# Social Security payments to surviving spouse **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-payments-to-surviving-spouse/204157 "2003-09-27T14:29:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dancefan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@dancefan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dancefan)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-payments-to-surviving-spouse/204157/1 "2003-09-27T14:29:37Z")
How much does social security pay a widow when her husband passes away? He was the primary income earner and she is not employed. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-payments-to-surviving-spouse/204157/2 "2003-09-27T14:33:28Z")
It’s based on how much he made. They have a calculator: [http://www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm](http://www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm) ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-payments-to-surviving-spouse/204157/3 "2003-09-27T19:15:04Z")
She gets either her SS pay or her husband’s, whichever is the greater. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-payments-to-surviving-spouse/204157/4 "2003-09-28T00:07:33Z")
She gets nothing unless she is at least 60 years of age, or “disabled” and 50 years of age.