Social Security
Terry, what is spousal benefit for the survivor of a deceased ex spouse? We were married for 33 years neither remarried. Would the benefit be 1/2 of the deceased spouse? And would the living then loss their benefit?
Thank you
Terry Says
You will receive the higher of half of your spouse’s benefit (assuming she waited until Full Retirement Age, or did not die before that) OR your own benefit — whichever is higher.
Also, you should be aware of these factors:
To claim on behalf of an ex-spouse, he or she needs to be eligible for Social Security. That means they must be at least 62 and have at least 40 work credits, which translates to 10 years of full-time work. You also need to be at least 62, regardless of whose record you’re using.
Keep in mind that if you claim Social Security at 62, you’ll reduce your monthly benefit no matter whose earnings it’s based on. To get the maximum payment — 50% of theirs or 100% of your own — you’ll have to wait until you’ve reached your FRA. Claim before that and you’ll get less than half their benefit.
If you’re claiming on your own record, you can increase your benefits by 8% for every year you delay past your FRA until you’re 70. But if you’re using your ex-spouse’s history, you won’t receive extra for holding out beyond your FRA.
