Were the deceased receiving monthly Social Security benefits?
Yes, he was.
then all the payments received the month of his death and after must be returned to Social Security.
Who can receive the survivor benefits?
Family members that can receive the benefits include a widow or widower at least age 60 (50 if disabled), a surviving divorced spouse, etc.
How many credits do I have to earn for my family members to get Social Security benefits after my death?
It depends on your age when you die, but nobody needs more than 40 credits and 10 years of work to be eligible for any social security benefit.
Is there a way to calculate how much my family would get if I die right now?
You can use our online Benefit Calculators for an estimate.
And what if my widow remarries and her current husband is also a Social Security beneficiary with a higher amount on his record?.
In that case, she should apply to her current husband benefits and the amount she'd get would be a combination of benefits that equals the higher amount.
So it would be recommendable that she applies for her current husband Social Security benefits too.