How long does social security last?

Social Security is commonly known for the monthly social security checks that retirees receive when they retire. However, social security encompasses various types of benefits including retirement benefits, survivor benefits, disability benefits, and spousal benefits. These benefits may last over the recipient’s lifetime or when certain events occur.

Social Security pays retirement benefits over the beneficiary's lifetime, and the payments stop when the beneficiary dies. If you are receiving spousal survivor benefits, you will receive benefits over your lifetime, even if you remarry after age 60. If you are a dependent minor child, you can receive survivor benefits until age 18, or 19 if you are a full-time elementary or secondary school level student; there is no age limit if you become disabled before age 22.

How long do Social Security retirement benefits last?

You may be eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits if you worked in a covered job and contributed to Social Security during your working years. Typically, your employer deducts Social Security taxes from your paycheck so that you can qualify to receive retirement benefits when you retire.

You can start taking retirement benefits starting from age 62, but your benefits will be reduced by up to 30%. However, if you wait until the full retirement age, you will receive full retirement benefits. Generally, the full retirement age is 66 years if you were born from 1943 to 1954 or 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. You must have worked for 10 years or more, or earned 40 credits to qualify for Social Security retirement benefits.

Once you start receiving Social Security retirement benefits, you will continue collecting monthly checks for your lifetime. The monthly Social Security checks end at death. Since Social Security pays benefits in arrears, it means that no Social Security benefits will be due for the month of your death.

How long do survivor benefits last?

When you die, your surviving dependents may be eligible to receive survivor benefits on your record. Some of the eligible survivors include your spouse (s), children (both biological and adopted), and parents. How long these beneficiaries can collect survivor benefits may vary.

Spouses

A surviving spouse of a deceased Social Security beneficiary may be eligible to receive survivor benefits. If the spouse was already receiving spousal benefits on the deceased’s beneficiary record, they will start receiving survivor benefits when the death is reported to Social Security.

Generally, surviving spouses are eligible to claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, but the benefits will be reduced; if you have a disability that started before or within 7 years of the spouse’s death, you can claim full benefits at age 50.

Surviving spouses can collect survivor benefits for life, but the benefits end if he/she remarries before 60 or collects a retirement benefit on their own work record that is bigger than the survivor benefit.

Child

Minor children of a deceased Social Security beneficiary can collect survivor benefits on their parent’s work record. Eligible children include biological, adopted and stepchildren of the deceased. Surviving grandchildren and step-grandchildren may also be eligible to receive benefits.

An eligible child or grandchild can collect survivor benefits until age 18 when payments stop. However, there are two exceptions- first, if the child is a full-time elementary or secondary school student, you can collect benefits until age 19. Second, if the child became disabled before age 22, there is no age limit for collecting benefits. However, if the child gets married, the survivor benefits stop even if they qualify based on age or disability.

Parents

Parents of a deceased’s Social Security beneficiary may qualify for survivor benefits if they are at least age 62 or older and the beneficiary provided at least half of their support. Parents can collect survivor benefits over their lifetime. However, the benefits end when the parent remarries or qualifies for another Social Security benefit that is higher than the survivor benefit.

How long do Social Security disability payments last?

If you have been unable to work due to a medical condition, you may be eligible to receive Social Security disability benefits.

You must have worked long enough before the disability occurred, and earned sufficient credits to qualify for disability benefits. The disability must have lasted or be expected to last at least one year or result in death. Social Security starts paying disability benefits six months after the disability occurs, and these benefits are designed to last as long as you are disabled until you reach retirement age.

Generally, Social Security periodically reviews the disabling condition to determine if your disability status has changed. Your disability benefits can stop if your medical condition improves, you are incarcerated, or you return to work with a substantial income. For 2023, you may lose your disability payments if you earn more than $1,470 per month ($2,460 per month if you are blind).

When you reach the full retirement age, the disability benefits will convert to retirement benefits. The amount of benefits you receive depends on your lifetime earnings in jobs in which you paid Social Security taxes.

What happens to Social Security benefits when you die?

Social Security must be notified when a beneficiary dies as soon as possible. Generally, the deceased beneficiary is not due Social Security benefits for the month of their death, and any benefits paid out must be refunded to Social Security. In most cases, funeral homes report the death to Social Security, but a surviving spouse or executor of the deceased’s estate can also report the death.

Surviving dependents of the deceased beneficiary may be eligible to receive survivor benefits. If any of these dependents were collecting Social Security benefits on the deceased’s work record, these benefits will convert automatically to survivor benefits. For example, a surviving spouse can apply for survivor benefits as early as 60, or wait until the full retirement age to get their deceased spouse’s full benefit. Minor children of the deceased’s beneficiary and surviving spouses caring for the minors also qualify for survivor benefits.