Should Dad be receiving part of Mom's social security?
Should my Dad be receiving part of my mother's social security she pass in 2009, He is 89 WE return her check when she passed but now I read that he might be entitled to half of it
Expert Answer
When a spouse passes away, the surviving spouse can choose to keep his own Social Security benefit or take his spouse's Social Security benefit if it is greater than his. The only time someone gets one half of the spouse's benefit is if two living spouses are receiving Social Security. In this case, if one spouse's benefit is less than one half of the other spouse's benefit, the first spouse can get one half of the second spouse's benefit. For example, if a wife's benefit is $500/mo. based on her work history and her husband's benefit is $1,500/mo., the wife can get $750/mo. instead of her own benefit.