When a loved one passes away, the last thing anyone wishes to think about is how the government will handle the payment of survivor benefits.

Social Security survivor benefits can be confusing enough without grief weighing on your mind. Plus, contrary to what many believe, survivor benefits are not guaranteed to be full payments of the deceased beneficiary’s benefits, according to Investopedia.com

So, we are providing a brief rundown of what surviving spouses are eligible to earn.

How Much Could You Get?

Surviving spouses of full retirement age or older may receive 100% of the deceased beneficiary’s benefits.

But, as Investopedia points out, those younger will receive less…

If the surviving spouse is age 60 to full retirement age, they are eligible to receive anywhere from 71.5 – 99% of the benefit amount.

Those age 50-59 and disabled are eligible to receive 71.5%.

If there is a child under 16 in the care of the surviving spouse, they are eligible to receive 75% of the benefit amount.

In addition to age restrictions, surviving spouses should also be aware that they become ineligible to receive benefits if they remarry before turning 60, or 50 if disabled.

Why This Matters

We’ve already discussed how retirement benefits are not always enough, resulting in many seniors acting to get additional income.

Now imagine the strain caused when needing to deal with the passing of a loved one, while also worrying about finances.

It is extra and unnecessary stress. That is where Senior Security Alliance comes in.

What We’re Doing to Help

Senior Security Alliance is fighting for the rights of all senior citizens. One of these rights is for surviving spouses to receive full survivor benefits, no matter their age.

We are urging politicians in Washington to pass our bill The Senior Citizens Bill of Rights to stop creating additional financial stress for surviving spouses.