{"id":25095,"date":"2022-10-13T12:46:05","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T12:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/10\/13\/how-much-will-my-spouse-receive-from-social-security-when-i-die\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:01:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:01:17","slug":"how-much-will-my-spouse-receive-from-social-security-when-i-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/your-career\/2022\/10\/13\/how-much-will-my-spouse-receive-from-social-security-when-i-die\/","title":{"rendered":"How much will my spouse receive from Social Security when I die?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following is a question submitted by a Federal Times readers about retirement and other issues facing the federal workforce. It is answered by Reg Jones, a charter member of the senior executive service and a Federal Times columnist since 1995.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: <\/b>Let\u2019s say I will start collecting social security benefits on my 67 birthday full retirement age. My wife, 5 years younger than I, will start collecting on her 62nd birthday. Because her benefits much lower than mine, she will be eligible collecting my 50%, reduced to 70% because of her age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My questions is: in case I die later, will my wife will collect my full social security benefits? And if so, will how much she gets be based on her age?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reg\u2019s Response<\/b>: If you were to die, your wife would be entitled to the higher of the two Social Security benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n