My Husband died unexpectedly in October at the age of 49. I applied for survivors benefits for our 8 year old child and the $255 death benefit. How long does it usually take to be approved and to start receiving benefits?

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. I can't really give you a good time frame for when to expect benefits to begin. In my experience, claims such as yours were usually processed within about 30 days. But, I think Social Security's claims processing times have been averaging significantly longer in recent years. I would say that if you haven't heard from Social Security within roughly 60 days from when you applied, you may want to check with them for a status report.

Best, Jerry