Editor s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.
When a loved one dies, the financial fallout to deal with often adds to your grief. In some circumstances, Social Security survivor benefits can fill part of that void. As of June 2020, Social Security paid monthly survivor benefits to approximately 6 million people.
But navigating the maze of Social Security benefits can be confusing, especially when you’re dealing with a loss. In this article, we’ll cover how survivor benefits work, who qualifies and other commonly asked questions.
How Do Social Security Survivor Benefits Work?
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The first thing you need to know about is how Social Security is funded in general: You pay into Social Security through payroll taxes. If you’re a traditional employee, you pay 6.2% on the first $142,800 of your earnings for Social Security in 2021, plus 1.45% for Medicare, or a total of 7.65%. Your employer then matches that 7.65%.