What happens to someone who dies before he gets his benefits....good question. If this person had small children; they will get benefits (not sure if 18 or until 21) from just one person who had worked; so will his widow at some point. There can be as many as say this person had 4 children and a widow. That makes 5 people collecting from what one person put in. Social Security started adding benefits and more benefits until it is going broke. There is many many more benefits as well...too many to mention; but this should give you some idea.

Gerry