Social Security survivor benefits may be paid to:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Social Security survivor benefits are paid to the surviving spouse, and when the deceased worker leaves minor children, benefits are also paid to the unmarried minor children of the worker. Children generally qualify until age 18, or up to 19 if still in high school, and disabled children may qualify longer. The worker's employer is not a beneficiary, and benefits are not assigned by a beneficiary designation as with life insurance; they are determined by the statutory survivor hierarchy. This statutory structure ensures that benefits reach the family members most likely to depend on the worker's income.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The spouse is not the only eligible survivor. Unmarried minor children, dependent parents, and in some cases disabled adult children also qualify for survivor benefits under the Social Security program.
- C) Social Security benefits are not assigned through a beneficiary designation like life insurance. The statute defines the hierarchy of eligible survivors, and the worker cannot direct benefits to a person outside that structure.
- D) The deceased worker's employer has no claim to Social Security survivor benefits. The employer is not a family member and plays no role in the statutory survivor benefit structure.
Memory hook
SS survivor checks go to the spouse, the kids, and dependent parents, in that family order.