Social Security Survivor Benefits Calculator
Estimate a widow or widower benefit by claiming age, then compare it with the survivor’s own monthly retirement benefit.
Estimated payable benefit
$1,859Survivor record at selected age
$1,859Early-claim reduction
28.5%This is a planning estimate. Claiming by month, deemed-filing rules, family maximums, government pensions, disability, remarriage, and SSA record details can change the payment.
Planning with two benefit records
Survivor and retirement benefits have different claiming rules. Some people can start one benefit and later switch to the other. The calculator shows the larger current monthly amount but does not optimize a switching strategy — see the survivor switch-strategy calculator for that comparison, including the RIB-LIM cap.
Eligibility can differ for remarriage, divorced spouses, disability, dependent children (see the child-in-care benefit), government pensions, and family maximums. Confirm your exact options with SSA.
Social Security Fairness Act: the Government Pension Offset is repealed
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed January 5, 2025, repealed the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — the rule that used to reduce, and often eliminate, a survivor benefit for widows and widowers who also receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security (common among many state and local government employees, including teachers, police, and firefighters in some states). The repeal applies to benefits payable after December 2023. SSA began adjusting affected monthly payments in February 2025 and issuing one-time retroactive payments for the increase back to January 2024.
If your survivor benefit was previously reduced or zeroed out by the GPO because of a non-covered pension, that offset generally no longer applies — the estimate above reflects the survivor calculation without a pension offset. Confirm your specific payment adjustment at ssa.gov or with your local SSA office.
Survivor benefit questions
What percentage of a spouse's Social Security does a widow receive?
A surviving spouse can receive up to 100% of the deceased worker's eligible benefit at survivor full retirement age. Starting at age 60 can reduce the survivor amount to 71.5%.
Can a widow receive both benefits?
SSA generally pays the higher of the survivor's own retirement benefit or the survivor benefit, not both full amounts added together.
Can survivor benefits start at age 60?
Yes, a widow or widower can generally start survivor benefits at age 60, or at age 50 if disabled and otherwise eligible. Starting before survivor FRA reduces the monthly amount.
Does a government pension still reduce my survivor benefit?
Generally no, not anymore. The Government Pension Offset (GPO), which used to reduce or eliminate survivor benefits for people who also receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security, was repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act for benefits payable after December 2023.
Sources
Related Calculators
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