Am I Eligible For Social Security Benefits As A Surviving Spouse?
Social Security survivor benefits present an important source of income for many. But, there are several important and unique issues that must be considered if you have recently lost your spouse or ex-spouse, before filing a claim to collect Social Security benefits.
To help make the analysis easier, we have created the “Am I Eligible For Social Security Benefits As A Surviving Spouse?” flowchart. It addresses many common Social Security issues that arise if you have recently lost their spouse or ex-spouse, including:
Eligibility and age considerations
Length of marriage rules
Age that benefits can be collected by the survivor
Surviving spouse vs. surviving ex-spouse implications
Impact of a remarriage
Impact of having children
Impact of a disability
Robert J. Pyle, CFP®, CFA, AEP® founded Diversified Asset Management, Inc., in 1996 to provide personalized, comprehensive wealth management services to successful individuals, families, single women, and business owners. His specialty is addressing the complex financial needs of self-employed professionals, corporate executives, and small-business owners. Our disclosure can be found here. The views, opinion, information, and content provided here are solely those of the respective authors, and may not represent the views or opinions of Diversified Asset Management, Inc. Diversified Asset Management, Inc. cannot guarantee the accuracy or currency of any such third party information or content, and does not undertake to verify or update such information or content. Any such information or other content should not be construed as investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice.