Social Security Survivors Benefits

Scott Szymendera
Analyst in Disability Policy

Social Security is formally known as the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program. This report focuses on the Survivors Insurance component of Social Security. When workers die, their spouses, former spouses, and dependents may qualify for Social Security survivors benefits. This report describes how a person becomes covered by Survivors Insurance. It outlines the types and amounts of benefits available to survivors, eligibility for those benefits, and the benefit application process. It provides statistics on survivor beneficiaries and a legislative history of Survivors Insurance.  

The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program, better known as Social Security, is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Survivors Insurance component of OASDI is similar to life insurance. When a person insured by Social Security dies, his or her family may qualify for survivors benefits. SSA's actuaries estimate that the net present value of Survivors Insurance for a young family with two children and average earnings is equivalent to a life insurance policy with a face value of $476,000.1 

At the end of 2009, there were 6.4 million survivor beneficiaries, representing about one in eight OASDI beneficiaries.2 Each month in 2009, over $6.3 billion was paid in survivors benefits. Survivor beneficiaries are almost all either women or children: 30% of survivor beneficiaries receive child's benefits, and 99% of those receiving other types of benefits are women..


Date of Report: February 18, 2010
Number of Pages: 9
Order Number: RS22294
Price: $29.95

Document available electronically as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail congress@pennyhill.com or call us at 301-253-0881.