Just Lost Your Spouse? Make This Social Security Move ASAP.

Losing your spouse is a major life change, and you've probably got a lot on your plate. You're trying to sort out the particulars of their estate while also getting used to no longer having your partner around.

Your Social Security benefits might be changing, too. If your spouse had been receiving checks, those will stop as soon as the Social Security Administration gets word of their death. Your benefits could also change, and it's important to understand how this could happen so you can plan accordingly.

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Spousal vs. survivor benefits

The type(s) of Social Security benefits you qualify for can change throughout your life, and each type has its own rules. Spousal benefits are available to the current spouses (and ex-spouses if the marriage lasted 10-plus years) of workers who qualify for retirement benefits.

A spousal benefit is worth up to one-half of the amount your partner qualifies for at their full retirement age (FRA). You must claim it at your own FRA to earn this amount, and you'll only get this benefit if it's larger than your own retirement checks. You also cannot apply for a spousal benefit until your partner is already claiming.

Survivor benefits are available to the family members of deceased workers who were already claiming or were eligible for retirement benefits. These checks can be worth up to 100% of what the deceased worker was receiving or eligible for at the time of their death. You can claim these checks as early as 60 or possibly younger if you're caring for the deceased's minor child or child with disabilities. However, early claiming can reduce your benefits.

When your spouse dies, you will no longer be eligible to claim a spousal benefit on their work record. However, you may become eligible for a survivor benefit. But it's important to carefully consider your options before applying for survivor benefits.

Should you apply for survivor benefits?

Applying for survivor benefits could give you a larger Social Security benefit than you'd be entitled to receive on your own work record. This could be a big help if you're struggling to make ends meet in the aftermath of your spouse's death.

If you're not able to cover your costs another way, contact the Social Security Administration as soon as possible to learn about how you can apply for survivor benefits. You will need to provide information about yourself and your spouse, and possibly copies of your marriage certificate and your spouse's death certificate.

Delaying your survivor benefit application could be the better move if you don't need the money right away. You can claim your own retirement benefit while allowing the survivor benefit to grow. Then, a few years later, you could switch to a survivor benefit to increase your monthly income.

However, keep in mind that this only works if your survivor benefit is larger than your retirement benefit. You can't claim both simultaneously.

You also cannot claim a survivor benefit if you remarry before age 60 (50 if you're disabled). However, you may gain eligibility on a new spouse's record.

It's best to develop a plan for when you hope to claim survivor benefits as soon as possible so you can build an accurate new budget. Contact the Social Security Administration if you have any questions about which benefits you're eligible for. You can do this by phone or by making an appointment at your local Social Security office.

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