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just wondering - did your sister check if she qualifies for the one-time death payment of $255? its not much but at least its somthing while she figures out the survivor benefits
No, I don't think she knows about that! Thanks for mentioning it - I'll definitely tell her to ask about that when she contacts SSA.
To summarize what your sister should do now: 1. File for survivor benefits immediately (even if she'll receive $0 now) 2. Request detailed calculations showing how the earnings test applies to her specific case 3. Consider reducing work hours if financially feasible 4. Plan ahead for whether to take full survivor benefits at FRA or switch between benefits 5. Apply for the $255 death payment if she hasn't already The most important thing is getting an application on file. Benefits can be retroactive for up to six months for survivors, but only if the application is filed.
This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'm going to help my sister put together a list of questions and make sure she gets that application filed right away. I really appreciate everyone's advice and explanations.
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my wife didnt get any extra $ when i filed last yr even tho i get almost $3000 a month and she only gets $1400. ssa told us she only qualifies if half my benefit is MORE than her own. its not 50% of what im getting now but 50% of my pia or something like that. kinda confusing system if u ask me lol
You're absolutely right - it's 50% of the PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), which is what you would receive at your Full Retirement Age, not including any delayed retirement credits. The SSA benefit calculations can definitely be confusing!
One thing nobody mentioned yet - if your husband hasn't filed yet, make sure HE understands that when HE files for his benefits, it won't change anything about how YOU file for spousal benefits. Some people get confused and think both spouses need to apply at the same time, or that the higher-earning spouse needs to do something special to "enable" spousal benefits. But the process is: 1) He files for his benefits when he's ready, 2) Once he's entitled to benefits, you become eligible for spousal benefits IF they would be higher than your own (which in your case, they wouldn't be). Also, keep in mind that if he passes away later, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving, which WOULD be higher than your current benefit.
Thank you for this additional information. I hadn't even thought about survivor benefits yet, but that's important to understand too. I'll make sure my husband knows that his filing won't affect my current benefits.
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Quick follow-up since there seems to be some confusion in the thread: survivor benefits reach their maximum at your FRA (66 and 6 months for someone born in 1959), unlike retirement benefits which max out at 70. The survivor benefit will be 100% of what your ex-husband was receiving or would have received at his FRA. And yes, you can absolutely switch between benefits - take survivors at your FRA, continue working (with no earnings limit penalty), then switch to your own retirement at 70 if it would be higher. This strategy could maximize your lifetime benefits.
This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I think I understand the strategy now - wait until 66 and 6 months to claim survivor benefits (while possibly still working), then at 70 I could switch to my own benefit if it's higher at that point. I need to find out which would be greater in my case.
does anyone know if the 10 year marriage rule is exactly 10 years or can it be like 9 years and 10 months? asking for my friend who's in a similar situation
It needs to be a full 10 years (to the day) to qualify for any ex-spouse benefits. Unfortunately, 9 years and 10 months wouldn't qualify. The marriage duration requirement is very strict with no exceptions.
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what happens if u earn MORE than u expected? do they make u pay it back or just take it from future benefits?
Great question. If you earn more than you estimated, you're required to notify SSA. They'll adjust future payments to recover any overpayment. If you don't report it, they'll eventually catch it when tax records are processed and you could receive an overpayment notice requiring repayment. It's better to report changes proactively so there are no surprises.
I went through the exact same thing last yr trying to figure this all out. My advise is go to the ssa.gov site and use their retirement calculators. They were really helpful for me to see all the different scenarios.
Those calculators don't include the earnings test though. They just show different claiming ages.
Dmitri Volkov
my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here
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LilMama23
•That's not possible under Social Security rules. You can be eligible for benefits from multiple spouses/ex-spouses, but you'll only receive the highest amount you're eligible for. Your mother might have received benefits sequentially (first from one ex, then switched to another when it was more advantageous) or she might have received benefits from one ex-spouse and then survivor benefits after another ex passed away, but she wouldn't receive multiple benefits simultaneously.
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Aisha Patel
Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?
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Gabrielle Dubois
•I did this last year after my husband passed. The local office was backed up for months, so I made a phone appointment using Claimyr to skip the wait. The agent walked me through all my options based on my marriage history. In-person is good if you have lots of documents they need to see, but phone worked fine for my initial application. They just needed me to fax/upload the supporting documents afterward.
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