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Social Security & Medicare Questions
Q: I thought that widows are entitled to their husband`s full Social Security benefit. When my husband passed away, I did not receive his full amount, just a small portion. I would greatly appreciate a clarification of the rules. A: There are a number of factors that can affect the amount you receive in widow`s benefits. Here are the three most common: a) Age at which you start benefits: When a Social Security recipient dies, full or unreduced survivors benefits can be paid to the widow or widower at 65 or older (if born before 1938) or reduced benefits as early as age 60. The amount you get is a percentage of the deceased`s basic Social Security benefit. The percentage depends on your age and the type of benefit you are eligible for. Here are the most typical situations: - Widow or widower, age 65 or older-100% of spouse`s benefit
- Widow or widower, age 60-64-about 71% to 94% of spouse`s benefit
- Widow, any age, with a child under age 16-75% of spouse`s benefit
b) Working after starting benefits: If you work after starting survivors benefits, your benefits may be reduced if you are under age 65 and your earnings exceed certain limits, which is $10,680 in 2001. There is no earnings limit once you reach full retirement age, which is 65 this year. c) Pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security. The surviving spouse`s benefits may also be reduced if you receive a pension from a job where Social Security taxes were not withheld. This affects many retired school teachers and others who worked for state or local governments. For more information, call Social Security toll free at (800) 772-1213 or check online at www.ssa.gov. Some helpful publications include: Publication No. 05-10084-Social Security Survivors Benefits, Publication No 05-10069-How Work Affects Your Benefits, Publication No. 05-10007-Government Pension Offset.
This article first appeared in Volume 6, Issue 5 of "The Social Security and Medicare Advisor" newsletter (April/2001). To receive future editions of "The Advisor" in its special, free e-mail version, please click here.
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