Widows and widowers who receive a Social Security survivor benefit will also see their checks grow in 2027. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that the average benefit for an aged widow or widower living alone will rise from $1,936 to $2,005 a month with the 3.6% COLA.
Survivor benefits are paid to the family members of a worker who has died, as long as that worker had earned enough work credits. They are among the most important benefits of the system, especially for older women.
Requirements to collect a widow’s or widower’s benefit
- Age | from 60, or from 50 if the surviving spouse has a disability. At any age if they care for the deceased’s child under 16 or with a disability.
- Length of marriage | generally at least nine months, with some exceptions such as accidental death.
- Divorced spouses | can qualify if the marriage lasted at least 10 years.
- Remarriage | remarrying before age 60 (50 if disabled) usually ends the right to the benefit. Remarrying after that age does not.
How much a survivor receives
A widow or widower who claims at full retirement age receives 100% of the deceased worker’s benefit. Claiming at 60 means receiving between 71.5% and 99%, depending on the exact age. That reduction is permanent.
A surviving spouse who also has their own retirement benefit does not receive both in full. The SSA pays the higher of the two. A common strategy is to collect one first and switch to the other later, when it is larger.
Survivors with children
The COLA also raises family benefits. The SSA estimates that a widowed mother with two children will receive an average of $4,074 a month in 2027, compared with $3,932 now. Each child can receive up to 75% of the deceased parent’s benefit, within the family maximum.
When the increase arrives
The 3.6% raise applies to the January 2027 benefit. Survivors are paid according to the deceased worker’s birthday, on January 13, 20 or 27, or on December 31 for those who have been receiving benefits since before May 1997.
The increase is automatic. To see the new amount before the letter arrives, survivors can use their account, as we explained in our article about the November 18 deadline for my Social Security. The general amounts for other groups are detailed in our report on the 2027 COLA for retirees.
