Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021 Discount Services -Raccoons -Squirrels 781-269-0914 Removal * Crack Repairing * Pot Hole Filling * Striping Handicapped Spaces * Free Estimates Tom’s Seal Coating Call Gary: 978-210-4012 WANTED DELIVERY DRIVER FULL TIME CALL 617-387-4838 How Does Social Security Work When a Spouse or Ex-Spouse Dies? Dear Savvy Senior, Who qualifi es for Social Security survivor benefi ts? My exhusband died last year, so I would like to fi nd out if me or my 17-year-old daughter are eligible for anything? Divorced Survivor Dear Divorced, If your ex-husband worked and WASTE REMOVAL & BUILDING MAINTENANCE • Landscaping, Lawn Care, Mulching • Yard Waste & Rubbish Removal • Interior & Exterior Demolition (Old Decks, Fences, Pools, Sheds, etc.) • Appliance and Metal Pick-up • Construction and Estate Cleanouts • Pick-up Truck Load of Trash starting at $169 • Carpentry LICENSED & INSURED Call for FREE ESTIMATES! KITCHEN CABINETS To Look Like New 508-840-0501 FURNITURE STRIP & FINISH Cleaning by ANJOS I will clean your house or office with love, like it is my own. GUARANTEED SATISFACTION ~ Exceptional Reasonable Rates ~ Please call 617-257-5345 ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS....One level living Ranch Style home offers and palladium window, bright and sunny eat in kitchen with a new picture window, stainless steel appliances and sliders to an oversized deck, two bedrooms and a full bath on the main level. Finished lower level offers half bath. Fenced in yard, side street location close to the Veterans Memorial School. View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. paid Social Security taxes and you and/or your daughter meet the eligibility requirements, you may very well be eligible for survivor benefi ts, but you should act quickly because benefi ts are generally retroactive only up to six months. Here’s what you should know. Under Social Security law, when a person who has worked and paid Social Security taxes dies, certain members of that person’s family may be eligible for survivor benefi ts including spouses, former spouses and dependents. Here’s a breakdown of who qualifi es. Widow(er)’s and divorced widow(er)’s: Surviving spouses that were married at least nine months are eligible to collect a monthly survivor benefi t as early as age 60 (50 if disabled). Divorced surviving spouses are also eligible at this same age, if you were married at least 10 years and did not remarry before age 60 (50 if disabled), unless the marriage ends. How much you’ll receive will depend on how much money (earnings that were subject to Social Security taxes) your spouse or exspouse made over their lifetime, and the age in which you apply for survivor benefi ts. If you wait until your full retirement age (which is 66 for people born in 1945-1954 and will gradually increase to age 67 for people born in 1960 or later), you’ll receive 100 of your deceased spouses or ex-spouses benefi t amount. But if you apply between age 60 and your full retirement age, your benefi t will be somewhere between 71.5 – 99 percent of their benefi t. There is, however, one exception. Surviving spouses and ex-spouses that are caring for a child (or children) of the deceased worker, and they are under age 16 or disabled, are eligible to receive 75 percent of the worker’s benefi t amount at any age. Unmarried children: Surviving unmarried children under age 18, or up to age 19 if they’re still attending high school, are eligible for survivor benefi ts too. Benefi ts can also be paid to children at any age if they were disabled before age 22 and remain disabled. Both biological and adoptive children are eligible, as well as kids born out of wedlock. Dependent stepchildren and grandchildren may also qualify. Children’s benefi ts are 75 percent of the worker’s benefi t. You should also know that in addition to survivor benefi ts, a surviving spouse or child may also be eligible to receive a special lump-sum death payment of $255. Dependent parents: Benefi ts can also be paid to dependent parents who are age 62 and older. For parents to qualify as dependents, the deceased worker would have had to provide at least one-half of the parent’s fi - nancial support. But be aware that Social Security has limits on how much a family can receive in monthly survivors’ benefi ts – usually 150 to 180 percent of the worker’s benefi t. Switching Strategies Social Security also provides surviving spouses and ex-spouses some nice strategies that can help boost your benefi ts. For example, if you’ve worked you could take a reduced survivor benefi t at age 60 and switch to your own retirement benefi t based on your earnings history – between 62 and 70 – if it offers a higher payment. Or, if you’re already receiving retirement benefi ts on your work record, you could switch to survivors benefi ts if it off ers a higher payment. You cannot, however, receive both benefi ts. You also need to know that if you collect a survivor benefi t while working, and are under full retirement age, your benefits may be reduced depending on your earnings – see SSA.gov/pubs/EN-0510069.pdf. For more information on survivor benefi ts, visit SSA.gov/benefi ts/ survivors. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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