You will receive 100% of your deceased spouse’s SSDI benefit. (To determine your full retirement age, go to Social Security Benefit Amounts for the Surviving Spouse by Year of Birth.)

If you are the unmarried child under 18 (up to age 19 if attending elementary or secondary school full time) of a worker who dies, you can be eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits. And you can get benefits at any age if you were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled.

Social Security allows you to claim both a retirement and a survivor benefit at the same time, but the two won’t be added together to produce a bigger payment; you will receive the higher of the two amounts. You would be, in effect, simply claiming the bigger benefit.

When you are eligible for two Social Security benefits — such as a survivor benefit and a retirement payment — Social Security doesn’t add them together but rather pays you the higher of the two amounts. If that’s the retirement benefit, then the retirement benefit is all you’ll get.

Spousal benefits are based on a living spouse or ex-spouse’s work history. Survivor benefits are based on a deceased spouse or ex-spouse’s work history. If divorced, you may still be able to apply for benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work if you were married at least 10 years and are currently unmarried.

Your spouse, children, and parents could be eligible for benefits based on your earnings. You may receive survivors benefits when a family member dies. You and your family could be eligible for benefits based on the earnings of a worker who died. The deceased person must have worked long enough to qualify for benefits.

A surviving spouse can collect 100 percent of the late spouse’s benefit if the survivor has reached full retirement age, but the amount will be lower if the deceased spouse claimed benefits before he or she reached full retirement age.

Widow or widower, full retirement age or older—100 percent of your benefit amount. Widow or widower, age 60 to full retirement age—71½ to 99 percent of your basic amount. Disabled widow or widower, age 50 through 59—71½ percent.

age 60