make sure u have all ur documents!!! birth certificate, marriage license, divorce papers, death certificate for ex, etc. i forgot my divorce decree and had to reschedule my whole appointment and wait another 6 weeks!!

One other important thing to know - when you're receiving survivor benefits from 67-70, you can still work without any earnings limit penalties. The earnings test doesn't apply after you reach your full retirement age. So if you want to work part-time during those years, your survivor benefits won't be reduced no matter how much you earn.

i had something like this happen but then realized it was cuz they were showing me different ages!! my estimate at 62 vs 64 vs full retirement age were all different numbers! double check which age its showing you the estimate for

I wanted to add that the Social Security Administration also periodically updates their actuarial assumptions and projection methodologies. This can affect how they calculate future benefits even if your earnings record hasn't changed. For 2025, they've made some technical adjustments to how they project future benefits based on current data. This is separate from COLA and affects estimates, not current payments. If you want complete certainty, you can request a detailed earnings statement by filing Form SSA-7004 (Request for Social Security Statement) or by creating/logging into your my Social Security account online to verify all your earnings are correctly recorded.

just wanna say make SURE ur actually eligible for ex-spouse survivor benefits!!! the ssa worker told me you have to have been married at least 10 yrs AND not remarried before age 60 to get them. sounds like u qualify but double check!!

I want to emphasize something important that nobody has mentioned yet. When you apply, make it CRYSTAL CLEAR to SSA that you are applying ONLY for surviving divorced spouse benefits. Some SSA representatives will automatically process your application as applying for all benefits you're eligible for, which would force you to take your reduced retirement benefit now too (deemed filing). This defeats your entire strategy. Use the specific language: "I want to restrict my application to survivor benefits only." Get the representative's name and make notes of your conversation.

I've been through this exact situation! The first thing you should do is request a written PEBES statement showing the detailed calculation. Having everything in writing really helped me straighten out the discrepancy in my case. When I talked with Claimyr's customer service, they mentioned that a lot of their users are survivors dealing with similar benefit calculation issues. The SSA seems particularly prone to inconsistency with survivor benefits calculations for some reason.

Whatever you do, DON'T trust what they tell you over the phone!!! Get EVERYTHING in writing!!! When my husband passed, I got THREE different benefit amounts from THREE different reps, and the actual amount I received was LOWER than all three estimates! I was counting on that money and it created a real financial hardship. The SSA makes "mistakes" that conveniently always seem to save THEM money, not us! 😡

i was a teacher for 31 years and let me tell u, that GPO is a KILLER!! married my hubby for 22 years and cant get A PENNY of his social security now that hes gone. all because of my teacher pension. if I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen a different career!!! be very careful with your planning

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, the GPO only affects benefits he might receive as a spouse or survivor, not his own earned Social Security. He will always be eligible for his own $1,050 regardless of your marital status. If you marry and you predecease him, he would receive whichever is higher between: 1. His own benefit ($1,050) 2. The GPO-reduced survivor benefit ($3,100 - $1,800 = $1,300) So in this case, marriage would provide an additional $250/month in income if you pass away first. Whether that's worth it depends on your overall financial situation, estate planning goals, health considerations, and how long you expect the survivor situation might last. Also worth noting - if you continue working past your FRA, your benefit amount will continue increasing, which could increase the potential survivor benefit as well.