Will my daughter receive a benefit from my late wife?
My wife passed away 6 weeks ago at the age of 45. She was a stay at home mom to our 8 year old daughter since her birth. She worked full time from the age of 18 through 37. Will my daughter be eligible for a benefit?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Assuming that your wife paid Social Security taxes when she was working, it certainly sounds like your daughter would qualify for surviving child's benefits on your wife's record (https://www.ssa.gov/survivors/). And, depending upon the level of your earnings if you work (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html), you may also qualify for father's benefits.

If you haven't already done so, you'll want to contact Social Security to start the application process. You can either call 1-800-772-1213, or contact your nearest office: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp.

Best, Jerry