Social Security Administration
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Can my 84-year-old mom claim survivor benefits 3 years after my stepdad died? SSA said no due to FRA
Hi everyone, I'm completely confused and frustrated. My mother is 84 years old and her husband (my stepdad) passed away 3 years ago after 40 years of marriage. I recently suggested she look into survivor benefits from Social Security since her monthly check is pretty small (about $1,100/month), but when she called SSA, the agent told her she's not eligible to receive survivor benefits because she has already reached her Full Retirement Age. This doesn't sound right to me at all! I thought survivor benefits were available regardless of age if your spouse passes away. She worked part-time for most of her life while my stepdad had a good job with the county, so his benefit was substantially higher (around $2,400/month). Is there anything I can do to help her? Has anyone else been told they can't get survivor benefits after reaching FRA? I'm worried she's missing out on benefits she deserves.
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Social Security 8% delay benefit vs. collecting now with 15-year life expectancy - worth waiting?
I'm turning 67 (my FRA) next month and trying to decide whether to start taking SS benefits now or wait another year for that 8% increase. My family history suggests I might live about 15 more years (parents and grandparents all died between 80-83). My monthly benefit would be $2,750 if I start now or about $2,970 if I delay until 68. I've tried using the SSA calculators but they don't seem to factor in life expectancy in a way that makes sense to me. Has anyone done this math or know of a good calculator that considers shorter life expectancies? I keep hearing about this "break-even point" but I'm not sure how to calculate it properly. I know the standard advice is usually "delay if you can afford to" but I'm wondering if that still applies when you have reason to believe you won't live into your 90s. I could definitely use the money now (my 401k took some hits), but I don't want to make a shortsighted decision I'll regret later.
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OMG I've been trying to figure out this exact same thing!!! I'm 66 and so confused about when to take my SS. My husband wants me to wait but I don't think he understands that we might not live long enough for it to matter? Both my parents died at 78 so I'm really worried about waiting too long. Did any of those calculators people mentioned actually help you make a decision yet???
One consideration for married couples is that the lower-earning spouse will inherit the higher-earning spouse's benefit amount when they pass away. So if your husband's benefit is significantly higher than yours, it might make more sense for him to delay (to maximize what you'd get as a survivor) and for you to claim earlier. This is called a "split strategy" and it can be very effective.
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I checked out the Open Social Security calculator and it was really enlightening. Based on my family history and current financial needs, I've decided to go ahead and claim my benefits now at FRA. Having that steady $2,750 coming in monthly will ease my immediate financial concerns and let me leave my investments alone during this volatile market. If I end up being the family outlier who lives past 85, I might slightly regret this decision, but the peace of mind now seems worth it. Really appreciate all the perspectives here - gave me a lot to think about beyond just the basic break-even calculation!
Proving December self-employment income to Social Security after early retirement - urgent help needed
I started collecting Social Security in January 2025 (for December 2024), but I'm still self-employed part-time as a consultant. I'm really worried about proving I stayed under the earnings limit for December 2024 since my FRA isn't until August 2025. For those first months before FRA, I know I can only earn $1,850/month without triggering benefit reductions, but my self-employment income is sporadic. I invoiced some clients in November but didn't get paid until December, and completed other work in December but didn't bill until January. How do SSA officials determine which month the income counts for? Do I need special documentation? My tax return won't break this down by month, and I'm terrified they'll just divide my annual income by 12 and assume I went over in December. Should I proactively send them my invoices and payment records for December? I'd rather handle this now than deal with an overpayment notice later!
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Social security is so confusing! I thought retirement age was 65 but now its like 67 for most people? the whole system needs to be simplified
You're right that it can be confusing. Full Retirement Age (FRA) varies based on your birth year. For those born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67. For those born between 1943 and 1954, it's 66. And for those born between 1955 and 1959, it increases gradually from 66 and 2 months to 66 and 10 months. The original 65 age hasn't applied to anyone retiring in quite some time.
One more thing I forgot to mention - if you DO get an overpayment notice (I HOPE YOU DON'T!), immediately file for a waiver! Even if you know you might have gone over slightly. The waiver process buys you time to gather MORE evidence about your work activity. When I dealt with this, I eventually had to PHYSICALLY GO to the local office with printouts of EVERYTHING - invoices, bank statements with deposits highlighted, my work calendar. The system is SO BROKEN for self-employed people!!!
That's a great tip about requesting a waiver - I wouldn't have thought of that. I'm taking detailed notes on everything you and others have suggested. I really hope to avoid that scenario, but it's good to be prepared just in case.
Can I suspend Social Security benefits after 11 months if I find a job before FRA?
I'm in a tough spot and trying to figure out my options with Social Security. After getting laid off during that big tech downsizing wave, I've been hunting for a senior data analyst position for almost 9 months with no luck (at 65, I'm finding the job market isn't exactly welcoming). My savings are dwindling fast, and I'm considering filing for Social Security early. I'll be 66 in January 2025 and was planning to start benefits then (so first payment in February), but my Full Retirement Age is 66 and 10 months (November 2025). Here's my question - if I somehow land a good job in late 2025 or early 2026, can I suspend my benefits in January 2026 without having to pay anything back? Or am I stuck with a 1-year waiting period from when I first receive benefits? Or do I have to wait until after I reach my FRA in November 2025 plus a full year? The reduction for claiming 10 months early isn't ideal, but neither is draining my remaining savings. Any insights from folks who've navigated this? I really don't want to make a costly mistake.
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so what did u decide to do? im in almost the exact situation (except im 65 and 2 months) and trying to figure out my best move
I'm still weighing options, but leaning toward filing in January. The 5.6% reduction isn't ideal, but I need the income. I figure if I do find work before FRA, I'll deal with the earnings test. Then once I hit FRA in November, I'll have the option to suspend if I'm working full-time. Basically buying myself flexibility while not completely draining savings.
Another strategy option: If you have any self-employment income or could do consulting work, be aware that only earned income counts for the earnings test. Investment income, pension, rental income, etc. don't count against you. So some people structure work arrangements specifically to minimize the earnings test impact.
Social Security reducing my survivor benefits due to city pension - is this considered 'earned income'?
I'm completely baffled by a letter I just received from Social Security. My husband passed away last year and I started collecting survivor benefits about 3 months ago. I also receive a survivor's pension from my late husband's city government job. Today I got this notice saying they're reducing my SS survivor benefit by almost $975 because my government survivor pension counts as 'earned income.' This doesn't make sense to me - I didn't earn this pension, my husband did! How can a survivor pension be considered MY earned income? It's not like I'm working. Has anyone dealt with this before? Is this the Government Pension Offset (GPO) or something else? I'm so confused and upset right now.
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good luck!! let us know what happens ok??
I will definitely update once I get this resolved. Thank you all for your help!
One more thing - if you used the Claimyr service someone mentioned and managed to speak with SSA, make sure you get the name and direct extension of anyone who helps you correctly understand your case. That way, if you need follow-up, you can try to reach the same person who already understands your situation. Also get everything in writing if possible!
Great tip! I actually tried Claimyr today and got a call back within 40 minutes! The representative agreed this sounds like an error and has scheduled me for an appointment with a Claims Specialist next week. I made sure to get her name and employee ID number just in case.
Zainab Omar
my condolences to ur mom. i went thru something similar when my husband passed in 2020. I was already 79 at that time and had no problems getting survivors benefits. they actually automatically switched me over when they processed the death certificate. maybe there's something unusual about your mom's situation? did she get any kind of special civil service pension or railroad benefits? those can complicate things with the WEP/GPO rules. or maybe your stepdad had been married before and there's an ex-spouse claiming on his record?
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Dylan Cooper
Ex-spouses don't affect current spouse survivor benefits at all - both can receive full benefits without reduction. And even with WEP/GPO, she'd still be eligible for survivor benefits, just potentially reduced. The agent simply gave incorrect information. This happens far too often with SSA representatives who aren't properly trained on all the rules.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
Update: I want to thank everyone for the advice. We called SSA again this morning (took almost 2 hours to get through!) and spoke with a different agent who confirmed mom IS eligible for survivor benefits. They're processing the change now and said she'll receive her husband's higher benefit amount going forward plus 12 months retroactive benefits. The agent couldn't explain why she was given incorrect information before, but we're just relieved it's being fixed now. We're also scheduling an in-person appointment to make sure everything is processed correctly. Thanks again for all your help - this will make such a difference for her financially!
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Miguel Ortiz
Excellent news! I'm very glad to hear this is being resolved. That retroactive payment should be substantial and will help make up for some of the lost time. Make sure at the in-person appointment they verify that the benefit amount is correct - she should receive 100% of what your stepfather was receiving, not a reduced amount. Congratulations on getting this fixed.
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