Overview: Social Security
Any government system that provides monetary support to people with inadequate or no income is called social security. It is an essential social program in the U.S. It is a program that helps not only the elderly but keeps millions of people out of poverty. It provides them support for their bread and butter. It is mainly funded by taxes collected from the paychecks of workers.
There are four types of people who can claim benefits: they are:
1) People who are 62+ years old.
2) Workers who are disabled
3) Survivors of a recipient (spouse or child) who has died.
4) Survivors themselves
Social Security Survivor Benefits: How it is calculated?
To collect the required number of credits for your loved ones to be eligible, you will have to work for a certain number of years. Each year, you can earn up to four credits. In 2019, every time you earn $1,360, you will receive one credit until you hit $5,440, or four credits. The exact number of credits you need to have for family members to be eligible for survivor benefits depends on the age of a person when he dies. If a person dies at a younger age, he will need fewer credits. The maximum number of loans a person can ever receive is 40 credits. It is essential to work and pay Social Security taxes for at least ten years to ensure the required amount.
However, under a special provision, if the death of a person leaves a spouse with dependent children. Benefits will be paid to them if the person died have earned six credits (1.5 years).
Who is eligible for Social Security Survivor Benefits?
Monthly benefits of Social Security Survivor are available to several family members, including:
1) A widow(er) age 60 or older (age 50 or older if he or she is disabled), id she/he has not remarried.
2) A widow(er) at any age who is caring for the deceased’s child who is under age 16 or disabled.
3) An unmarried child of the deceased who is younger than age 18 (or up to age 19 if a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school), or 18 years or older with a disability that began before the age of 22 years.
4) A stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, or adopted child under certain circumstances.
5) Parents, age 62 or older, who were dependent on the deceased for at least half of their income
6) A surviving divorced spouse, under certain circumstances.
A one-time death benefit payment of $255 is paid to the surviving spouse if he or she was living with the person died. If both the partners were living apart and the spouse was receiving certain Social Security benefits on the record of the partner. In cases when there is no surviving spouse, the one-time payment is made to a child who is eligible for the benefits on the deceased’s record in the month of death.