Social Security For Dummies. Peterson Jonathan

60-plus or divorced widow/widower age 60-plus: You get up to 100 percent or more of the covered worker’s PIA, but the amount depends on several factors. It’s reduced if you collect before reaching full retirement age, and it’s increased if the deceased spouse had built up delayed retirement credits. The amount you receive per month can’t exceed what the deceased spouse was collecting.

      ● Widow/widower (usually younger than 60), caring for a child under 16: You get 75 percent of the covered worker’s PIA.

      ● Disabled widow/widower ages 50 to 59: You get 71.5 percent of the covered worker’s PIA.

      ● Child survivor under 18 (or up to age 19 if still in high school and unmarried): You get 75 percent of the covered worker’s PIA. The Social Security family maximum (see Chapter 10) may apply in households with multiple beneficiaries. Stepchildren and grandchildren fall into this category, too, subject to the family maximum.

      ● Child of retiree under 18 (or up to age 19 if still in high school and unmarried): You get 50 percent of the covered worker’s PIA. Stepchildren and grandchildren fall into this category, too, subject to the family maximum.

      ● Disabled adult child of retiree age 18-plus: You get 50 percent of the covered worker’s PIA.

      ● Disabled adult child of deceased worker age 18-plus: You get 75 percent of the covered worker’s PIA.

      ● Grandchild of retiree: You get 50 percent of the covered worker’s PIA (if you meet rules for eligibility).

      ● Grandchild of deceased worker/retiree: You get 75 percent of the covered worker’s PIA (if you meet rules for eligibility).

      ● Parents of deceased worker/retiree: You get 82.5 percent of the covered worker’s PIA if one parent is claiming benefits, 75 percent of the covered worker’s PIA if two parents are claiming benefits.

Who qualifies

      Survivor benefits can help a household get back on its feet after a death, providing long-term support to growing children, surviving spouses, and sometimes older parents of the worker. Here are the most common categories of relatives who may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits upon the death of a breadwinner: