Social Security pays a surviving spouse a share of the late spouse’s benefit, and that share runs from 71.5% to as much as 100%. The agency says the full 100% arrives at the full retirement age for survivor benefits, which falls between 66 and 67. A widow or widower who applies sooner gets a smaller…

A Social Security beneficiary who wants to change direct deposit over the phone has to bring a one-time code to the call. Social Security says the code comes from ssa.gov/PIN, and the agency says the extra step is meant to stop thieves from rerouting benefit payments to their own accounts. The phone option has existed…

Social Security says it has added 17 million missing dates of death to its records. The agency announced the work on October 20, 2026, calling it the most comprehensive clean-up of Social Security number records in its 91-year history. Accurate records, the agency says, help prevent improper payments of taxpayer dollars. The announcement covers more…

An ex who keeps working past 62 does not hold up a former spouse’s Social Security check. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide says a divorced spouse can receive benefits on the ex’s record even if the ex has not started collecting. The condition is that both people are at least 62 and have been divorced…

A son or daughter who became disabled before turning 22 can be paid on a parent’s Social Security record at any age, long after the usual cutoff for children. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide lists a child who is “18 or older and have a qualifying disability that began before age 22” among those who…

Twenty hours a week is the line. A student drawing Social Security benefits has to be scheduled to attend school at least that much, in a course that runs at least 13 weeks, or the agency does not count the student as full-time. Social Security spelled out the test in an October 15 blog post…

A child can draw a Social Security check on a retired or disabled parent’s record, worth up to half of what the parent receives at full benefit. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide puts it simply: “Your child may get up to half of your full benefit.” The payments usually end at 18, or at 19…

More than 200,000 students receive Social Security benefits every year, and a good number of them depend on a school to confirm they are still in class. Social Security used an October 15 blog post to warn families that failing to report changes in school attendance can lead to incorrect payments, which may need to…

A raise, a new address or a bigger savings balance can all change what Supplemental Security Income pays, and Social Security wants to hear about each one on a fixed schedule. The rule is the 10th day of the month after the change happens. A change that takes place in October has to be reported…

A divorced spouse can collect Social Security on an ex’s work record, and the payment does not come out of what the ex or the ex’s new husband or wife receives. Social Security’s retirement benefits guide says a former spouse qualifies when the marriage lasted at least 10 years. The claimant must be 62 or…