How Old Do You Need to Be to Receive SSI Death Benefits?

Eligibility

Before you receive Social Security insurance (SSI) death benefits your deceased spouse must qualify to receive Social Security retirement. To qualify for the retirement benefits workers who were born during or after 1929 must work at least 10 years. They must earn at least $4,800 a year during these 10 years. The Social Security Administration (SSA) credits each worker with a credit for every $1,200 they earn during a year; the maximum numbers of credits workers can earn during a year are four.

Dependent children can receive their deceased parent's Social Security retirement benefits until they turn 18.

No minimum age is required for dependent children to receive the benefits. If dependent children are attending elementary or secondary school full-time they can receive their deceased parent's Social Security retirement benefits until they turn 19 years old. Children who are declared permanently or completely disabled before they turn 22 years old can receive their deceased parent's Social Security retirement benefits at any age. As of April 2011, the maximum amount of Social Security benefits dependents children receive is 75 percent of their deceased parents' benefits.

Widows and widowers who are disabled can receive their deceased spouses' Social Security benefits after they turn 50 years old. Other widows and widowers must wait until they turn at least 60 years old to collect the benefits. However, if widows and widowers remarry after they turn 50 years old, for disabled widows and widowers, or 60 years old, for other widows and widowers, they cannot receive their deceased former spouse's benefits.

Divorced women and men can contact the Social Security Administration to apply to receive retirement benefits based on their deceased former spouse's credits. Former spouses of deceased husband and wives can receive the death benefits after they turn 60. If they are disabled, they can receive the benefits as early as 50 years of age. However, if they have dependent children younger than 16 to care for, they can receive the benefits at any age. Couples must have stayed married for at least 10 years for widows and widowers to qualify to receive the benefits.