do you have a special needs trust for your daughter? my cousin set one up for her son so he can still get benefits if she leaves him money when she dies. i don't really understand it all but thought i'd mention it

I noticed no one mentioned the Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) yet, which is also important to understand in your situation. There's a maximum total amount that can be paid on any one earner's record. This means if you have a surviving spouse or other children also collecting on a deceased parent's record, it could potentially reduce what your daughter would receive. This is a complex situation that really calls for individualized planning. You might want to consider consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in special needs planning, as they can help coordinate benefit maximization, special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, and other planning tools that work together.

Just thought I'd mention something else to consider - if you're signing up for Medicare too, that has a different enrollment timeframe than retirement benefits. The initial enrollment period for Medicare starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and lasts for 7 months total.

One more tip - when you apply, make sure you have these documents ready: your birth certificate, last year's W-2 or tax return, and bank account information for direct deposit. Having everything prepared will help your application process smoothly. Also, applying online is generally faster than calling or visiting an office.

Just to be absolutely clear about the rules (since there's some confusion in the comments): To receive survivor benefits on an ex-spouse's record, you must: 1. Have been married to that ex-spouse for at least 10 years (you meet this at 22 years) 2. Be at least 60 years old (or 50 if disabled) when applying 3. NOT be entitled to a higher benefit on your own record 4. Be unmarried OR have remarried after turning 60 (or 50 if disabled) The critical part for your situation is that when your ex-spouse dies, if you are married to someone else AND you remarried before turning 60, you permanently lose eligibility for survivor benefits from that ex-spouse. The timing matters tremendously here. This is why getting accurate information directly from SSA is so important for planning purposes.

You've received good information about the specific rules, but I'd recommend also thinking about how this affects your overall retirement strategy. Since you're 58, you're approaching the age where you need to start making decisions about when to claim your own retirement benefits. Your own retirement benefit at Full Retirement Age (FRA) is completely separate from any potential survivor benefits. You should consider whether maximizing your own benefit by waiting until 70 might be advantageous, especially given the uncertainty around survivor benefits. The SSA's website has some good calculators, but this is definitely a situation where speaking directly with them about your specific circumstance is worthwhile.

my neighbor said she filled out the form wrong the first time and had to start all over!!! make sure you have all the right documents!!! you need death certificate, marriage certificate, your ID, his social security number, and bank info for direct deposit

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone for the advice! I tried the Claimyr service that someone suggested here, and I actually got through to SSA this morning! The agent helped me start my application over the phone, and I have a callback scheduled in 2 days to complete it. They confirmed my benefits will be backdated to the first month after my husband's passing (December). What a relief to finally make progress! I'll post again once everything is finalized in case it helps someone else.

i wish mine came early!! always right on scedudle, the 4th wed every month like clockwork. never a day early! ur lucky, i could use mine early this month with the heating bill so high!! what bank do u have? maybe thats the difference??

As an additional note about payment schedules - there's no need to call and ask SSA about early deposits because they won't have specific information about why yours processed early. Their system just shows that your payment was issued according to the normal schedule. What's happening is that the Treasury Department processes payments in large batches, sometimes days before the official payment date. Then it's up to financial institutions how quickly they post those pending deposits to accounts. Some banks and credit unions post government deposits immediately when received, while others wait until the official date. If you're consistently getting early deposits, it likely means your financial institution has a policy of posting government deposits as soon as they receive the pending transaction rather than holding them until the official date. This is actually a benefit of your particular bank!

Since you're turning 63 next month, I want to make sure you understand that you're filing for early retirement benefits. Your Full Retirement Age (FRA) is likely 67 depending on your birth year, so filing at 63 means you'll receive approximately 75-80% of your full benefit amount permanently. This reduction applies whether you're collecting on your own record or your ex-spouse's. Just want to make sure you're aware of this since it's a lifetime decision.

If I were you I'd just go INTO THE OFFICE if possible. Phone is useless, online is confusing, but face-to-face they have to help you! Bring ID and all your paperwork.

btw after u call again plz update us here on what they said. im curious if theyll admit the first guy was wrong lol

I definitely will! I'm planning to call tomorrow morning right when they open. Based on everyone's feedback, I'm pretty confident the first agent was mistaken, but I'll update with what I find out.

dose anyone know if they check if your married for real? my friend and his girfriend been together 25 years but never got married legal, shes thinking of applying on his record

I remember when I applied for spousal, they wanted our marriage certificate from 1982! Took me forever to find it in the attic. Make sure you have all your paperwork ready before you apply!

another thing to think about - if ur only 64 are u on Medicare yet? Cuz IRA $ can affect ur IRMAA (those extra Medicare premiums) for next yr if u withdraw too much

To answer your follow-up about Medicare IRMAA thresholds - for 2025, the first IRMAA tier starts at $103,000 for single filers. If your total modified adjusted gross income (which includes IRA withdrawals) is below that, you'll pay the standard Medicare Part B and D premiums with no surcharge. Based on the withdrawal amounts you mentioned ($10-15k), you shouldn't have to worry about IRMAA unless you have substantial other income sources you haven't mentioned.

Don't forget that if you're still working while collecting survivor benefits before FRA, you'll be subject to the earnings test! They'll deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above $22,320 (for 2025). I learned this the HARD WAY and had to pay back thousands!!! Make sure you understand ALL the rules before making any decisions!

Just wanted to add - when you do apply for survivor benefits, bring every document you can think of: marriage certificate, his death certificate, his social security number, birth certificates, etc. I made the mistake of not bringing everything and had to make another appointment. Also request an appointment rather than just showing up at your local office.