My husband recently passed. I’m not eligible for survivor benefits, but my son is. I was told by a friend I was eligible for widow benefits. I can’t find any information on that. I’m 54 and haven’t worked outside the home most of our marriage.
— Surviving Widow
Dear Widow,
I’m sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry I probably don’t have good news for you.
Your friend may be using a colloquial term for what the Social Security Administration calls “survivor benefits.” There’s no such thing, officially, as “widow benefits.”
You’re likely not eligible to receive survivor benefits because of your age. A surviving spouse can receive Social Security benefits starting at age 60 (or 50 if they have a disability).
To be eligible, your son must be under age 18 or living with a disability. If he’s under age 16 (or any age and disabled) and you take care of him, you could also be eligible for survivors benefits of your own. If that’s the case, and you were told you’re ineligible, check again!
If you haven’t already, you might also check whether your husband had a life insurance policy and made you the beneficiary. This should have been listed in his will if he had one. But, if not, you could also check with his last employer to see if they had a policy option for employees, search for his name and yours in your state’s unclaimed property database, and search the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator online.
5 Companies That Send People Money When They’re Asked Nicely
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings. But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Dana Miranda is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® and author of YOU DON’T NEED A BUDGET. She writes Healthy Rich, a newsletter about how capitalism impacts the ways we think, teach and talk about money.
The 5 Dumbest Things We Keep Spending Too Much Money On
You’ve done what you can to cut back your spending.You brew coffee at home, you don’t walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast. (Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
But no matter how cognizant you are of your spending habits, you’re still stuck with those inescapable monthly bills.
You know which ones we’re talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
Ready to stop paying them? Follow these moves…
