Survivor benefits for young widow with 4 kids - will I qualify if I'm under 65 and how does family maximum work?

Yes, you would qualify for mother's/father's benefits as a surviving spouse caring for children under 16. Each child under 18 (or 19 if still in high school) would also qualify for survivor benefits. The family maximum does apply - typically 150-180% of your husband's primary insurance amount (PIA). The SSA will calculate this when you apply, but as a rough estimate, if his benefit is $2,500, the maximum might be around $4,000-$4,500 total per month for all survivors combined. Once your youngest turns 16, your benefits would stop until you reach your own retirement age (unless you qualify for disabled widow benefits).

I went thru this 3 yrs ago when my wife passed. the kids get benefits til 18 (or 19 if still in HS) but yours stop at the youngest turning 16. The family max hit us hard - with 3 kids we all got less than the full amount we qualified for. Its really confusing how they calculate it

MAKE SURE you apply immediately after he passes!! I waited 2 months and lost those benefits forever because they only backdate 6 months maximum and I didn't know that!!! The SSA doesn't automatically know you need these benefits!!! And YES the family maximum will reduce everyone's benefits especially with 4 kids. My neighbor has 3 kids and they each get about 30% less than the full child benefit amount because of the family max.

To directly answer your questions: 1. Yes, you would qualify for survivor benefits as a mother caring for children under 16, regardless of your age. 2. Your benefits would indeed stop when your youngest child turns 16. 3. Each child under 18 (or 19 if still in high school) gets benefits. 4. Yes, the family maximum applies and will likely reduce individual benefit amounts. 5. The maximum is usually between 150-188% of the deceased's primary insurance amount (PIA). The family maximum calculation is complex, but you can request a benefit estimate by calling SSA or checking your husband's my Social Security account. When your youngest turns 16, your benefits stop until you reach 60 (or 50 if disabled). And yes, you can claim widow's benefits at retirement age even if your children are adults by then.

I've been trying to call the SSA for two weeks with similar questions about survivor benefits calculations and can't get through! Just endless hold times then disconnects. Has anyone found a better way to reach them??

Something NOBODY TOLD ME until it was too late!!! If you work while receiving mother's benefits they will reduce your benefit (not the kids') once you earn over the annual limit!!! I lost almost all my survivor benefit last year because I went back to work full-time and nobody warned me!!!! The kids' benefits weren't affected though.

the form u need is SSA-5 for survivors. get it ready now and have his death certificate + marriage license + kids birth certificates. when my wife died it took weeks to get all the paperwork together and i was so stressed

Thank you all for the advice. This is overwhelming but I feel better knowing what to expect. Will the SSA calculate the family maximum for us, or do I need to figure it out myself before applying? And will they tell each child's benefit amount at the time of application?

The SSA will calculate the family maximum and individual benefit amounts when you apply - you don't need to figure it out yourself. They'll provide benefit determinations showing exactly what each person will receive. If your husband is still living, you might consider contacting SSA now to get an estimate of what survivor benefits might be. This can help with financial planning. Also, be aware that survivor benefits are separate from any final death benefit ($255) or remaining monthly benefits your husband might be owed for the month of death.

I went through this when my husband died leaving me with 3 kids. SSA processes everything together - they handle the family maximum calculations. At your appointment they'll tell you exactly what each person will receive. For planning purposes, each child is eligible for about 75% of your husband's benefit and you'd get 75% as the caretaker of minor children, but the family maximum will reduce these amounts. In my case, we each got about 60% of what we would have gotten without the maximum.