Ask Rusty – Why can’t I get a lump sum death benefit from my wife?

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Dear Rusty: My wife passed away in September 2025 at age 64. We had been married for 43 years and started collecting benefits when I turned 62 and she was 63. She did not have enough work credits to claim her own SS and thus collected on my record. SSA told me that I was not entitled to receive the…

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