In a scenario where the surviving spouse earns less than $30,000 prior to death, the spouse is considered what?

• A. Not dependent
• B. Partially dependent
• C. Wholly dependent
• D. Ineligible for benefits

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how dependency is defined for surviving spouses in death benefits: the survivor’s own earnings before death determine whether they relied entirely on the decedent for support. If the surviving spouse earns less than a set threshold (in this context, $30,000), they’re considered wholly dependent on the decedent for support. That means the surviving spouse is viewed as having had no substantial independent means and is eligible to receive the full death benefits available to dependents. If earnings were higher, they would be classified as partially dependent, leading to a reduced portion of benefits based on the extent of other support. Non-dependence or lack of eligibility would apply if the survivor didn’t rely on the decedent at all.