As this article by USA Today explains, surviving spouses cannot keep their household income after their spouse passes. Instead, the household income lowers as the widow(er) receives only one income– even if they are also a Social Security claimant.

Here are a few things all retirees should know about survivor benefits.

How Survivor Benefits Work

Survivor benefits are available to eligible relatives of Social Security beneficiaries after they pass. These individuals include the “surviving spouse, child, or parent of a worker who dies,” ssa.gov explains.

Unfortunately, for spouses already receiving Social Security benefits, survivor benefits may not help their new financial situation. Rather than providing the widow(er) with the same household income, the Social Security Administration will only pay one.

Luckily, those with lower benefit payments are not completely at a loss. Whatever payment between the two is higher will be the payment the widow(er) receives. However, this leaves the widow(er) with a smaller household income, forcing them to rearrange their life even more.

Considering Age

Another thing to consider is the surviving spouse’s age. Depending on their age, the survivor benefits they are eligible for may be affected.

If the surviving spouse is younger than the full retirement age, they will not receive the full benefit amount their spouse had previously received. Instead, the widow(er) will be given a percentage of their former spouse’s benefits.

Seniors Deserve More

This is why Senior Security Alliance is urging the politicians in Washington to pass The Senior Citizens Bill of Rights. In this bill, it ensures that households will not lose income after a spouse passes. The additional finances that this would entail allow the surviving spouse to continue living the life they deserve.

Additionally, with widow/widower senior citizens taking on more financial responsibilities, the additional income may be necessary for the surviving spouse to continue to pay monthly bills. Unsure whether seniors across the nation agree with our bill? Check out the results for yourself!