As you plan for the future, you will want to think about what your family would need if you should die. If you are working and paying into Social Security, some of those taxes you pay are for survivors’ benefits. Your spouse, children, and parents could be eligible for benefits based on your earnings.

Monthly survivor benefits are available to certain family members, including:

• a widow(er) age 60 or older (age 50 or older if they are disabled);
  a widow(er) of any age who has not remarried and is caring for the deceased’s child (or children) under age 16 or disabled;
• an unmarried child of the deceased who is younger than age 18 (or up to age 19 if a full-time student in an elementary or secondary school), or 18 or older with a disability that began before age 22;
• a stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, or adopted child, under certain circumstances;
• parents, age 62 or older, who were dependent on the deceased for at least half of their income and whose own Social Security benefit would not be larger than that of the deceased offspring; and
• a surviving divorced spouse, if they meet other eligibility requirements.