Key Points
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Claiming survivor benefits early then switching to your own retirement benefits later can boost your lifetime benefits.
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Survivor benefits have several key rules about divorce and remarriage.
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The Social Security earnings test for retirement benefits also applies to survivor benefits.
Can you have life insurance without ever buying it? In a sense, yes. Social Security survivor benefits function similarly to life insurance. One key difference, however, is that a surviving spouse won’t receive a lump-sum payment; instead, they’ll be paid monthly.
There are some twists with this Social Security program, though. Here are four things to know about Social Security survivor benefits before you need them.
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A Social Security card in between $100 bills.
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1. Claim survivor benefits early, switch to retirement benefits later
Perhaps the most important thing to know about Social Security survivor benefits is that you don’t have to forfeit your own Social Security retirement benefits to receive them. Actually, there’s a “switching” strategy that could boost the lifetime benefits for some.
A widow or widower can claim Social Security survivor benefits as early as age 60. Granted, your benefits will be reduced if you collect them before your full retirement age. However, using this approach allows your own retirement benefit to grow. You could collect survivor benefits until you reach age 70, then switch to your retirement benefit (which would be significantly higher than it would have been if you began receiving it at your full retirement age).
2. Remarrying too soon has consequences
Surviving spouses are entitled to Social Security survivor benefits based on their deceased spouse’s earnings record. But there’s a catch: If you remarry before age 60, you will lose eligibility for survivor benefits. However, if you remarry after age 60, you can still claim your deceased spouse’s survivor benefit.
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There are two wrinkles with this rule, though. If a widow or widower is disabled and is at least 50 years old, he or she may be able to be eligible for the deceased spouse’s survivor benefits. Also, if the surviving spouse remarries before age 60 but the marriage ends due to death, divorce, or annulment, Social Security will restore eligibility for survivor benefits based on the deceased spouse’s earnings record.
3. Understand divorced spouse rights
That sets the stage for the next topic. If you are divorced, make sure you fully understand your rights related to survivor benefits. You can claim survivor benefits based on an ex-spouse’s earnings record, but only if the marriage lasted 10 years or more and you are currently unmarried. If you divorce and then remarry, you won’t be eligible for your deceased ex-spouse’s survivor benefits.
4. The earnings test still applies
Importantly, the earnings test for Social Security retirement benefits also applies to survivor benefits. If you claim survivor benefits and continue to work while under your full retirement age, Social Security will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the annual limit (which is $24,480 in 2026).
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