Another tip that might be helpful: Consider gathering important documents now while your husband can help. You'll need his Social Security number, birth certificate, death certificate (when the time comes), your marriage certificate, tax returns, and military records if applicable. Having these organized in advance can make the application process smoother. Also, survivor applications cannot be done online - you'll need to call SSA for an appointment or visit an office.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider how survivor benefits might interact with any health insurance coverage you currently have through your husband's employer or Medicare. When my neighbor's husband passed, she lost his employer health coverage and had to scramble to find new insurance while dealing with everything else. If your husband is already on Medicare and you're on his employer plan, you'll want to understand what happens to your coverage and whether you'd be eligible for COBRA or need to find marketplace insurance until you're Medicare-eligible yourself. It's another layer of planning that's easy to overlook but can be financially significant, especially if you have ongoing medical needs.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Miguel. I went through this exact situation when my ex-husband passed away 3 years ago with kids who were 15 and 17 at the time. Your children should definitely see an increase - mine went from receiving about $800 each to around $1,200 each per month when they converted from dependent to survivor benefits. A few things that helped me navigate this process: 1. Don't wait for the death certificate to arrive - call SSA and report the death immediately. They can start the process and you can submit the certificate later. 2. The conversion isn't automatic despite what some offices might tell you. You absolutely need to contact them and request the survivor benefits. 3. Keep detailed records of when you call and who you speak with. I had to call back multiple times because information got lost between representatives. 4. If possible, try to get an in-person appointment even if it's weeks out - sometimes they can process things faster when you're there with all your documents. The whole process took about 2 months for us, but we received backpay to the date of death. Your kids should be able to keep receiving benefits until they graduate high school or turn 19. Hang in there - the financial help will come!

I'm sorry for your loss, Miguel. I went through something similar when my brother passed away and left behind two teenagers. One thing I want to add that others haven't mentioned - make sure you ask SSA about any potential underpayments when you call. Sometimes there can be a gap between when the parent dies and when survivor benefits are processed, and you might be entitled to additional payments for that period. Also, if your ex-husband had any delayed retirement credits (since he was 67 when he passed), those would factor into the survivor benefit calculation and could mean even higher amounts for your children. The whole process can feel overwhelming when you're grieving, but the financial support really does help. Keep pushing through the phone calls - it's worth it for your kids' future.

One other tax consideration: Filing status for income taxes will change if they marry, which could result in either a marriage penalty or bonus depending on their income levels. If both have significant income besides Social Security, they might want to consult with a tax professional to see how marriage would affect their tax situation. Also, if estate planning is a concern, marriage provides certain legal advantages for inheritance purposes beyond just Social Security benefits. In many states, a spouse has automatic inheritance rights that a non-married partner doesn't have, even with a will in place. For the most personalized advice, they might want to consult with both a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning and an elder law attorney who can advise on the broader implications for their specific situation.

As someone new to this community, I wanted to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful information! This thread has been incredibly educational. One thing I'd add based on what I've learned from my own family's experience - it might be worth having your aunt and her partner sit down together and make a list of all their current benefits, assets, and potential liabilities before making the marriage decision. Things like Medicare supplemental insurance, any pensions, property ownership, etc. Sometimes marriage can affect things you don't initially think about. Also, since they're in Florida, they might want to check if there are any state-specific considerations for married couples regarding things like homestead exemptions or Medicaid asset protection that could factor into their decision. The timeline pressure mentioned by others is real though - at 75, waiting too long could be risky if the goal is to secure those survivor benefits. Wishing your aunt the best with this important decision!

Congratulations on getting through and getting this sorted out! This is such a common issue and your experience will definitely help others who find themselves in the same situation. One thing I'd add - when you submit those forms (CMS-L564 and CMS-1763), consider sending them via certified mail so you have proof of delivery. I've heard stories of paperwork getting "lost" in the system. Also, if you haven't already, you might want to ask Medicare for a written confirmation that your husband's Part B coverage will be terminated and that he won't face penalties when he needs to enroll later. Having that documentation could save headaches down the road. Best of luck with the process!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm approaching 65 next year and was completely confused about how Medicare Part B works with employer coverage. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly educational. It sounds like the key things to remember are: 1) You CAN decline Part B if you have qualifying employer coverage (20+ employees), 2) You need specific forms (CMS-L564 and CMS-1763) to properly disenroll, and 3) Keep detailed records of everything. I'm bookmarking this discussion for when I need to navigate this myself. Thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official government websites!

I just wanted to jump in as someone who went through this exact confusion last year when I was 58! Those charts showing benefits at 58/59 had me thinking I could file early too, but like everyone else has clarified, those are only for disabled widows. The SSA really needs to make this clearer on their website - it's so frustrating when you're already dealing with the stress of losing your spouse and then you can't even understand the basic eligibility rules. For what it's worth, I ended up waiting until 62 to file (I'm taking my own retirement benefits first and will switch to survivor benefits later), but seeing all this discussion about the earnings test recalculation is making me wonder if I made the right choice. It's so helpful to have a community where we can share these experiences and learn from each other!

I'm so glad you started this thread! I went through the exact same confusion when I was researching benefits after my husband passed. Those charts really are misleading - I actually called SSA three times because I was convinced I was missing something about early filing. Each representative confirmed that non-disabled widows can't file until 60, but it took multiple calls to feel confident about it. One thing that helped me was asking for the specific publication numbers for widow benefits vs disabled widow benefits - they're actually in different sections of their materials, which explains why the age ranges get mixed up in search results. Have you considered scheduling an in-person appointment at your local SSA office? Sometimes having someone walk through your specific situation face-to-face can clear up the confusion better than trying to interpret the charts online.