If it's been over a month since she reported the death and she hasn't received any communication about the children's ongoing benefits, she should definitely follow up. The transition from auxiliary benefits to survivor benefits should happen automatically, but system delays or paperwork issues can occur. She should try to speak directly with a claims representative. Ask specifically about the status of the children's survivor benefits and whether any additional documentation is needed. Make sure she has her late husband's Social Security number, death certificate, and the children's birth certificates ready when she calls.

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I talked to my sister and it turns out the kids' regular benefits did come in this month - she just didn't notice because they're direct deposited and she was so focused on the funeral arrangements and everything else. She's going to keep an eye out for any letters from SSA about changes to the benefit amount. Really appreciate everyone's advice and reassurance!

I think it depends on your local office tbh. Some are better than others. I've had to deal with SSA for my dad's benefits and everything was a mess. But then when I applied for my own retirement benefits it was super smooth. One thing no one's mentioned yet - if you can't find the originals but have copies, sometimes they'll accept those if they can verify the information in their system. Worth asking about!

Update: I finally got through to someone at SSA using that Claimyr service someone recommended. The agent checked my record and said they can see my husband's death is recorded in their system, but they'll still need me to bring the original marriage certificate to verify our relationship. At least I only need to track down one document instead of all of them! Thanks everyone for your help and advice.

Benefits for auxiliaries (including stepchildren) can only be paid retroactively for up to six months from the date of application, and only for months when everyone involved meets all eligibility requirements. So no, they wouldn't get benefits for time before the application was submitted, except for that limited retroactive period.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! Based on your advice, it sounds like my stepchildren will qualify since they've been my stepchildren for 6 years, live with me, and I provide more than half their support. I'll make sure to bring our marriage certificate and their birth certificates when I apply for my retirement benefits next year. I'll also need to carefully consider the family maximum and how it might limit their benefit amounts. It sounds like between the two of them, they might receive somewhat less than 50% each of my PIA.And it's good to know their benefits can continue until they graduate high school. This will definitely help with our family finances while they're growing up.

This whole thread is making me realize I need to check if my own mom is getting the right benefits. She's been on her own SS since my dad died 3 years ago, but I never thought to check if his benefit would be higher. She's 76 now. Is it too late for her to switch?

After looking at the SSA's POMS (Program Operations Manual System) which is their internal policy guide, I can confirm there's a relevant section on this: GN 02301.030 - Underpayments - Living Claimant Dies Before Payment is Received. This confirms that once a person dies, they can no longer become entitled to benefits they didn't claim while alive. The only payments that can go to an estate are ones that were actually due to the beneficiary but not received before death (like if your dad filed but died before the first payment arrived). Take this as a lesson for everyone else in the family - make sure you're getting ALL benefits you're entitled to. The Social Security website has a benefits screening tool that can help identify what you might qualify for.

Just wanted to share that when I called SSA about my Medicare enrollment, they told me I could apply online for both Medicare and spousal benefits at the same time through my my Social Security account. Made it much easier than trying to do separate applications. You might want to create an account now if you don't already have one so everything's ready when you want to apply.

Regarding your question about the reduction for claiming spousal benefits early: The reduction is approximately 25/36 of 1 percent for each month before your FRA, up to 36 months, and 5/12 of 1 percent for each additional month. With your FRA at 66 and 10 months, filing at exactly 65 means a reduction of about 10.56%. So instead of 50% of your husband's PIA, you'd receive about 44.7%. If your husband receives $2,750/month, his PIA is likely around $2,400-$2,500 (depending on when he started collecting). So your spousal benefit at FRA would be ~$1,200-$1,250, but at age 65 would be reduced to ~$1,075-$1,120. Is waiting 22 months worth approximately $125-$130 more per month? That's a personal decision, but mathematically it would take about 15 years of receiving the higher amount to make up for the 22 months of benefits you'd forgo by waiting.

One more thing - make sure to check if your daughter is eligible for any state benefits while you're waiting for the SSA survivor benefits to come through. Depending on your state, there might be temporary assistance programs available specifically for children who've lost a parent. Your local Department of Social Services or Human Services should be able to point you in the right direction.

Just to give you an expectation on payment amounts: if your partner was receiving $2,500 per month in SSDI, your daughter would be eligible for approximately $1,875 monthly (75% of his benefit). The good news is that once approved, they will pay all months due from the date of death forward as a lump sum, then continue with monthly payments. I also wanted to clarify something important - while you mentioned you were already receiving dependent benefits for your daughter while her father was alive, the survivor benefit amount is usually higher than the dependent benefit amount. So there's typically an increase in the monthly payment after the conversion to survivor benefits is complete.

To answer your follow-up question - you need to contact SSA directly for a WEP-adjusted estimate, either by phone or at your local office. The online statements don't include the WEP calculation. Regarding your question about the combined pensions - yes, for the 50% limitation rule, SSA looks at the combined amount of all non-covered pensions. So with your combined $4250 in non-covered pensions, the maximum WEP reduction would be $2125. But as others have correctly pointed out, your actual WEP reduction with 22 years of substantial earnings would be around $552, well below that 50% cap. Your decision to file at 64 vs. FRA will depend on your overall financial situation, other income sources, health/longevity expectations, and whether you need the money now or can wait for a larger monthly amount later.

To clarify the math for everyone concerned about the reductions: 1. Starting SS benefit: ~$1250 2. WEP reduction: ~$552 3. Post-WEP benefit: ~$698 4. Early filing reduction (20%): ~$140 5. Final monthly benefit: ~$558 So yes, the total reduction is significant. This illustrates why understanding WEP before filing for Social Security is so important, especially for public servants with non-covered pensions. One consideration: if you continue working in SS-covered employment even part-time and earn enough to qualify as a "substantial earnings year" (around $29,600 for 2025), you could potentially add more years toward the 30-year threshold, further reducing the WEP impact. Each additional year reduces the WEP penalty by about $69/month.

My sister applied 3 months early like they say to do and STILL had problems!!! They lost her application and she had to start all over!!! Then they calculated her benefit wrong and she's been fighting for 8 months to get it fixed!!! The system is BROKEN!!! Don't expect anything to go smoothly with these people!!!

One more thing to consider - since you're retiring at 64, have you thought about health insurance coverage? Medicare doesn't start until 65, so you'll need to bridge that gap somehow. Some options: 1. COBRA from your employer (expensive but straightforward) 2. ACA marketplace plan (might qualify for subsidies) 3. Spouse's insurance if applicable This isn't directly related to your Social Security application timing, but it's a critical piece of early retirement planning that catches many people by surprise.

my aunt just got her 1st check last month and she said the online status never updated at all lol. just suddenly money appeared in her account one day. typical govt efficiency 🙄

This happened to my brother too! Online status stuck on

Regarding your question about working while receiving benefits: If you're earning significantly more than the earnings limit ($22,560 in 2025), you might want to consider waiting. However, there's something important to understand about the earnings test. Any benefits withheld because of your earnings aren't truly "lost" - when you reach FRA, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to credit you for the months when benefits were withheld. To make the best decision, you should calculate: 1. How much your survivor benefit would be at 60 (SSA can tell you this) 2. How much would be withheld based on your expected earnings 3. How much your own retirement benefit will be at FRA Sometimes it still makes financial sense to claim early even with the earnings test, especially since your own benefit continues to grow separately.

I'm in a similar boat but I'm already 63. My ex died and I was going to claim his benefits but the SS office said mine would be higher soon anyway so it wasn't worth the hassle for me. Every situation is different tho!