My Husband passed May 12th 2020 at 67 - his birthday. He was getting $1774, less $144.= $1630. I am getting $679. The agent said I will recieve $922 of my husband's benefits PLus my $679. Totaling $1601. My Rent is Still $1600. That's $1 for Food, Etc. What happens to the balance of my husband's benefits ❓

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

The surviving member of a couple can only be paid up to the higher of a) their own benefit rate, or b) their deceased spouse's benefit rate, not both. If you're being paid a total rate that's less than the amount your husband was receiving, the most likely reason would be that you're not yet full retirement age (FRA). If you start drawing widow's benefits prior to FRA, your widow's benefits are reduced for age. Or, it could be that you're having more deducted from your benefits than did your husband, such as a higher Medicare premium or tax withholding.

As for what happens to the rest of your husband's benefits, that money simply stays in the Social Security trust fund. The Social Security taxes that people pay are not placed in individual accounts like IRAs. All of the Social Security taxes collected are placed in the trust fund, which is then used to pay Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry