As you plan for the future , you'll want to think about what your family would need if you should die now. Social Security can help your family if you have earned enough Social Security credits through your work. You can earn up to four credits each year. In 2019 , for example , you earn one credit for each $1,360 of wages or self - employment income. When you have earned $5,440 , you have earned your four credits for the year. The number of credits needed to provide benefits for your survivors depends on your age when you die. No one needs more than 40 credits 10 years of work to be eligible for any Social Security benefit. But , the younger a person is , the fewer credits they must have for family members to receive survivors benefits. Benefits can be paid to your children and your spouse who is caring for the children even if you don't have the required number of credits. They can get benefits if you have credit for one and one - half years of work 6 credits in the three years just before your death. 

For Your Widow Or Widower 
There are about five million widows and widowers receiving monthly Social Security benefits based on their deceased spouse's earnings record. And , for many of those survivors, particularly aged women, those benefits are keeping them out of poverty. Widows and widowers can receive : reduced benefits as early as age 60 or full benefits at full retirement age or older. benefits as early as age 50 if they're disabled AND their disability started before or within seven years of your death. benefits at any age , if they have not remarried , and if they take care of your child who is under age 16 or disabled and receives benefits on your record. If applying for disability benefits on a deceased worker s record , they can speed up the application process if they complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of their appointment. We use the same definition of disability for widows and widowers as we do for workers. 

For Y

user: please, give me information about benefits planning for widows.

assistant: there're around five million widows and widowers getting monthly Social Security benefits based on their deceased spouse earnings record.

user: are the benefits really helpful?

user: and, how soon could my widow receive start receiving the benefits?

assistant: Particularly for aged women, the benefits help them keep out of poverty.

assistant: In regards to your second question, it depends. Do you want to know about if she does not remarries?

user: not really.

assistant: and at any age?

user: yes, tell me about that.

user: or first tell me about the benefits at old ages.

assistant: ok. For your widow, the benefit could start as soon as she turns 60, getting reduced benefits, or full benefits at the full retirement age. If your widow is disabled she could start getting the benefits at age 50 if her disability started before your death or up to seven years after.

user: and what if my widow qualifies for her own retirement benefits?

assistant: in that case, she could switch to their own retirement benefits when turning 62 years old.

user: and if she remarries before turning 60?

assistant: if she's not disabled by the time she remarries then she would not qualify to receive the benefits while she's still married.