Survivors U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Social Security Administration SSA Publication No. 05-10084 September 1993 ICN 468540 ______________________________________________________________ WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOKLET? ______________________________________________________________ You should, if you're interested in the kinds of benefits Social Security can provide when a family breadwinner dies. This booklet is divided into two sections. If you are currently working, the first part tells you what kind of survivors benefits your tax dollars are paying for and how those benefits are earned. If someone in your family has died, the second part of the booklet explains how to sign up for Social Security benefits and what you need to know after benefits start. PLEASE NOTE: This booklet provides a general overview of Social Security survivors benefits. The information it contains is not intended to cover all provisions of the law. For specific information about your case, contact Social Security. ______________________________________________________________ WHAT'S INSIDE ______________________________________________________________ PAGE PART 1--IF YOU'RE WORKING ... WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SURVIVORS BENEFITS "Life Insurance" From Social Security How You Earn Survivors Benefits Who Can Get Survivors Benefits? Special One-Time Death Benefit Benefits For Divorced Spouses How Much Are Benefits? PART 2--IF A LOVED ONE HAS DIED ... WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SURVIVORS BENEFITS How to Apply For Benefits How Much Will You Get? Maximum Family Benefits How Work May Affect Your Benefits If You Remarry A WORD ABOUT MEDICARE FOR MORE INFORMATION OTHER BOOKLETS AVAILABLE ______________________________________________________________ PART 1--IF YOU'RE WORKING ... WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SURVIVORS BENEFITS "LIFE INSURANCE" FROM SOCIAL SECURITY _____________________________________ If you're like most people, you think only of retirement when you think of Social Security. But retirement checks are just one of the Social Security benefits people can get. Part of the Social Security taxes you pay goes toward survivors insurance. In fact, the value of the survivors insurance you have under Social Security is probably more than the value of your commercial life insurance. When someone who has worked and paid into Social Security dies, survivor benefits can be paid to certain family members. These include widows, widowers (and divorced widows and widowers), children, and dependent parents. You, along with millions of other people, earn survivors insurance by working and paying Social Security taxes. Right now, 98 out of every 100 children could get benefits if a working parent should die. In fact, Social Security pays more benefits to children than any other Federal program. HOW YOU EARN SURVIVORS BENEFITS _______________________________ When you die, certain members of your family may be eligible for survivors benefits if you worked, paid Social Security taxes, and earned enough "credits." You can earn a maximum of 4 credits each year. The number of credits you need depends on your age when you die. The younger a person is, the fewer credits are needed to be eligible for survivors benefits but nobody needs more than 40 credits (10 years of work) to be eligible for any Social Security benefits. Under a special rule, benefits can be paid to your children and your spouse who is caring for the children even though you don't have the number of credits needed. They can get benefits if you have credit for 1" years of work in the 3 years just before your death. WHO CAN GET SURVIVORS BENEFITS? _______________________________ If you should die, Social Security survivors benefits can be paid to your: o Widow or widower full benefits at 65 or older or reduced benefits as early as 60. A disabled widow or widower can get benefits at 50-60. o Widow or widower at any age if she or he takes care of your child under 16 or disabled who gets benefits. o Unmarried children under 18 (or up to age 19 if they are attending elementary or secondary school full time). Your child can get benefits at any age if he or she was disabled before 22 and remains disabled. Under certain circumstances, benefits can also be paid to your stepchildren or grandchildren. o Dependent parents at 62 or older. SPECIAL ONE-TIME DEATH BENEFIT ______________________________ When you die, there is a special one-time payment of $255 that can be made if you have enough work "credits." This payment can be made only to your spouse or minor children if they meet certain requirements. BENEFITS FOR DIVORCED SPOUSES _____________________________ If you've been divorced, your former wife or husband can get benefits under the same circumstances as your widow or widower if your marriage lasted 10 years or more. Your former spouse, however, does not have to meet the length-of-marriage rule if she or he is caring for your child who is under 16 or disabled and who is also getting benefits on your Social Security record. Benefits paid to a divorced spouse who is 60 or older (50-60 if disabled) will not affect the benefit rates for other survivors getting benefits. HOW MUCH ARE BENEFITS? ______________________ How much your family can get from Social Security depends on your average lifetime earnings. Basically, that means the higher your earnings, the higher their benefits will be. If you would like to get an estimate of the Social Security survivors benefits that could be paid to your family, call or visit Social Security to ask for a "Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement." It will show an estimate of survivors benefits that could be paid, as well as estimates of retirement and disability benefits and other important information. There's no charge for this service. ______________________________________________________________ PART 2--IF A LOVED ONE HAS DIED ... WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SURVIVORS BENEFITS HOW TO APPLY FOR BENEFITS _________________________ How you sign up for survivors benefits depends on whether or not you're getting other Social Security benefits. IF YOU AREN'T GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS You should apply for survivors benefits promptly because, in some cases, benefits may not be retroactive. You can apply by telephone or at any Social Security office. We need certain information to process your application. It's helpful if you have it when you apply. But don't delay applying if you don't have everything. The people at Social Security will help you get it. We need either original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. The information needed includes: o Your Social Security number, as well as the worker's; o Your birth certificate; o Your marriage certificate if you're a widow or widower; o Your divorce papers if you're applying as a divorced spouse; o Children's birth certificates; o Children's Social Security numbers, if available; o Deceased worker's W-2 forms or Federal self-employment tax return for the most recent year; o Your checkbook or savings passbook if you want your benefits deposited directly into your account. (Direct deposit is safer and more convenient for you and more efficient and economical for the Government.) IF YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS If you're getting benefits as a wife or husband on your spouse's record when he or she dies, you should report the death to Social Security and we will change your payments to survivors benefits. If we need more information, we'll contact you for it. If you're getting benefits on your own record, you'll need to complete an application to get survivors benefits. Call or visit Social Security and we'll check to see if you can get more as a widow or widower. We'll need to see your spouse's death certificate to process your claim. Benefits for any children will automatically be changed to survivors benefits after the death is reported to us. We'll contact you if we need more information. HOW MUCH WILL YOU GET? ______________________ The amount of your benefit is based on the earnings of the person who died. Basically, the more he or she paid into Social Security, the higher your benefits will be. The amount you will get is a percentage of the deceased's basic Social Security benefit. The percentage depends on your age and the type of benefit you are eligible for. Here are the most typical situations. o Widow or widower age 65 or older: 100 percent o Widow or widower age 60-64: About 71-94 percent o Widow any age with a child under age 16: 75 percent o Children: 75 percent MAXIMUM FAMILY BENEFITS _______________________ There is a limit to the amount of money that can be paid to you and other family members each month. The limit varies, but is generally equal to about 150 to 180 percent of the deceased's benefit rate. If the sum of the benefits payable to the family members is greater than this limit, the benefits will be reduced proportionately. RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR WIDOW(ERS) If you are receiving widows or widowers (including divorced widows or widowers) benefits, you should remember that you can switch to your own retirement benefits (assuming you're eligible and your retirement rate is higher than your widow's rate) as early as age 62. In many cases, a widow(er) can begin receiving one benefit at a reduced rate and then switch to the other benefit at an unreduced rate at age 65. The rules are complicated and vary depending on your situation, so you should talk to a Social Security representative about the options available to you. HOW WORK MAY AFFECT YOUR BENEFITS _________________________________ If you get Social Security survivors benefits, the amount of your benefits may be reduced if your earnings exceed certain limits. To find out what the limits are this year and how earnings above those limits reduce your Social Security benefits, contact Social Security to request the factsheet, "How Work Affects Your Social Security Benefits" (Publication No. 05-10069). There's no limit once you reach 70. Your earnings will reduce only your survivors benefits, not the benefits of other family members. IF YOU REMARRY ______________ In general, you can't get survivors benefits if you remarry. But, remarriage after 60 (50 if disabled) will not prevent benefit payments on your former spouse's record. And, at 62 or older, you may get benefits on the record of your new spouse if they are higher. ______________________________________________________________ A WORD ABOUT MEDICARE Medicare is a health insurance plan for people who are 65 or older. People who are disabled or have kidney failure also can get Medicare. Medicare has two parts--hospital insurance and medical insurance. Most people have both parts. Hospital insurance, sometimes called Part A, covers inpatient hospital care and certain follow-up care. The worker already paid for it as part of his or her Social Security taxes while he or she was working. Medical insurance, sometimes called Part B, pays for physicians' services and some other services not covered by hospital insurance. Medical insurance is optional, and a premium is charged. Most people are already getting Social Security benefits when they turn 65, and their Medicare starts automatically. Others must file an application. For more information, call us to ask for the booklet, "Medicare" (Publication No. 05-10043). HELP FOR LOW-INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES If you get Medicare and have low income and few resources, your State may pay your Medicare premiums and, in some cases, other "out-of-pocket" Medicare expenses such as deductibles and coinsurance. Only your State can decide if you qualify. To find out if you do, contact your State or local welfare office or Medicaid agency. For more general information about the program, contact Social Security and ask for a copy of the factsheet, "Help For Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries" (Publication No. 05-10079). ______________________________________________________________ FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information or to apply for benefits, call or visit Social Security. It's easiest to call Social Security's toll- free telephone number. The number is 1-800-772-1213. You can speak to a representative 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each business day. The best times to call are early in the morning, early in the evening, late in the week, and toward the end of the month. The Social Security Administration treats all calls confidentially--whether they're made to our toll-free numbers or to one of our local offices. We also want to ensure that you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some incoming and outgoing telephone calls. ______________________________________________________________ OTHER BOOKLETS AVAILABLE Social Security has a number of publications that contain information about other Social Security programs. Contact Social Security to get a free copy of any of these publications. They include: o "Understanding Social Security" (Publication No. 05-10024)- -A comprehensive explanation of all the Social Security programs. o "Retirement" (Publication No. 05-10035)--Explains Social Security retirement benefits. o "Disability" (Publication No. 05-10029)--Explains Social Security disability benefits. o "Medicare" (Publication No. 05-10043)--Explains Medicare hospital insurance and medical insurance. o "SSI" (Publication No. 05-11000)--Explains this program which provides a basic income to people 65 or older, disabled, or blind who have limited income and resources. o "Social Security And SSI Benefits For Children With Disabilities" (Publication No. 05-10026)--Explains benefits available to children with disabilities. All these publications are available in Spanish.