I recently received an inquiry from one of our Sun City neighbors about how Social Security benefits work for surviving spouses. I did a little research on the web and found a website called “Social Security Survivors Planner.” The website addresses the most frequently asked questions concerning survivors. According to the Social Security Administration, there are about 5 million widows and widowers receiving monthly Social Security benefits based on their deceased spouse’s earnings’ record. And, for many of those survivors, particularly women, those benefits are keeping them out of poverty.
If your spouse dies, you could be eligible to receive benefits based on their earnings. You could receive reduced benefits as early as age 60 (50 for the disabled) and full benefits at full retirement age. If you remarry after age 60 (50 if disabled), it will not affect your survivor retirement benefits. If you will also receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security (such as government employment where Social Security taxes were not withheld from your wages), any survivor Social Security benefits you may be eligible to receive on your spouse’s record may be reduced. This type of benefit reduction is called Government Pension Offset (GPO). The GPO will reduce the amount of your Social Security spouse’s, widow’s, or widower’s benefits by two-thirds of the amount of your government pension.
How much you would receive in benefits depends on your deceased spouse’s average lifetime earnings. The higher their earnings were, the higher the benefits. If your spouse had already been receiving reduced benefits at the time of death, survivor benefits are based on that amount.
In addition to the government website, there is a toll-free number you can contact to apply for survivor benefits or get answers to any questions you may have. The number is 1-800-772-1213.
Keep those letters coming, folks. Send your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
