Security benefits. 2.The federal law known as the Defense of Marriage Act only recognizes “marriage” as between a man and a woman.

Do you get Social Security if you claim spousal benefits?

Here are some other things you need to be aware of when claiming spousal benefits: If you are eligible for a Social Security benefit based upon your own work history, you will either receive this amount or the spousal benefit you’re entitled to, whichever is higher. (In other words, you don’t get both amounts.)

Benefit Calculators

The best way to start planning for your future is by creating a my Social Security account online. With my Social Security, you can verify your earnings, get your Social Security Statement, and much more – all from the comfort of your home or office.

Online Benefits Calculator

These tools can be accurate but require access to your official earnings record in our database. The simplest way to do that is by creating or logging in to your my Social Security account. The other way is to answer a series of questions to prove your identity.

Additional Online Tools

Find your full retirement age and learn how your monthly benefits may be reduced if you retire before your full retirement age.

What happens if you file for spousal benefits before retirement?

If you file for spousal benefits prior to your full retirement age, your spousal benefit will be reduced.

How much is spousal benefit reduction?

If you file for a spousal benefit prior to your full retirement age, that spousal benefit will be reduced due to early filing. The reduction is 25/36 of 1% for each month early, up to 36 months. For each month in excess of 36 months, the reduction is 5/12 of 1%.

How much is Bob's spousal benefit?

Bob’s spousal benefit will initially be calculated as 50% of Jane’s PIA. (Key point being: it’s 50% of Jane’s PIA, rather than 50% of what she’s actually receiving.) If Jane had filed for retirement benefits after her full retirement age (and were therefore receiving an amount larger than her PIA), Bob’s benefit as Jane’s spouse would still be ...

What happens if you receive a retirement benefit of your own?

If you are receiving a retirement benefit of your own, your benefit as a spouse will be reduced by the greater of: your monthly retirement benefit. Example: In addition to receiving a benefit as Jane’s spouse, Bob is also receiving a retirement benefit of his own.

What is Bob's full retirement age?

Example (continued): Bob’s full retirement age is 67. Bob files for his retirement and spousal benefits at age 65 (i.e., 24 months early). As a result, his spousal benefit will be reduced by [24 x 25/36 of 1%] — or 16.67%.

What is the primary insurance amount?

A person’s primary insurance amount is the amount of their monthly retirement benefit, if they file for that benefit exactly at their full retirement age. A Social Security spousal benefit is calculated as 50% of the other spouse’s PIA.

Can you collect spousal benefits while working?

If you are collecting a spousal benefit while under full retirement age and you are working, the earnings test may result in some or all of your spousal benefit being withheld.