Understanding Your Social Security Options After Your Spouse Passes Away

When your spouse dies, one of the critical questions that arises is whether you can receive both his Social Security benefits and yours. The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, and understanding your options can significantly impact your retirement security.

The Immediate Impact: What Changes When Your Spouse Dies?

If your spouse was already receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits, his passing sets off an important process with the Social Security Administration. If you were receiving spousal benefits before his death, those benefits automatically transition to survivor benefits once the agency is notified. This conversion doesn’t require you to take any action—the system handles the change administratively.

However, the situation becomes more strategic if you haven’t yet filed for benefits or if you’re eligible for your own retirement income. In these cases, you have options about which benefits to claim and when.

Can You Combine Benefits From Your Spouse’s Record and Your Own?

This is where the “his Social Security and mine” question becomes important. You cannot simultaneously receive the full amount of both your spouse’s survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits. Instead, you’re entitled to whichever amount is higher.

Here’s how it works in practice: If you’re at full retirement age or older when your spouse passes, you’ll receive 100% of what your spouse was entitled to receive (or would have received). If you’re between ages 60 and full retirement age, the survivor benefit range is 71.5% to 99% of his benefit amount. If you have a disability or are caring for a child under 16, you receive 75%.

Once you reach age 62, you may qualify for your own retirement benefits. At that point, Social Security will calculate both amounts and pay you the higher benefit. This strategy is important for many people—sometimes your own earned record provides a larger monthly payment than the survivor benefit, and you’d switch accordingly.

Who Qualifies as a Surviving Spouse?

Not every spouse automatically receives benefits upon death. You must meet specific eligibility criteria:

• Age requirement: You must be at least 60 years old (or 50 with a disability)
• Exception for caregivers: If you’re caring for your spouse’s child who is under 16 or has a disability, you can claim at any age
• Living arrangement: For the $255 one-time lump-sum death benefit, you must have been living in the same household as your spouse at death, or you must have already been receiving his benefits

The Marriage Duration Question

If you were divorced from your current spouse, don’t assume you’re excluded. A surviving divorced spouse can receive the same benefits as a surviving spouse if the marriage lasted at least 10 years. This 10-year rule doesn’t apply if you’re caring for his child under 16 or a child with a disability.

Importantly, if you remarry before age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), you’ll lose eligibility for survivor benefits based on your deceased spouse’s record—though you may become eligible for benefits based on a new spouse’s record if that marriage lasts long enough.

Understanding the Benefit Amounts

The actual percentage you receive depends on your age and circumstances:

• At full retirement age or older: 100% of your spouse’s primary insurance amount
• Ages 60-full retirement age: Between 71.5% and 99% (the exact percentage increases each month you delay)
• Ages 50-59 with disability: 71.5%
• Any age while caring for his child under 16: 75%

For context, if your spouse’s monthly benefit was $2,000, and you claim at age 60, you might receive around $1,430. Waiting until full retirement age could increase that to $1,990 or more.

The One-Time Death Benefit

Surviving spouses may qualify for a $255 lump-sum death payment. To receive this, you generally must have been living with your spouse when he passed, or you must have been already receiving benefits or become newly eligible upon his death.

Taking Action: Notifying Social Security

You cannot report your spouse’s death online or file for survivor benefits through the Social Security website. Instead, you must call 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative or visit your local Social Security office in person.

This notification should happen as soon as possible after the death. The sooner you report it, the sooner benefits can be processed and any automatic conversions from spousal to survivor status can take effect.

Planning Your Strategy

The key to maximizing your benefits is understanding that while you cannot receive the full amount of both your benefits and your spouse’s simultaneously, you have choices about timing and which benefit to prioritize. Consulting with a Social Security representative about your specific situation—your age, your earned record, your spouse’s benefit amount, and your care responsibilities—can help you make the decision that results in the highest lifetime benefits for you and your family.