The answer differs from person to person, depending on their circumstances.
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Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder.
Most of us never see the first 6.2% of our paychecks. That money goes straight to Social Security, with the primary goal of giving you a monthly retirement benefit someday.
But what if you suddenly died tomorrow? What happens to all that money you’ve paid into the system?
First, let’s address a common misconception: Social Security doesn’t set money aside in an account for you. Your payroll taxes fund the Social Security trust. Once you’re eligible, you receive benefits from the trust. But the Social Security Administration doesn’t have a pot of money with your name on it.
When you die, your Social Security payments will stop. If you die before starting benefits, you won’t get the money you’ve paid in.
But sometimes, someone else can receive Social Security benefits based on your record. That’s the case with spousal benefits, ex-spouse benefits and survivor benefits. Another person may be able to receive a Social Security benefit based on your benefit — but they aren’t taking your Social Security.
If you have a spouse, ex-spouse or dependents, they may be able to use your record to qualify for survivor benefits when you die. Here’s who gets what.
No one will receive survivor benefits based on your record if you’ve never married and you don’t have children or other dependents.
The money you’ve paid in is simply part of the Social Security trust. It will be used to pay Social Security’s other obligations.
Your spouse will be eligible for survivor benefits when they turn 60 (or 50 if they’re disabled) if you were married for at least nine months and they haven’t remarried.
However, they’ll only receive the survivor benefit if it’s higher than their own Social Security benefit. In other words, Social Security will give them the bigger of the two benefits, but not both.
Their benefit depends on:
If you leave behind a spouse who’s caring for your child who’s 16 or younger or disabled, they’ll receive 75% of your benefit, regardless of their age.
Ex-spouses are generally eligible for the same survivor benefits as current spouses, provided you were married at least 10 years and have been divorced for two years.
If you’ve remarried and your ex-spouse claims survivor benefits based on your record, it won’t affect your current spouse’s benefit.
Children can qualify for 75% of your benefit, provided that they aren’t married, until age 18 (or 19, if they’re still in high school). That’s on top of the 75% your current or ex-spouse may receive for caring for your child.
However, Social Security has a maximum family benefit of 150% to 180% of your primary insurance amount.
So if you die tomorrow and you’re survived by your spouse and four children under 16, they’d still only get 150% to 180% of your benefit.
Your children who are over 18 (or 19 if they’re still in high school) won’t qualify for survivor benefits. The exception: If they’re at least 22, unmarried and have a disability that started before they were 18, they can receive 75% of your benefit.
If a parent is your dependent, meaning you provide at least half of their support, they could qualify for survivor benefits. They’ll only be eligible if you’re 62 or older when you die. They can get up to 75% of your benefit amount — but only if the survivor benefit is larger than their own benefit.
Survivor benefits can certainly help your loved ones after your death, but they aren’t enough to protect your family, especially if you have young children. A Value Penguin survey found that survivor benefits would leave a widowed spouse caring for two children with an average monthly shortfall of $2,695.
If you have loved ones who depend on you, life insurance is a must. One common guideline is to buy enough life insurance to cover 10 times your annual income. However, this may not be enough if you have children whose college education you want to pay for, or if you and your spouse have significant debt.
It’s also essential to have a will and keep it up to date. If you have a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account (IRA), make sure you review your listed beneficiaries at least once a year. The individual(s) listed will receive the money, regardless of your will’s instructions.
The money you’ve paid into Social Security may help your loved ones if you die tomorrow. But be realistic. If you have dependents, survivor benefits alone probably won’t be enough.
Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, we sometimes receive compensation when you click links within our stories.
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