Applying for survivor benefits from social security is important if you have children!
If you have children and your spouse dies suddenly, then you should definitely be applying for survivor benefits from social security. While you should also apply if you do not have children, it’s even more vital to families with children. This is due to the fact that the money you can get from social security will make it much easier to give your children the home life that they deserve to have – even though one of the wage earners in your family is no longer with you. It’s estimated by the government that 98% of all children who have applied for survivor benefits ultimately get them.
Even though social security is largely known as a government funded retirement plan, it is also a life insurance plan at the same time. Money that you earn while you’re working goes not only to pay for the retirement of people who have worked for many years, but it also goes to pay survivor benefits for the spouses and children of deceased workers.
Survivor’s benefits change depending on how old the person who is applying for them is. For instance, if you were born before 1940, then you can start claiming survivor benefits as a spouse at age 65, or at age 60 if you are willing to take reduced benefits. It is also worthwhile to go about applying for survivor benefits from social security when you are 50 if you have any sort of a disability. For people who were born after 1940, the age at which benefits kick in can be up until age 67.
However, if you have children, these age restrictions do not apply. As long as your children are under the age of 16, you are eligible to receive benefits and should definitely apply. You can also get benefits if your child is disabled before he or she turns 22 and remains disabled and in need of monetary support.
One thing that you should consider when you are thinking about applying for survivor benefits from social security is that the money is based off of the amount of work that the deceased did. If your loved one earned a lot of money before dying, then you will likely have a larger benefit package. No matter what sort of job your loved one held, however, you can still be eligible for a benefits package that can help you.