Losing a family wage earner can be devastating. When you die certain members of your family may be eligible for Death benefits claim settlement. You earn credits toward your Death benefits claim settlement as you work and pay for your Social Security taxes. The number of years you need to work for your family to be eligible for Death benefits claim settlement depends on your age when you die.

    Death benefits claim settlement run from about seventy-one percent of the deceased spouse’s benefit if taken at the age of sixty up to one hundred percent if not drawn till you are sixty-five. If you are eligible for retirement benefits on your own work record, and that of your deceased spouse, you should consider carefully which record to draw on, and when. You may choose to draw reduced Death benefits claim settlement, and then get full retirement at sixty-five. Or, you could take early retirement, and then file for full Death benefits claim settlement at age sixty-five.

    If you have worked for only one and one-half years in the three years just before your death, Death benefits claim settlement can be paid to your children and your spouse caring for the children. If you have been divorced, your former wife or husband who is age 60 or older can get benefits if your marriage lasted at least ten years. Death benefits claim settlement paid to a divorced spouse will not affect the benefit rates for other survivors getting benefits.

    How much your family can get from Death benefits claim settlement depends on your average lifetime income. That means the more you have earned, the more their benefits will be. Social Security uses the deceased worker’s basic benefit amount and calculates what percentage survivors are entitled to. The percentage depends on the survivors’ ages and relationship to the worker. Moreover, there is a limit to the benefits that can be paid to you and other family members each month. The limit varies but is generally between 150 and 180 percent of the deceased’s benefit amount. A one time death payment can be made when you die if you have worked long enough. This death benefits claim settlement can be made only to your minor children or spouse after they meet certain requirements. Keep in mind though, that you should apply for death benefits quickly because, in some instances, benefits will be paid from the time you apply and not from the time the worker died.