I was in a similar position a few years back. Getting those family benefits made a HUGE difference for us, especially with the debt we were carrying. But one thing I wish someone had told me - document EVERYTHING. Keep copies of all your application paperwork, confirmation numbers, the names of any SSA reps you speak with, etc. When my son turned 18, there was a mess with stopping his benefits that took months to sort out because the SSA claimed they never received some paperwork I KNOW I submitted. The system is so backed up and understaffed that errors happen constantly.

Overall, yes, it was absolutely worth it for us. The family benefits helped us pay off about $42,000 in debt over three years, which gave us so much more financial freedom. My husband's reduced benefit is enough for our needs now that our expenses are lower without the debt payments. The paperwork headaches were frustrating but temporary. One thing we did that really helped - we pretended the family benefits didn't exist for our day-to-day budget and used them ONLY for debt paydown. Made it easier when those extra payments stopped.

I was in a similar situation but reversed (I'm female). Started widow benefits at 60 and they were about 70% of what I would've gotten at FRA. But it was worth it for me because I needed the income. One thing no one mentioned - if you're planning to work past 60 while collecting, remember those benefits will be reduced if you earn over the limit (which was around $19k when I started but is higher now). For every $2 over the limit, they take $1 from your benefits.

Good question about withheld benefits due to excess earnings! Those benefits aren't permanently lost. Once you reach your Full Retirement Age, Social Security will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months when benefits were withheld. It's essentially a recoupment over time. But also consider: if your own retirement benefit will ultimately be higher than the widow benefit, and you plan to switch to your own benefit at FRA anyway, it might be worth analyzing whether taking a reduced widow benefit that's further reduced by the earnings test makes financial sense. Sometimes waiting until you're closer to FRA or working part-time to stay under the earnings limit can be more advantageous.

Quick question - does anyone know if the 9 month requirement is 9 calendar months or exactly 270 days? My friend is in a similar situation and her SSA office gave her conflicting info about how they count it.

Update: I called SSA again today and finally got through after a 2.5 hour wait! The agent confirmed I do qualify for survivor benefits since we were married exactly 9 months. She said I can receive 100% of his benefit amount since I'm at full retirement age for survivors. I have an appointment next week to complete the application. Thank you everyone for your help and advice!

they asked me for a letter from his doctor about his care needs and why he cant be left alone. i also gave them his guardianship papers and IEP from when he was in school showing his severe disability. and my work schedule showing i only work part time now to care for him

To answer the recent question - grandparents can qualify for this benefit in place of parents if they are the legal guardian providing care for a disabled individual receiving survivor benefits. The same criteria apply regarding care requirements and work limitations. One important note for everyone: If approved, the Mother's/Father's benefit is generally 75% of the deceased person's primary insurance amount, but may be reduced by the family maximum benefit limit if multiple people receive benefits on the same earnings record. This is something to be aware of when calculating potential benefit amounts.

Just my 2 cents - everybody's situation is different. My wife and I decided I'd file at 62 and she'd wait til 70 since her benefit was bigger. Worked great for us, we're 15 years into retirement and no regrets. Health problems can change everything tho so dont just think about the math, think about QUALITY OF LIFE!!

Has anyone mentioned survivor benefits yet? This is HUGE in your planning! When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse basically continues with the HIGHER of the two benefit amounts. So if you delay till 70 and get say $4200/month, then pass away, your husband would get that $4200/month for the rest of HIS life (assuming it's higher than his own benefit). So even if you delay and don't live super long, your husband could benefit from your higher amount for DECADES, especially with that 3 year age difference. This is especially important with his WEP situation limiting his own benefit.