Читать книгу Social Security For Dummies - Peterson Jonathan, Jonathan Peterson - Страница 44

Social Security survivor benefits provide critical protection for families with children. When a widow or widower is raising the deceased worker’s child, the parent’s age doesn’t matter to the SSA. Benefits may go to the surviving parent and the surviving child.

Brandon and Samantha are Baby Boomers whose old romance is rekindled on the dance floor at their 40th high school reunion. She’s divorced, and he’s widowed. Brandon, 58, has a 12-year-old son, Tyler, from his prior marriage. Samantha, 57, has no children. Brandon and Samantha waste no time getting married, and for a while, life is good. He makes $100,000 per year as a contract manager at an aerospace firm. She works part time at the mall. Three years later, Brandon is killed in a car accident. At that point, Samantha and Tyler each qualify for survivor’s benefits of about $1,570 per month. Samantha’s benefit would be about $2,090 at her full retirement age, but she can’t afford to wait. These benefits help the household stay afloat until Tyler graduates from high school and enrolls in college.