Can I collect social security benefits if my husband didn’t sign up for them?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can I collect social security benefits if my husband didn’t sign up for them?
My husband was 64 and wanted to wait until he was 65 to draw social security to get the full benefits. He recently passed away. Is there anyway I can apply for them? He paid in for 30 years. And we have two minor grandchildren we have raised since birth that may not get to go to college without some help
Asked on August 4, 2019 under Estate Planning, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Yes, you should be able to file for social security benefits based on your husband's income. You cannot file an application for him as he has already passed. However, you can file your own application based on his income to receive your benefit package. (It's a matter of semantics....but it's important semantics) Any good retirement financial adviser should be able to help walk you through this process and assist you with some additional financial planning to help your grandchildren as well.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.