About the Social Security Survivor Benefits Calculator
This Social Security survivor benefits calculator estimates the monthly benefit a widow or widower — and any children — can receive on a deceased worker’s record. Enter the deceased’s primary insurance amount (PIA), when they claimed (or the age they died if they had not), your birth year and the age you plan to claim, and it applies SSA’s survivor rules: the reduction for claiming before your survivor full retirement age, the widow’s limit when the worker claimed early, delayed retirement credits the worker earned, mother’s or father’s benefits and the family maximum.
A surviving spouse can claim from age 60 (50 if disabled) and receives between 71.5% and 100% of the deceased’s benefit depending on age. A surviving spouse of any age caring for the deceased’s child under 16 gets 75% of the PIA, and each unmarried child under 18 (19 if still in high school) also gets 75%. Total family benefits are capped by the family maximum, which the calculator computes with the 2026 bend points (SSA uses the bend points for the year the worker turned 62 or died, if earlier, so older records can differ slightly).
Survivor benefits are separate from your own retirement benefit, so you can take one first and switch to the other later. The calculator compares the survivor benefit with your own benefit to help plan that switch. It is an estimate: it ignores the earnings test, Government Pension Offset, remarriage before 60 and SSA’s rounding to whole dollars.
With the default inputs, the your monthly survivor benefit is $1,911.43. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the social security survivor benefits calculator
- 1Enter the deceased’s PIA from their Social Security statement or SSA letter.
- 2Say whether they were already receiving benefits and at what age, or the age they died.
- 3Enter your birth year and the age you plan to claim survivor benefits.
- 4Add any children under 18 and whether you care for a child under 16.
- 5Compare the survivor benefit with your own benefit to plan when to switch.
Formula and method
A widow(er) claiming at survivor full retirement age receives 100% of what the deceased was receiving, including delayed retirement credits, or 100% of the PIA if the deceased had not claimed before FRA. Claiming earlier reduces the benefit by 28.5% spread evenly over the months from age 60 to survivor FRA, so the benefit at 60 is always 71.5%. If the deceased claimed retirement benefits early, the survivor benefit is limited to the larger of the amount the deceased received or 82.5% of the PIA (the widow’s limit).
A surviving spouse caring for the deceased’s child under 16 receives 75% of the PIA with no age reduction, and each eligible child also receives 75%. When the total exceeds the family maximum — 150% of the first $1,643 of PIA, 272% up to $2,371, 134% up to $3,093 and 175% above (2026 bend points) — every family member’s benefit is reduced proportionally. Survivor full retirement age follows its own schedule, reaching 67 for those born in 1962 or later.
- B
- Unreduced survivor benefit base
- FRAₛ
- Survivor full retirement age in months
- m
- Survivor’s age in months when benefits start
- PIA
- Deceased worker’s primary insurance amount
Worked examples
Widow claims at 62, worker had claimed at 67
The deceased was receiving the full $2,400. Claiming at 62 is 60 months before a survivor FRA of 67, so the reduction is 28.5% × 60 ÷ 84 = 20.36%, leaving $1,911.43. Waiting to 67 would pay the full $2,400, which beats the survivor’s own $1,240 at 70.
Worker claimed at 62 — the widow’s limit
The worker took 70% of $2,400 ($1,680) at 62. Even at survivor FRA the widow’s benefit is capped at the larger of $1,680 or 82.5% of the PIA, so the survivor receives $1,980 instead of $2,400.
Young parent with two children
The parent and two children would each get 75% of $2,000 ($1,500), a total of $4,500. The family maximum for a $2,000 PIA is $3,435.50, so each benefit is cut proportionally to about $1,145.17 a month.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a widow get from Social Security?+
A widow or widower at survivor full retirement age gets 100% of the deceased’s benefit. Claiming at 60 pays 71.5%, with the reduction spread evenly between 60 and full retirement age. Disabled survivors can start at 50 with the age-60 amount.
Can I collect my own Social Security and survivor benefits at the same time?+
Not both in full — SSA pays the higher of the two. But you can take one first and switch to the other later, for example a reduced survivor benefit at 60 and your own unreduced or delayed benefit later, or the reverse.
How much do children get in survivor benefits?+
Each unmarried child under 18 (or 19 if still in high school, or disabled before 22) receives 75% of the deceased parent’s PIA, subject to the family maximum, which usually limits total family benefits to roughly 150%–188% of the PIA.
What is the widow’s limit?+
If the deceased claimed retirement benefits before full retirement age, the survivor benefit cannot exceed the larger of the reduced amount the deceased was receiving or 82.5% of the deceased’s PIA, even if the survivor waits until full retirement age.
Does remarriage affect survivor benefits?+
Remarrying after age 60 (50 if disabled) does not affect survivor benefits. Remarrying before 60 generally ends eligibility while the new marriage lasts. Divorced spouses married at least 10 years can also qualify.
Is there a Social Security death benefit?+
Yes. SSA pays a one-time lump sum of $255 to a surviving spouse living with the worker or entitled to benefits on the record, or otherwise to an eligible child. It must be claimed within two years.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.