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Survivor benefits can help a household get back on its feet after a death, providing long-term support to growing children, surviving spouses, and sometimes older parents of the worker. Here are the most common categories of relatives who may qualify for Social Security survivor benefits upon the death of a breadwinner:

 Widows and widowers without young children: In a noteworthy difference from retirement benefits, these benefits may be collected at a reduced level, as early as age 60. Widowed survivors who are disabled may collect benefits starting at age 50.

 Widows and widowers raising the deceased worker’s child who is under 16: In such cases, the surviving parent can be any age.

 Children: To qualify, children must be under 18 or up to 19 if they are full-time students who haven’t yet graduated from high school and are unmarried. Disabled children qualify at any age if they were disabled before age 22. Benefits may go to stepchildren, grandchildren, and step-grandchildren as well.

 Parents: Surviving parents qualify if they were dependent on the worker for at least half of their financial support.

 Divorced spouses: Former partners may qualify for a survivor benefit if the marriage lasted at least ten years and if they don’t remarry before age 60.