If you are the family member of a deceased worker, you may be able to apply for Social Security survivor benefits. Social Security now pays monthly survivor benefits to over seven million Americans, including almost two million children. Today a widowed spouse age 65 or older will receive 100 percent. Divorced spouses may qualify for benefits if they are presently unmarried and if the marriage lasted at least 10 years and the surviving ex-spouse is at least 60 years of age. Children, for Social Security purposes, are defined as biological children, adopted children, step children and in some cases, even dependent grandchildren.
Benefits cease if the child marries.
Parents also will probably be entitled to benefits if they are 62 or older and were dependent on the deceased worker as their principal means of support. Otherwise, the benefit is not payable. You must apply for this one-time payment within two years of a worker's death. The number of credits needed for earnings to be eligible for survivor's benefits depends upon the age of the deceased. The younger a person is when he or she dies, the fewer credits needed for his or her family to be eligible.