Ask Larry

Is My Sister's Husband Eligible To Draw Off Of Her SSI?

My sister recently passed away,Her husband is retired. And drawing his SSI. Is he eligible to draw off her SSI?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

By SSI, I assume that you're referring to Social Security benefits. The surviving member of a couple can generally only be paid the higher of their own benefit rate or their deceased spouse's benefit rate. Therefore, it sounds like your brother-in-law could only qualify for widower's benefits if your sister's benefit rate was, or would have been, higher than his own rate.

Even if your brother-in-law doesn't qualify for widower's benefits, though, he can apply for a one-time death benefit of $255 provided that he and your sister were living together.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Aug 3 2020 - 10:30am
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