The Income Standard

What the survivor actually lives on.

Four numbers from paperwork you already have. At the end you'll see the surviving spouse's monthly income, and how far it falls short of the bills.

Survivor income worksheet
Monthly amounts, before tax
1
Everything that leaves the checking account: housing, insurance, food, travel. A round number is fine.
2
What you receive now, or your estimate at the age you plan to claim. It's on your statement at ssa.gov/myaccount.
3
Same statement, their account. Enter 0 if they don't have a benefit of their own.
4
Your pension election letter or benefit statement shows the survivor percentage. If you both have a pension, use the larger one.
5
What the survivor lives on

Where should we send the rest of it?

The full worksheet shows where that number comes from, what it costs over a twenty-year survivorship, and what can still be changed. We keep it with your name, so if you ever talk with us, you won't start from scratch.