While both programs are designed for disabled individuals, their eligibility requirements and benefits differ. The most significant difference between the two disability benefits programs is how their eligibility is determined. Specifically, SSI is a needs-based program. You are eligible for SSI regardless of whether or not you worked and paid into the Social Security system. However, both benefits cannot be combined together and taken at the same time.
Spouses who are eligible for both the survivor benefit and the retirement benefit based on their own work record can maximize their total benefits by taking them in the most advantageous order. The Social Security Administration explains how this works:. The right order for you will depend on the size of each benefit. If both payouts currently are about the same, it may be best to take the survivor benefit at age It's going to be reduced because you're taking it early, but you can collect that benefit from age 60 to age 70 while your own retirement benefit continues to grow.
Then you can collect your own benefit starting at age 70 when it maxes out. Conversely, if your own benefit is small compared to the survivor benefit and will be even at age 70 , you could take your own reduced benefit at age 62, which is the earliest age at which you're eligible.
Then, at age 66, you could switch over to the survivor benefit. However, the survivor benefit would be reduced since it was taken early or before full retirement age. Please contact the Social Security Administration to discuss which benefit to take first before applying for either benefit.
Ideally, you want to be sure you're choosing the option that best fits your financial circumstances by considering all of the variables, which could include your age, your deceased spouse's age, and your eligible benefits—including both the survivor and your own retirement benefits. There's an exception for those who recently applied for retirement benefits. If you became entitled to retirement benefits less than 12 months ago, you might be allowed to withdraw your retirement application and apply for survivor benefits only.
You can then reapply for your retirement benefits later when the benefits will be a higher amount. As noted earlier, a widow or widower generally doesn't qualify for their own benefits until age However, that person regardless of age can collect payouts as the caregiver for the deceased's children until they turn The kids themselves qualify for benefits paid to the surviving parent until they turn 18 or 19 if they are still in school.
But between the child's 18th birthday when their survivor benefits cease and the spouse's 60th birthday when their benefits resume , no one in the family is eligible to collect. That's what's known as a blackout period.
For example, a woman is left widowed at the age of 30 with a two-year-old son. As her son's caregiver, she is entitled to collect Social Security benefits for 14 years, until his 16th birthday.
After that, her son continues to receive his survivor benefits for two more years, until he's His mom will be 48 at that point, leaving the family ineligible for any payments until her widow's benefits become available when she's In this case, the Social Security blackout period lasts 12 years.
One possible solution is for families to make sure they have adequate life insurance to support a surviving spouse during any blackout period. Take, for instance, a couple, both 31 years old, who recently had a child. If either parent dies, the surviving spouse is eligible to collect benefits until they are 47 years old when the child is If they both buy year term life insurance policies and keep up with the premiums, they'll be assured of coverage until age 61—one year after Social Security eligibility is reinstated—in case one of them dies.
If three or more family members are receiving survivor benefits, they may be subject to Social Security's rules that limit the maximum family benefit. Because individual circumstances can vary widely, it is not possible to apply for survivor benefits online. However, you can apply over the phone or by appointment at your local Social Security office.
Current requirements and contact information are always available on the Social Security Administration website. Applying for survivor benefits may require you to submit specific documents, such as a death certificate, marriage certificate, proof of citizenship, or a divorce decree, so rounding them up beforehand will help expedite the process. Social Security Administration. Social Security. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.
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