SS survivor benefits

[newellcr]

Hello Folks,

I wasn't quite sure were to post this. If someone has a better spot, I'm all ears. Anyhow, as a youngish dreamer, ER planning is just one financial area of concern. It's time for some new term life insurance policies for my wife and myself. In the past we just used a rule of thumb to figure the amount, but I wanted to work up the figure based on our situation this time. Finally my question, I checked the SSA site and my latest SSA update. If one of us kicks off, the surviving spouse is eligible for survivor benefits only if they don't work (and make a reasonable salary), but the two kids are eligible for the survivor benefits whether the surviving spouse works or not. Is this right?

Thanks,

Chris

[daystar]

http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/...ook-toc04.html

A surviving child is entitled to child's insurance benefits if the conditions below are met:

The worker-parent died either fully or currently insured;

The child is the child of the deceased;

The child is:

Under age 18;

Under age 19 and a full-time elementary or secondary school student; or

Age 18 or over and under a disability as defined in §507.1 (which began before age 22); and

The child was dependent upon the deceased parent (see§§ 334-337 for the dependency "tests");

The child is not married; and

An application for child's insurance benefits is filed. (See §511 for completing application forms.)

Note: An application is not required if the child was entitled to child's insurance benefits on the deceased parent's earnings record for the month before the month in which the parent died.







The child's insurance benefit may not be payable for some months if any of the conditions below are met:

The child works and earns more than the yearly exempt amount (see §1803);

The child works outside the U.S. for more than 45 hours in a month (see §1823);

The child is an alien who is outside the U.S. for more than six calendar months in a row. For information on payments while outside the U.S., see http://www.ssa.gov/international/your_ss.html;

The insured parent had been deported, and the child is an alien who is outside the U.S. For information on payments while outside the U.S., see http://www.ssa.gov/international/your_ss.html;

The disabled child, age 18 or over, refuses to accept vocational rehabilitation services without good cause;

Note: The child's insurance benefit may be payable for all months while the disabled child is still under age 19, if a full-time student, as defined in §344.

The disabled child, age 18 or over, is married to a retirement insurance beneficiary whose benefit is not payable because of work activity;

The disabled child, age 18 or over, is married to a disability insurance beneficiary whose benefit is not payable because of refusal to accept vocational rehabilitation services without good cause;

The child is confined within the U.S. in a jail, prison, or other penal institution or correctional facility for conviction of a felony;

Note: The benefit may still be payable if the child is participating in a rehabilitation program that has been specifically approved for the child by a court of law. It must be expected that the child will be able to engage in substantial work upon release within a reasonable time.

The child does not have a Social Security Number, and the child or his or her parent, guardian, or person acting on the child's behalf refuses to apply for one; or

The child is in the United States and is neither a U.S. citizen nor an alien lawfully present.

The conditions regarding nonpayment of benefits are discussed in more detail in Chapter 18.

[daystar]

http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/...ook-toc04.html


You are entitled to widow(er)'s insurance benefits on a worker's Social Security record if the following conditions are met:

You are either (1) age 60 or over; or (2) at least age 50 but not age 60 and disabled (as defined in §515) and you meet the disability-related requirements in §513;

Note: A widow(er) age 60-64 and under a disability is entitled to disabled widow(er)'s benefits for Medicare purposes.

The worker died fully insured;

You are not entitled to a retirement insurance benefit that is equal to or larger than the worker's primary insurance amount;

You have filed an application for widow(er)'s insurance benefits (see §405 for exceptions and see §1511 for completing application forms);

You are not married or your marriage can be disregarded (see § 406 for exceptions); and

One of the following conditions is met:

You were married to the deceased worker for at least the nine months just before the worker died (see §404 for exceptions);

You are the biological mother or father of the worker's son or daughter (this requirement is met if a live child was born to you and the worker, even if the child did not survive);

You legally adopted the worker's son or daughter during your marriage and before the child reached age 18;

You were married to the worker when you both legally adopted a child under age 18;

The worker legally adopted (as defined in §329) your son or daughter during your marriage and before the child reached age 18; or

In the month before the month you married the deceased worker, you were entitled or potentially entitled to either (1) spouse's, widow(er)'s, father's, mother's, parent's, or childhood disability benefits under the Social Security Act; or (2) widow(er)'s, child's (age 18 or over), or parent's insurance annuity under the Railroad Retirement Act.

Note: You are "potentially entitled" if you meet all requirements for entitlement, other than the filing of an application and attainment of the required age.

[newellcr]

Thanks a bunch Daystar!

Kind Regards,

Chris