Social Security Survivor Benefits

When sudden death strikes a family breadwinner, it can impose a heavy blow to its immediate family members, such as a man's spouse, children and/or parents, both financially and emotionally. But the Social Security Administration can provide help for survivors by giving social security survivor benefits in the event of a worker's death. Aside from the monthly checks sent, they will also provide a one-time payment of $255 to cover burial expenses.

The credits required in order to cover social security survivor benefits may vary based on the age of the worker at the time of his death. Generally, younger workers will need fewer credits than the old ones, but the standard maximum of 40 earnings credits equivalent to 10 years of work is the norm to be fully covered for social security survivor benefits.

The beneficiaries for your social security benefits can include:

1. your widow/widower, in which he/she may be able to receive full social security benefits as early as age 65. Reduced benefits can be received as early as age 60, and if the surviving spouse is disabled, he/she can receive the survivor benefits as early as age 50. If your widow/widower is the one taking care of your children who is at age 16 or younger or disabled, he/she can start receiving the benefits regardless of his/her age.
2. your unmarried children who are under age 18, or who are disabled before age 22 and remains disabled. The benefits can also extend to stepchildren, grandchildren or adopted children under special conditions.
3. your dependent parents if they are age 62 or older, and if you provide them at least one-half of their support prior to your death.

For more information about applying and getting social security survivor benefits, you can check on the SSA website at this link: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10084.html.