Higher Social Security Survivor Benefits: Disabled Spouses and Child Care Age Limits Lifted.
The SWIFT Act significantly improves Social Security survivor benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses. Key changes include eliminating age restrictions and early claiming penalties for disabled survivors, and raising the age limit for children whose care qualifies a survivor for benefits from 16 to 18. Furthermore, the law introduces delayed credits, potentially increasing monthly payments for those who postpone claiming benefits.
Key points
Disabled surviving spouses can claim full, unreduced survivor benefits at any age, removing the previous age window (50-60) and early claiming reduction.
The age limit for a child whose care qualifies a survivor for benefits increases from 16 to 18 (or 19 if the child is a full-time student).
New financial incentives (delayed credits) are established for surviving spouses who choose to postpone receiving their benefits.
Any increase in Social Security benefits due to this Act will not cause beneficiaries to lose eligibility for other federal or state assistance programs.
Introduced
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