Hello, my husband passed away earlier this year. My two kids are approved to receive survivor's benefits but I was declined due to my income. I am about to be laid off from my job. Am I now eligible to receive survivor's benefits as his surviving spouse? And if so, would this be in lieu of unemployment insurance from the government?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, it sounds like you would be eligible for survivor benefits when you stop working if you have a child who is under age 16 or disabled in your care (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou5.html). Unemployment benefits would not prevent you from receiving Social Security benefits, but I believe that your unemployment benefits may be reduced if you're receiving Social Security. I'm no expert on unemployment insurance, though, so you'll need to check with the agency handling those benefits.

Also, if you do qualify for survivor benefits it will likely result if a reduction in the rates of your children's benefits as a result of the family maximum benefit. Before applying for survivor benefits, you'll want to make sure that it will result in a net gain after accounting for any reductions in your children's benefits and your unemployment payments. Our maximization software can handle the Social Security math that would be involved, but does not factor in the potential effect on unemployment insurance.

Best, Jerry