Life Insurance✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
In Social Security survivor benefits, the "blackout period" refers to the time:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The blackout period is the gap in survivor benefits for a surviving spouse: benefits are payable while the spouse is caring for a young child, then stop when the youngest child reaches the age at which care-based benefits end, and resume when the surviving spouse reaches age 60 for reduced benefits. During this gap the family may need life insurance or other resources to replace income, which is why the blackout period is studied when planning survivor income needs.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The blackout period is not an administrative processing delay for claims.
- C) Earnings restrictions affect retirement benefits but are not the blackout period.
- D) Child benefits are one piece of the picture; the blackout applies to the surviving spouse's own benefit gap.
Memory hook
Blackout = the widow's benefit gap between the child-raising years and age 60.