Hello,

My mother recently passed away at age 62 she had just started receiving social security benefits this year. My father who is 65 has been receiving benefits for quite some time now and since he worked longer was receiving higher benefits than my mom. My dad was recently told about survivor benefits and applied but was told since he received more than my mom he did not qualify except for the lump sum of $255. Is this usually the case? and what happens to the benefits my mom did not get to receive?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, the surviving member of a couple generally receives the higher of their 2 benefit rates. In your father's case, he would be eligible for the higher of a) his own benefit rate, or b) 82.5% of your mother's full retirement age rate. The latter figure is probably a bit higher than your mother's reduced monthly benefit rate, but if your father's rate is significantly higher than what your mother was receiving he would likely just continue to get his own benefit rate.

The benefits that your mother didn't receive due to her death simply stay in the Social Security trust fund to be paid out to other beneficiaries. Social Security doesn't have individual accounts with a set amount of vested benefits to be paid out on that account. Social Security retirement benefits are rather like annuities, in that they continue for the life of the beneficiary and end at death. Some people receive much more than they paid in, while others receive much less or nothing at all.

Best, Jerry