Updated October 18, 2026. Quick answer: Form SSA-10 is the Application for Survivors Benefits. A surviving spouse at full retirement age or older generally gets 100% of the worker’s basic benefit amount, and between 71% and 99% from age 60 until then. Apply promptly, because for some claims Social Security pays from the time you apply and not from the time the worker died.
Related reading on this site: Form SSA-4-BK for a child’s Social Security benefits, Form SSA-5-BK for mother’s or father’s survivor benefits and Form SSA-1724 for payments owed to a deceased beneficiary.
Quick reference
| Item | As stated by Social Security (survivors booklet, April 2026) |
|---|---|
| What the form is | Application for survivors benefits on a deceased worker’s record |
| Surviving spouse at full retirement age or older | Generally 100% of the basic benefit amount |
| Surviving spouse age 60 up to full retirement age | Between 71% and 99% |
| Surviving spouse of any age with a child under 16 | 75% |
| Family maximum | Between 150% and 180% of the worker’s benefit |
What the form covers
The form opens by saying what you are applying for: “With this application, you are applying for all insurance benefits for which you are eligible under Title II (Federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) and Part A of Title XVIII (Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled) of the Social Security Act as presently amended.” It also covers the death payment, as we describe on Form SSA-8.
If you were already getting spouse’s benefits, the form shortens your work: “If you were receiving spouse’s benefits at the time of your spouse’s death, you only need to complete the circled items. All other claimants must complete the entire form.”
Who can get survivors benefits
The booklet lists them: “Your surviving spouse may be able to get full benefits at full retirement age.” “Your surviving spouse can get reduced benefits as early as age 60.” If the surviving spouse has a disability, benefits can begin as early as age 50. A surviving spouse of any age caring for the worker’s child under age 16 or with a disability can also qualify, as can unmarried children under 18, or up to 19 if in elementary or secondary school full time, and dependent parents age 62 or older.
Divorced spouses can qualify too: “If you’ve been divorced, your former spouse, age 60 or older (or age 50 to 59 if they have a disability) can get benefits, if your marriage lasted at least 10 years.”
How much, and the family limit
The booklet gives the typical percentages: “Surviving spouse, at full retirement age or older, generally gets 100% of the worker’s basic benefit amount.” “Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but younger than full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker’s basic benefit amount.” “Surviving spouse, any age, with a child younger than age 16, gets 75% of the worker’s benefit amount.”
The cap is stated as “The limit varies between 150% and 180% of the deceased worker’s benefit amount.” Our survivor benefit calculator and the widow’s benefit and delay work through the arithmetic.
Timing, remarriage and what to bring
The booklet says “Apply for survivors benefits promptly because, for some claims, we’ll pay benefits from the time you apply and not from the time the worker died.”
Remarriage matters: “Usually, you can’t get surviving spouse’s benefits if you remarry before age 60 (or age 50 if you have a disability).” Documents include proof of death, your birth certificate, a marriage certificate, divorce papers if relevant, the worker’s most recent W-2 or self-employment tax return, and bank details. The booklet also says “We need either original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them.”
The edition read for this page is Form SSA-10 (08-2026) as the agency served it on 2026-10-18. Check the edition printed on the copy you send, because a later edition can change the questions, the mailing instructions and the evidence asked for.
Common mistakes
- Waiting to gather every document. The booklet ties your start date to when you apply for some claims.
- Assuming remarriage at any age ends the benefit. The rule turns on remarrying before age 60 (or 50 with a disability).
- Filing SSA-8 alone when you also want monthly benefits. SSA-10 ordinarily covers the lump-sum payment.
- Forgetting that the percentages apply to the worker’s basic benefit amount, which depends on their earnings record, not yours.
Related: Form SSA-8, the survivor benefit calculator, survivor benefit claiming strategy, and Social Security and Medicare forms.
Sources
- Form SSA-10 (08-2026), Application for Survivors Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-10.pdf
- SSA Publication 05-10084 (April 2026), Survivors Benefits: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10084.pdf
Read from the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services documents linked above on October 18, 2026. General information, not legal or benefits advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 is the right place to confirm anything consequential.