Lump Sum

• Social Security pays $255 at the time of publication to the next of kin if a spouse or child applies and qualifies for the lump-sum payment for the death of a covered worker as of 2011. If a spouse or child is not available or does not request payment, no benefit is paid.
  
  

Spouse and Ex-Spouse

• The spouse and ex-spouse receive survivor benefits as early as age 60 but at a reduced rate. An ex-spouse must prove marriage to the deceased worker of at least 10 years. A spouse or ex-spouse caring for the deceased's child under the age of 16 or a disabled child of any age can receive benefits at any age. The ex-spouse does not have to prove 10 years of marriage if she cares for the deceased's minor child or disabled child. A disabled spouse can receive benefits as early as age 50. The spouse or ex-spouse may not remarry prior to age 60 or 50 if disabled.
  
  

Child and Parents

• A child under the age of 18, or 19 if still in high school, receives Social Security benefits based on the work history of the deceased parent. A disabled child may receive benefits until 18 and qualify for benefits as an adult at 18, receiving benefits based on the deceased parent's Social Security contribution. Other children dependent on the deceased for support may qualify for benefits, including stepchildren, adopted children and grandchildren in some cases. Parents of the deceased worker who depended on the worker for support and who are over age 62 may receive Social Security benefits under some circumstances. Social Security requires proof of dependency or more than 50 percent of support for parents.
  
  

Amounts

• A spouse receives 71.5 percent of the worker's full retirement age benefit at age 60, or 100 percent at full retirement age. Full retirement age for workers born from 1943 to 1954 is 66. Full retirement age for survivor benefits is 66 if you were born between 1945 and 1956. If the worker collected early retirement benefits prior to death, Social Security pays benefits based on the early retirement figure and not full retirement age. A spouse caring for a child under the age of 16 receives 75 percent of the worker's benefit, and the child receives 75 percent. Parents receive up to 82.5 percent of the worker's full retirement age benefit. Each worker has a maximum benefit amount established by Social Security, and if several family members claim benefits, Social Security reduces all benefits by a percentage to keep within the maximum.