Retirement income
Social Security survivor benefit
A Social Security survivor benefit is the payment a widow or widower may receive based on their deceased spouse’s earnings record, generally replacing rather than adding to their own benefit.
Also called survivor benefit · widow’s benefit
For a married couple this makes the claiming decision a joint one rather than two separate ones. Delaying the higher earner’s claim increases not only that person’s payment but the amount the surviving spouse will live on, potentially for decades.
It also means the household’s total Social Security income falls when the first spouse dies, because one payment stops. Combined with the change in filing status, that year is often the largest single shift in a retired household’s finances, and it is entirely predictable in advance.
What it does not do
A survivor does not receive both benefits. The rule is generally the higher of the two, not the sum, which is why an income plan built on the couple’s combined benefit continuing is a plan with a known failure date in it.
This entry is a general explanation, not advice for your situation, and it deliberately avoids thresholds and figures, because those are the part most likely to be out of date. Reviewed August 27, 2026. If a decision turns on any of it, ring the office rather than relying on a page.
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