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: What things should I be aware of as I begin planning for my Social Security benefits?

assistant: The first thing you should know is that there are limits on the amount survivors can earn while they receive benefits from you.

assistant: Is your divorced spouse under the age of 60 and has he/she remarried?

user: No, he has not remarried.

user: What if my widower or ex-spouse are eligible for their own retirement benefits? 

assistant: This could affect their benefits as a survivor.

user: What if my widower remarries later and wants to apply for spouse's benefit on their record? What happens if the amount they receive is higher than the benefits they receive on my record?

assistant: In this case, your widower would receive a combination of benefits from you and his new spouse that equals the higher amount.

user: Can my parent's receive benefits on my record if I've been providing support for them?

assistant: Yes, but you must have provided at least half of their support. Also, your parents can't be eligible to receive retirement benefits higher than they receive from you.

user: So, if my widower remarries and starts receiving benefits from his new spouse, he will receive benefits from both of us?

assistant: Yes.