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u should definitely reapply anyway. my aunt got denied three times for disability but kept trying and finally got approved. sometimes u just get a different person reviewing ur case.
While persistence can help with disability claims that involve subjective evaluation, GPO calculations are unfortunately very straightforward math. If 2/3 of the pension exceeds the survivor benefit amount, the result will be $0. That said, it never hurts to verify the calculation is correct, especially with COLA adjustments over time.
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to make an appointment with my local Social Security office to review my specific situation. I'll also try that Claimyr service to speak with someone by phone before my appointment so I'm better prepared. It sounds like I might still get $0 due to GPO, but at least I'll know for sure and can check if they're calculating everything correctly. I'll update this thread after I speak with them in case it helps others in my situation!
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I just remembered - my cousin had major problems trying to apply for survivor benefits online. The website kept glitching and then they processed her application wrong!!! She ended up having to go in person after waiting online for like 3 months!! If I were you I would just try to talk to a real person right away and not mess with their horrible website!!!
That's why I mentioned that Claimyr service - it's the only reliable way I found to actually reach a human at SSA. Trying to handle survivor benefits through the website is a nightmare.
Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I've scheduled an appointment with my local SSA office for next week, and I've made notes about asking for the "restricted application" option. I'm still upset about potentially losing 3 years of benefits, but at least I can make better choices going forward. I'll update after my appointment to let you know how it goes and what they tell me about my options.
Good luck with your appointment! Make sure to bring your husband's death certificate, your marriage certificate, both your Social Security numbers, and your ID. It's always better to bring too much documentation than not enough.
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has anyone else noticed that SS office treats you like your stupid when you ask questions??? i swear the lady i talked to about survivors benifits acted like i was wasting her time
YES! I thought it was just me! The last rep I spoke with was so condescending when I asked about the difference between taking widower benefits at 65 vs waiting until FRA. Made me feel like I was asking something completely ridiculous. These are complicated rules and we're just trying to understand our options!
One more important point about survivor benefits that hasn't been mentioned yet: If you decide to take your own reduced retirement benefit now and switch to survivor benefits at your FRA, the reduction to your own benefit is permanent. But taking reduced survivor benefits now won't affect your own retirement benefit if you switch to it later. This asymmetry in the rules is why many financial advisors recommend taking the reduced survivor benefit first and then switching to your own retirement benefit at 70 if it would be higher. Also, don't forget that you'll need to provide documentation when you apply: marriage certificate, your wife's death certificate, both your SSNs, and proof of her SSDI status. Having all this ready will make the application process smoother.
That's really helpful information about the permanent reduction. I think based on all the advice here, I'm leaning toward taking the survivor benefit now and then switching to my own at 70. I'll make sure to have all the documentation ready when I apply. Thank you all for your insights - this has been incredibly helpful in sorting through the confusion.
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my brother in law had almost the same situation and what nobody told him was that some states have agreements with SSA that exempt certain employees from WEP. worth checking if your state job might be exempt!
Really? I had no idea some state jobs might be exempt! I worked for the Department of Education in our state. I'll definitely ask about possible exemptions when I talk to SSA. Thanks for the tip!
You need to get your Social Security Statement and also your pension statement, then use the WEP calculator on the SSA website. Don't trust what the regular benefit estimate shows! Here's what affects your WEP reduction: 1. How many years you paid into Social Security with "substantial earnings" 2. Whether your pension is from work where you paid SS taxes 3. When you plan to start taking benefits Last tip: If you haven't retired yet, sometimes working an extra year or two in Social Security-covered employment can significantly reduce the WEP penalty. Worth considering if you're close to another threshold year.
That's a great suggestion about working longer in covered employment. I haven't officially retired yet, so maybe I should look into getting a part-time job that pays into Social Security for a year or two after I leave my state job. Might be worth it to boost my benefits for the long term.
Oliver Schulz
one more thing - when u do turn 62 make sure u check if its better to take ur own SS or the ex-spouse benefit. depends on ur work history. if u take it at 62 its reduced no matter what
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Javier Mendoza
•This is excellent advice. At 62, both your own retirement benefit and any ex-spouse benefit would be reduced by about 30% compared to waiting until your Full Retirement Age (FRA). You'll get whichever is higher - your own benefit or the ex-spouse benefit - not both. If your own work record would give you a higher benefit, you might not need the ex-spouse benefit at all. The SSA should be able to tell you the projected amounts for both options.
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Paolo Conti
Thank you all for this valuable information! I'm disappointed I might have missed out on some benefits when my daughter was younger, but at least I understand the rules better now. I'll definitely check on both my own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit when I turn 62 to see which is better. I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss everything properly. I feel less anxious now that I have more knowledge about how this all works.
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Amina Diallo
•Good plan to meet with SSA. One last tip: bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and ex's Social Security number if you have it. This will help them look up your specific situation more efficiently. And definitely mention that you were never informed about potential mother's benefits when your daughter was younger - it probably won't result in back payments, but it might help them improve their training for representatives.
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