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This has been super informative, everyone. I'm in a similar situation (62, widowed last year) but I'm confused about one thing. My husband took his benefits early at 62. Does that affect how much I can get as a survivor benefit? Someone told me I'd only get what he was getting when he died, which was reduced because he filed early.
Yes, your survivor benefit is based on what your husband was receiving when he died. Since he filed early at 62, his benefit was reduced by about 30% from what it would have been at his FRA. Your survivor benefit will be based on that reduced amount. However, if you wait until your FRA to claim the survivor benefit, you can get 100% of what he was receiving. If you claim before your FRA, your survivor benefit will be further reduced based on your age. But the strategy of claiming survivor benefits and then switching to your own retirement benefit at 70 can still be advantageous, especially if your own work record is strong.
Thank you all for the detailed advice! I'm going to move forward with applying for the survivor benefit while continuing to work part-time, and I'll definitely bring documentation about restricting my application to ONLY the survivor benefit. I'll also print out the relevant SSA rules just in case. I think this makes the most sense for my situation - I'll get some income from the survivor benefit now (even with the earnings test reduction), and then switch to my maximized retirement benefit at 70. Seems like the best of both worlds if I can get SSA to process it correctly. And if I can't get through to them by phone, I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service. Thanks again for all your help!
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my grandma got the same thing, its normal for women of that generation who didnt work outside the home. its def the spousal benefit and $900 sounds about right for someone that age who prob claimed years ago. the benefit increases every year with COLA but not by much.
Since both of your parents are in their 90s, it's also worth looking into whether your mother might qualify for a higher survivor benefit when your father passes away. The survivor benefit would be up to 100% of what your father receives (including his delayed retirement credits), which would be substantially higher than her current spousal benefit. This is important financial planning to consider at their ages. You might want to discuss this with a benefits specialist at SSA once you get through to them.
That's really helpful information - I didn't know survivor benefits would include dad's delayed retirement credits. That would more than double mom's benefit if he passes first. I'll definitely discuss this with SSA when I call them. Thank you!
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Thank you all for these helpful responses! I think I understand now that survivor benefits would be based on his Primary Insurance Amount rather than his reduced benefit, which is a relief. I'm going to try to speak with someone at SSA directly to confirm based on our specific situation. Hearing about that Claimyr service is helpful since the last time I tried calling SSA, I gave up after being on hold for over an hour.
Glad the Claimyr suggestion was helpful! When you do connect with SSA, make sure to specifically ask about the "widow(er)'s limit provision" - that's the technical term for the calculation that determines the maximum you can receive as a survivor. Some representatives aren't familiar with all the details of this provision unless you specifically mention it.
I just wanted to add one thing - make SURE you keep a copy of your marriage certificate and divorce decree!!! My aunt went through this last year and SSA rejected her claim TWICE because they said they needed "original" copies even though she sent certified copies. The whole process took her 9 months to resolve and she almost lost her house waiting for the benefits to start!!! The system is HORRIBLE for widows and survivors!!!
That's a really good point about the documentation - I'll make sure I have all that organized and ready. I actually still have my original marriage certificate in a safety deposit box. Sorry your aunt had such a terrible experience, that sounds incredibly stressful.
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i'm confused about something... if the husband already took SS early doesnt that mean he gets a permanently reduced amount forever? even as a survivor?
Good question. Taking his own benefits early does create a permanent reduction to those benefits, but survivor benefits are calculated differently. The reduction to survivor benefits is based on the survivor's age when they begin receiving those benefits, not when they took their own retirement. However, the RIB-LIM rule I mentioned earlier creates some complications when someone has already taken reduced retirement benefits and then later switches to survivor benefits. The SSA uses a formula that essentially prevents getting the full survivor amount in some circumstances.
Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much better knowing my husband would have immediate access to survivor benefits if needed. I'll definitely make sure we keep good records and that he knows about the application process. I think we'll try to schedule an appointment with SSA to get specific calculations based on our actual earnings records too. This community has been so helpful!
Good plan! My mom always says the best thing she did was sit down with someone at SSA a few years before retirement to go over everything. You both should do it. Bring all your questions written down because sometimes you forget stuff when you're there.
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Has your wife looked into if she can get a lump sum for her pension instead of monthly payments? My aunt did this with her state pension and somehow it helped with the GPO thing. Not sure if all pension plans allow this tho
That's generally not a viable workaround. While some pension systems offer lump sum options, the SSA has rules to prevent using this as a way to avoid GPO. If you take a lump sum pension, they'll calculate what the equivalent monthly pension would have been and still apply GPO as if you were receiving those monthly payments. They specifically closed this loophole years ago.
I called my wife's pension system today. Her projected pension after 24 years (when she plans to retire) will be about $3,850 monthly. So if I'm understanding correctly, the GPO reduction would be about $2,567 (2/3 of $3,850). My SS benefit at 70 would be around $3,940 vs. $2,950 if I claimed now at 64. So it looks like if I delay to 70, she would still get about $1,373 in survivor benefits after the GPO reduction. If I claim now, she'd only get about $383 after GPO. Does that math look right to everyone? Seems like delaying would still help her significantly in this case.
Your math is correct, and this is a perfect example of why personalized calculations matter. In your specific situation, delaying to 70 would give your wife about $990 more per month in survivor benefits after you pass ($1,373 vs $383). That's a significant difference that could greatly impact her financial security. Of course, you'll need to weigh this against your own needs, health outlook, and financial situation during the years you're delaying benefits. But from a pure survivor benefit perspective, the numbers make a strong case for delaying in your specific situation.
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Another thing - make SURE you tell your employer that you're collecting Social Security! I didn't, and they withheld Social Security taxes from my paychecks even though I was already collecting benefits. You still pay Medicare taxes but the SS tax situation is different when you're collecting benefits.
I need to clarify this point. You still pay Social Security taxes on your earnings even if you're collecting benefits. These taxes are mandatory regardless of your benefit status. What happens is that these additional earnings might increase your benefit amount slightly through the annual recalculation, especially if these new earnings are higher than some used in your original calculation.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! From what I understand: 1) Yes, there's a $22,750 limit for 2025 since I'm under my FRA, 2) If I earn over that, they'll reduce benefits $1 for every $2 over, 3) They'll adjust this after the year ends, not immediately, 4) The withholdings aren't permanently lost - they'll recalculate when I reach FRA, and 5) Investment income doesn't count toward the limit. I think I'll go ahead with the part-time job and not worry too much about the limit. The extra income will help, even with a slight benefit reduction.
That's a perfect summary of the situation. One additional tip: You can report your estimated earnings to Social Security in advance, which allows them to withhold the appropriate amount throughout the year rather than creating an overpayment that needs to be repaid later. You can do this through your my Social Security account online or by contacting them directly.
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My friend just went thru this!!! The SSA made her payback like 7 months of benefits when she went back to work and it was a NIGHTMARE getting everything processed right. She said it would have been easier to just let them reduce her benefits based on her earnings instead of dealing with the withdrawal process. Just my 2 cents!
One last point to consider: if you withdraw your application and repay benefits, you're essentially resetting the clock. This means your future benefit amount will be higher when you claim again, especially if you wait until your Full Retirement Age (66 and 10 months for someone born in 1960) or even age 70. However, if you keep your current filing date and just work while receiving reduced benefits, you're stuck with that early filing reduction permanently (though partially offset by any months benefits are completely withheld). For someone still in good health with longevity in your family, withdrawing might be the better long-term financial decision if you can afford to repay the benefits now. I'd recommend using the calculators on ssa.gov to compare your lifetime benefits under each scenario based on how long you expect to live.
this is the big one. my mom claimed at 62 and regretted it. wished she couldve done the withdrawal but was past the 12 month window. Now shes stuck with the smaller check forever
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my husband has diabetes and SSA has him labeled as disabled even though he works full time and has never received benefits. when i asked about it they said its just how their system categorizes certain medical conditions even if the person isnt functionally disabled or receiving anything. might be similar for genetic stuff?
This is an important point. SSA's internal categorization doesn't always align with how we understand disability in everyday life. Having a medical condition noted in their system doesn't necessarily mean they consider someone "disabled" for benefit purposes. It's likely just part of their family medical history tracking, especially since genetic conditions and family relationships are relevant for certain benefit determinations.
Social Security survivor payment arrived day before daughter's death - can I use it for her bills?
My adult daughter passed away on January 1st, 2025, and I'm dealing with a complicated situation with her SS benefits. I was her Representative Payee, and her survivor benefits payment for December 2024 was deposited into my Rep Payee account on December 31st as an early deposit. The timing has me extremely worried.I haven't touched this money yet because I'm afraid Social Security might take it back somehow. But her January bills are due and they've always been paid from this account. The total payment was $1,276 and her monthly expenses (utilities, medical bills, phone) come to about $950.Two questions keeping me up at night:1. Will SSA somehow reclaim this payment since she died the next day, even though it was for December when she was alive?2. What happens if I use the money for her final bills and SSA tries to take it back when there's not enough in the account?We're still waiting for the death certificate, so I haven't been able to notify SSA officially yet. Has anyone dealt with this timing issue before? I don't want to do anything wrong.
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just wondering but did u already tell the funeral home? they sometimes report deaths to social security when they file the death certificate
Marcelle Drum
One thing that might interest you: if your benefits are reduced because you exceed the earnings limit before FRA, you'll actually get that money back in the form of a recalculation and higher monthly benefit once you reach your FRA. Many people don't realize this! The SSA will adjust your benefit amount to account for those months when benefits were withheld. So you're not permanently losing those benefits, just deferring them.
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Collins Angel
•That's fascinating! I had no idea they recalculated at FRA. So if I did work and lost some benefits due to going over the earnings limit, I'd eventually get that value back through higher payments after 67? That makes the decision less stressful.
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Peyton Clarke
I went through something similar when i retird. My wife passed in active duty so I get DIC too. Let me tell you, the DIC does NOT count as earned income for SS. I've been collecting both since 2023 and never had an issue. But watch out if you work part time!! They will reduce your SS check if you make too much. I learned the hard way when I took a seasonal job at Home Depot and suddenly my SS check was smaller! Had nothing to do with the DIC though.
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Collins Angel
•I'm so sorry about your wife, but thank you for sharing your experience. It's especially helpful to hear from someone in almost the exact same situation. And thanks for the warning about part-time work - I'll be very careful to stay under that earnings limit if I do pick up some hours somewhere.
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