WI23-Q3: Under-Claiming of Survivors’ Benefits Among Non-Elderly Adults

The survivor’s portion of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) has not been widely studied, but it may play an important role in supporting the economic stability of widow/widower households, especially those with children. A caregiver of a deceased insured worker’s child under age 16 (or age 19 if disabled) is eligible for monthly benefits regardless of their age. Understanding patterns in Survivor Insurance (SI) claims may be especially important when considering factors that contribute to inequality by race, income, and other factors for families facing the financial shock of a deceased spouse. Yet, we find some gaps in people receiving support after losing a spouse. For example, Black widows/widowers who have children and have income under $25,000 are as much as 8.5 percentage points less likely to have Social Security income than similar White people. We also find large gaps by gender and age as well as education and employment status. These findings suggest that there may be barriers that result in differing support from SI.