Just want to add one more thing - even though she can't get survivor benefits now, she should create a my Social Security account online if she hasn't already. It's free and will let her see her own work record and future benefit estimates. This can help with financial planning while she waits to become eligible for widow benefits. The site is ssa.gov/myaccount.

I'm so sorry for your sister-in-law's loss. As others have mentioned, the age 60 requirement is unfortunately firm for most situations. However, I wanted to add that she should also check if her husband's employer offers any bereavement benefits or extended health insurance coverage during this transition period. Additionally, if she decides to increase her work hours or find full-time employment during these years before she's eligible for survivor benefits, she'll be building up her own Social Security record. This could potentially make her own retirement benefits competitive with the survivor benefits when she reaches that decision point at 60. The financial planning during this gap period is crucial, but with proper planning and the strategies others have mentioned about coordinating benefits later, she can work toward financial stability despite this difficult situation.

To summarize the correct information for your situation: 1. Survivor benefits for divorced spouses DO allow for remarriage, but only if that remarriage occurs at age 60 or later. 2. Since you remarried at 57, unfortunately you don't qualify for survivor benefits on your ex-spouse's record. 3. However, if your current marriage were to end (through death or divorce), you would become eligible again for survivor benefits from your first husband. 4. It's still worth contacting SSA directly to verify all details, as there might be aspects of your situation that could affect eligibility (disability status, caring for dependent children, etc.). I hope this helps clarify the rules, even if it's not the outcome you were hoping for.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Omar. While the age 60 remarriage rule is unfortunately working against you in this case, I wanted to mention one additional thing that others haven't covered - make sure to keep all your documentation about your 10+ year marriage to your ex-husband. Even though you can't collect survivor benefits now due to remarrying before age 60, life circumstances can change. If your current marriage were to end for any reason, you would potentially become eligible again for those survivor benefits. It's worth keeping those records safe just in case. Also, when you do contact SSA directly, ask them to put a note in your file about your ex-husband's passing - it might save you time if you ever need to revisit this in the future.

After thinking about your situation more, I recalled another possibility: if your husband took reduced retirement benefits first and then later qualified for SSDI, his disability benefit would have included both his reduced retirement benefit PLUS an additional amount to bring it up to the full disability rate. When he reaches FRA, the additional amount stops, and he goes back to just his reduced retirement amount. This scenario would explain the significant drop. Did he by chance apply for early retirement before being approved for disability?

Glad you figured it out! This is a perfect example of why it's important to understand how the original benefit was calculated. When someone takes early retirement and then qualifies for SSDI, they receive their reduced retirement benefit plus an additional amount to reach the full disability benefit level. At FRA, they return to their original reduced retirement amount plus any COLAs. For others reading this thread: this is why claiming strategy and timing matters so much with Social Security benefits. Taking early retirement can have long-term impacts even if you later qualify for disability.

I went through something very similar when I filed for benefits at my FRA. Here's what I learned from my experience: Definitely file your retirement application now rather than waiting until April 7th. The filing date is what matters for when your benefits start, not when you resolve earnings record issues. I made the mistake of delaying my filing to "clean up" my record first and it cost me benefits. For the earnings record issue, you can handle this in two ways: either check that your record is correct and file a separate SSA-7008 form to correct the 1983 earnings, or mention the discrepancy in the remarks section when you file online. I did the latter and it worked fine - my application processed normally while they worked on the correction separately. That SSI letter sounds like a case mix-up. Definitely mention it during your April 7th call, but don't let it delay your retirement filing. These administrative errors happen more often than they should. One tip: when you get your IRS transcript, that will be your strongest evidence for the missing earnings. Pay stubs are good, but the IRS record showing you filed taxes on that income is usually what gets SSA to make the correction quickly. The financial impact of $6,750 from 1983 is probably around $15-20 per month in today's benefits, but over your lifetime that adds up. Still worth pursuing, but not worth delaying your application over.

As someone who just went through this process myself, I strongly recommend filing your retirement application immediately - don't wait until April 7th! The protective filing date is crucial and waiting could cost you benefits. Here's what I'd suggest based on my experience: 1. File online this weekend and in the remarks section, note something like: "Missing earnings from Sept-Dec 1983 (~$6,750) from [school name]. Have documentation and scheduled SSA appointment 4/7/25 to resolve." 2. Keep your April 7th appointment to work on the earnings correction - they can help you file Form SSA-7008 if needed. 3. That strange SSI letter is definitely an error - probably a case mix-up. Mention it during your call but don't let it delay your retirement filing. 4. Your 2025 teaching earnings will automatically be evaluated in 2026 after your W-2 is processed, with any benefit increase retroactive to January 2026. The missing 1983 earnings will probably only impact your monthly benefit by $15-25, but it's still worth correcting. The key is getting your retirement benefits started on time while pursuing the correction separately. I've seen too many people delay filing to "fix everything first" and lose money as a result. Once you get that IRS transcript, you'll have solid evidence to support your claim. The SSA typically accepts tax transcripts as proof of unreported earnings.

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses! I can't believe I misunderstood such a basic rule. I'm actually PAST my FRA (reached it in November 2024), so the earnings limit doesn't even apply to me anymore. This whole time I've been worrying and trying to budget for a reduction that wasn't going to happen! I'm still going to try reaching SSA just to confirm everything is correct in their system. Thanks again for all the information and advice!

This is such a great example of why it's worth double-checking the SSA rules! I see this confusion a lot - people think the earnings limit applies until age 70, but it actually stops at Full Retirement Age. The age 70 thing is about delayed retirement credits (where your benefit increases if you wait to claim past FRA), which is completely different from the earnings test. Since you're already past your FRA, you're golden. Just make sure when you do contact SSA that they have your correct birth date and FRA on file. Sometimes there can be clerical errors that cause unnecessary complications. Congrats on being able to work and collect your full benefits without any reductions!