The Social Security Amendments of 1939 established monthly Survivors Insurance (SI) benefits. When a worker who has contributed to Social Security for the requisite number of quarters dies, surviving spouses (including divorced spouses), children, and dependent parents of the worker may be eligible for SI benefits. This paper focuses on SI benefits for children and widowed spouses caring for a surviving child. Three types of children are eligible for SI benefits: children under age 18, children who are aged 18 or older who developed a disability before age 22, and children aged 18 or 19 who are still enrolled in high school full time. Widowed spouses caring for a child of the deceased worker who is under age 16 or has a disability and is entitled to child SI benefits may also be eligible for SI benefits.
This paper analyzes data from the Understanding America Study (UAS), a nationally representative panel of surveys, on knowledge of SI benefits for children among adults overall and by sociodemographic characteristics. We find that 83 percent of respondents correctly identified that the statement “If a worker who pays Social Security taxes dies, any of his/her children under age 18 may claim Social Security survivor benefits” is true. While this percentage indicates a relatively high awareness of SI benefits for children, there are differences in correct response rates by demographic characteristics. Women, people with more than a high school education, and older people had increased odds of responding correctly. Those who were separated or never married had lower odds of responding correctly than those who were married and living with their spouse. Non-Hispanic White respondents had increased odds of responding correctly relative to other ethnic and racial groups.
This paper provides recommendations to streamline the process for applying for SI benefits and to increase awareness of these important benefits. These recommendations would improve customer service by allowing grieving families to apply for SI benefits online, self-schedule appointments for SI benefits, and advance-designate representative payees for children already receiving Social Security benefits. We also recommend actions the Social Security Administration (SSA) can take to increase awareness of SI benefits, including improved use of data to target outreach, mailing outreach letters, partnering with funeral directors, and resuming mailings of the Social Security Statement.