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The Daily Insight

Can a widow draw Social Security and still work?

Author

Mia Ramsey

Published Mar 27, 2026

If you work while getting Social Security survivors benefits and are younger than full retirement age, we may reduce your benefits if your earnings exceed certain limits. The full retirement age for survivors is 66 for people born in 1945-1956.

You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. The amount that your benefits are reduced, however, isn’t truly lost. Your benefit will increase at your full retirement age to account for benefits withheld due to earlier earnings.

How old do you have to be to be a widow on social security?

See Social Security’s coronavirus page or call your local office for more information.] In most cases, a widow or widower qualifies for survivor benefits if he or she is at least 60 and had been married to the deceased for at least nine months at the time of death.

Can a survivor get Social Security at age 60?

Survivors benefits that start at age 60 are always reduced by 28.5 percent. Each survivor’s situation is different. Talk to a Social Security representative before you decide to take benefits. You cannot use the Retirement Estimator to determine benefit amounts for a surviving spouse.

Can a widow collect on her late spouse’s Social Security?

If you apply on the basis of caring for a child who is under 16 or disabled, you can collect 75 percent of the late spouse’s benefit, regardless of your age. You will not receive a survivor benefit in addition to your own retirement benefit; Social Security will pay the higher of the two amounts.

What are the requirements for widow ( er ) status?

To be eligible to file using the widow (er) status in 2019, an individual must meet the criteria detailed in the IRS’s “Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax.” The key requirements include the following: 8  Spouse’s death occurred in 2018 or 2017 and no remarriage has occurred. Must have a dependent child, stepchild, or adopted child.