# Social Security Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 10, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766 "2014-04-10T00:35:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bookaholic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@bookaholic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookaholic)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766/1 "2014-04-10T00:35:32Z")

</div>

If one is collecting monthly social security benefits from a deceased spouse, does this continue until my death or does it run out at some point?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766/2 "2014-04-10T00:42:25Z")

</div>

Lifetime. As long as you are eligible to collect your own benefits, you are just getting the higher benefit of your late spouse instead.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766/3 "2014-04-10T01:09:27Z")

</div>

Survivor’s benefits never run out. However, your eligibility to continue to receive them may be affected by:

1. Your eligibility to collect on your own earnings record (generally, you can’t receive both at the same time);

2. Your receipt of pension benefits from work not covered by Social Security;

3. Remarriage (depending on age); or

4. Your other earnings, if you are under full retirement age.

See [Social Security survivor’s planner](http://www.ssa.gov/survivorplan/ifyou5.htm#a0=1) for more information.

Generally speaking, if you are still eligible to receive them, the checks continue until your death.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bookaholic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@bookaholic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bookaholic)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766/4 "2014-04-10T01:10:21Z")

</div>

Thank you, my people.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-security-question/685766/5 "2014-04-10T03:24:15Z")

</div>

Less than an hour. You came to the correct site.