How to Apply for Survivor Benefits from the Social Security

In the United States, a deceased person must have been a worker or employee who has worked for not less than 10 years in order for his or her selected surviving family members could gain social security benefits. It has to be 10 years of employment history and not more or less than since this is the minimum employment period a worker must have in his or her record in order that his or her surviving family may be eligible to earn benefits.

If you are among the surviving family member, let us say the spouse, of a deceased worker, and not sure, if he or she was able to put in adequate time, you can call up or go to the nearest Social Security Administration (SSA) office in your area to look up your spouse's employment history record.

Aside from you as the spouse, other survivors may be eligible to receive benefits:

- former spouse

- children under the age of 18 years old

- children with disability, even if already over the age of 18

- parents of the deceased over 62 years old who had once been dependent on the deceased

You can inquire more information from the SSA concerning this matter.

The process of applying for Social Security Survivor Benefits

- You must notify the Social Security office regarding the death.

- If you have already been receiving benefits from the social security programs owing to the deceased's account, for example, retirement payments, your benefit amount will become adjusted automatically upon receiving your notification.

- However, if you have been receiving social security benefits owing only from your own work record or you have not received any type of benefit payments from the social security, you need to file an application to start receiving survivor benefits.

Methods in filing your application

- Calling up the SSA's phone number and indicating your interest in applying
- Going to a local office of SSA in your area in person

Either of the aforementioned methods most convenient for you is acceptable enough for the SSA. You only have to make sure that you are ready with certain essential information that you will be required to produce.

Keep in mind that before you proceed on filing your application, you should have gathered all of the following information about your deceased spouse (or former spouse) and yourself.

Your spouse's information:

- Name and Social security number (SSN)
- Date of birth and death
- Place of death
- The foreign country or state where your spouse held permanent residence at the time of his/her death
- Your spouse's condition about 14 months before his / her death, indicate if it was due to an injury or illness that he/she was not capable of working or not. If it is, what was the date when your spouse became incapable of working?
- If your spouse has other spouses, be ready with their names, dates of birth and SSNs. If the information is applicable, indicate also, when the marriages with the other spouses ended.
- Your spouse's earnings on the year he / she died and the year before.
- Did your spouse have dependent parent and did he provide at least a half of the income of the dependent?

Your own information:

- Name and SSN
- Maiden name (if female)
- Date and place of your birth
- Any religious or public record of your birth before you reached 5 years old
- If you have existing application for or record of SS benefits before
- If you have been incapable to work because of injury or sickness within the precedent 14 months and the exact date when you become incapable of working
- If you have been a railroad industry worker or joined the military
- If you had other spouses, prepare the dates of birth and SSNs. If the information is applicable, indicate also, when the marriages with the other spouses ended.
- Your earnings during the past year, present year you are applying and next year's salary
- If you were living with your spouse at the time of his / her death
- If you are interested in supplemental medical insurance through the Medicare Plan B