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.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the stress you're going through with this process. As someone who recently navigated the SSA system after a family death, I wanted to share a few things that might help: First, don't lose hope - your daughter absolutely qualifies for survivor benefits since she was already receiving dependent benefits on her father's record. The conversion should be straightforward once they process it. A few suggestions that worked for me: - Document every interaction you have with SSA (dates, times, who you spoke with, what was discussed) - If you haven't already, ask specifically for a "case manager" to be assigned to your daughter's claim - Consider contacting your local congressman's office for help - they have caseworkers who can sometimes get SSA to respond faster on stalled cases The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're struggling financially. But based on what others have shared here, it sounds like once it goes through, you'll get all the back pay which should help with the bills that have piled up. Hang in there - you're doing everything right and advocating well for your daughter. The system is just painfully slow right now.

One more thing to consider: Since you're past your FRA, you should know that there's no advantage to waiting longer to claim ex-spousal benefits. Unlike your own retirement benefit, ex-spousal benefits don't grow with delayed retirement credits past your FRA. So if the ex-spousal benefit is going to be higher than your own benefit, you might as well claim now. But if your own benefit is higher, and especially if it's close, you might consider waiting until 70 to maximize your own benefit with delayed retirement credits (which grow about 8% per year until 70).

I just wanted to add something that might help with your decision timing. Since you mentioned you retired last year and are now 66 and 4 months, you should also consider your overall financial situation. If you need the income now, there's no penalty for earning money while collecting Social Security since you're past your FRA. Also, regarding getting information without opening a claim - you can actually request a Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov/myaccount which will show your own estimated benefits. While it won't show your ex-spouse benefit amount, it will at least give you your own benefit estimate to compare against. One last tip: if you do end up needing to wait 3 months for an appointment, you might want to go ahead and schedule it now anyway. You can always cancel if you figure things out sooner, but at least you'll have that backup option. Good luck with everything!

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I went through a similar situation when I remarried at 68. The good news is that since you're over 60, your survivor benefits from your first husband will continue unchanged after you remarry. I didn't have any issues when I reported my marriage to SSA - they just updated my file and confirmed my benefits would continue as normal. Just make sure to report the change within 10 days after your wedding. You can do this by phone or by visiting your local SSA office. Don't let the fear of losing benefits stop you from being happy - the law protects seniors in exactly your situation. Wishing you all the best for your new marriage!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year at age 74, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely will keep your survivor benefits! I was terrified too, but SSA was actually very reassuring when I called them after my wedding. The agent explained that the rule changed specifically to help widows and widowers find happiness again without financial penalty. I've been receiving the same benefit amount for over a year now with no issues. The only paperwork I had to fill out was a simple marital status update form. Don't let worry overshadow this wonderful time in your life - the law is on your side here!

Thank you all so much for this incredibly helpful information! I understand the situation much better now. To summarize what I've learned: 1. If I wait until my FRA to claim survivor benefits, I'll get the higher of either his current benefit ($1,750) or 82.5% of his FRA amount (about $1,930) 2. I should look into whether my husband might qualify for SSDI, which could eliminate the reduction entirely 3. I need to compare my own retirement benefit to the survivor benefit when the time comes and consider claiming strategies This gives me a much better foundation for financial planning. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain all this!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help with your situation. My mother went through this exact scenario - my father took early retirement at 62 due to health issues, and she was worried about the impact on her future survivor benefits. One thing that really helped her was getting a detailed benefit estimate from Social Security showing exactly what her survivor benefits would be under different scenarios. You can request this by calling SSA or visiting a local office. They'll run the calculations based on your husband's actual earnings record and show you the RIB-LIM calculations others have mentioned. Also, regarding the SSDI option that Sophia mentioned - that's definitely worth pursuing if your husband's condition meets their disability criteria. The process can take time, but if approved, it would not only potentially increase his current monthly benefit but also ensure your future survivor benefits aren't reduced. Even if he's already receiving retirement benefits, he can still apply for disability if his condition has worsened. Hope this helps, and I'm sending positive thoughts for your husband's health!

Since your ex-spouse had already started receiving benefits when they passed away, your survivor benefit would generally be based on what they were actually receiving. However, there are some exceptions: 1. If your ex was receiving reduced benefits because they claimed early, your survivor benefit would be limited to the larger of: - What your ex was receiving when they died - 82.5% of your ex's full retirement age benefit 2. If your ex delayed claiming beyond their full retirement age, your survivor benefit would include any delayed retirement credits they earned. This is another reason why getting the specific numbers from SSA is so important. They can tell you exactly what the survivor benefit amount would be based on your ex's specific claiming history.

I'm in a very similar situation - divorced after 18 years of marriage, ex-spouse passed away 2 years ago, and I'm approaching my FRA. The information in this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I learned from my research is that you might also want to check if your ex-spouse had any other retirement benefits (like a federal pension or railroad retirement) that could affect your Social Security survivor benefits. There are some offset rules that can reduce SS benefits if the deceased had certain types of government pensions. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to SSA by phone, try visiting your local Social Security office early in the morning. I went right when they opened and only waited about 20 minutes. The representative was able to give me exact benefit calculations on the spot and helped me understand all my options. Good luck with your planning - it sounds like you're being really thoughtful about maximizing your benefits!