Ask Larry

Do I Qualify For Anything From My Deceased Husband's Record?

My husband passed away and was receiving SSI at the time I don't receive anything do I qualify for any thing from him we had no kids and I'm 38

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. If your husband was receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) then you wouldn't be eligible for any benefits from that program. SSI is a needs based benefit that only pays eligible individuals, not spouses or survivors.

However, if your husband was receiving Social Security benefits and if you a he were married for at least 9 months then you may be able to qualify for survivor benefits at some point in time. The earliest that you can qualify for widow's benefits is at age 60 unless you're disabled, in which case you could potentially qualify as early as age 60. The only way a person can qualify for monthly survivor benefits from a deceased spouse's record prior to age 50 is if they have a child in their care who is eligible for benefits on the deceased's account and who is either under age 16 or disabled. So, it doesn't sound like you could currently qualify for monthly survivor benefits.

Even if you aren't eligible for monthly benefits, though, you might qualify for a one-time death benefit of $255. Information on applying for that benefit can be found on the following Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-8.html.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Sep 2 2021 - 9:41am
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