My neighbor went thru this last year and she said don't forget the $255 death benefit! I know it's not much but every little bit helps right now I'm sure.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, if your mom takes reduced survivor benefits now at 61, she can absolutely switch to her own retirement benefit later if it would be higher. This is called the "restricted application" strategy for survivors. Since she's still working part-time, she should be aware of the earnings limit. In 2025, if she earns more than $22,300 while collecting survivor benefits before her FRA, SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 she earns above that limit. The good news is that any benefits withheld aren't lost forever - they'll be returned to her in the form of a benefit recalculation after she reaches FRA. Also, don't forget that she needs to apply for benefits within 3 months of your father's passing to potentially get back payments to the month of his death.

Just to clarify a common point of confusion - the IRMAA adjustment is typically processed for future months, but they should also refund any overpayments back to the month after you submitted your life-changing event documentation. However, they don't automatically go back further than your filing date, even if your income changed earlier. That's why it's important to file the SSA-44 as soon as possible after your life-changing event occurs. The second letter should clearly indicate any retroactive adjustments and exactly when your new premium amount takes effect.

BTW did they make u provide proof when u did your IRMAA appeal?? They made me bring actual pay stubs & my retirement paperwork when I went in. Just wondering if different offices have different requirements.

theres also a rule about how much money he can hav in the bank with ssi. only $2000 i think. but the other benefits from his dads record dont hav that rule

Thank you all so much for this helpful information! I feel much better prepared for his upcoming birthday now. I'm going to: 1) Make sure both the SSI and the Childhood Disability Benefits applications are being processed, 2) Create a rental agreement to avoid the one-third reduction rule, 3) Look into ABLE accounts for his savings, and 4) Use Claimyr to actually get through to SSA and confirm all of this information. This has been incredibly helpful!

One more thing - make sure you ask about any potential retroactive benefits. Since you applied a year after your FRA, you might be eligible for up to 6 months of retroactive survivor benefits (assuming your husband passed away more than 6 months ago). The SSA doesn't always tell you about this automatically.

my aunt had same thing happen and got a big backpay check! def ask about it

wait im confused about something... if shes born in 1964 isnt her regular FRA 67 not 66 and 8 months? why are there different FRAs for different benefits?? thats so confusing!

Thank you all for the amazingly helpful advice! I've made notes of everything and have a much clearer plan now: 1. Get specific benefit amounts from SSA (what my SSDI converts to at 67, projected amount at 70, and widow's benefit at 66+8mo) 2. At 66+8mo, file restricted application SPECIFICALLY for widow's benefits only if they're higher than my SSDI 3. At 70, reassess and take whichever is higher - my maximized retirement or the widow's benefit I'll use that Claimyr service to actually reach SSA since the regular phone line has been impossible. I'll update when I have more information, in case it helps someone else in a similar situation.

Here's another WARNING for everyone!!! If you're already receiving retirement benefits on your OWN record, you CAN'T switch to just taking survivor benefits!!! The rules CHANGED in 2015 with that awful budget act! Once you've filed for your own retirement, you're DEEMED to have filed for ALL benefits! The ONLY exception is if you were born before January 2, 1954 which it sounds like you were! Check your birth year!

when you call ssa make sure you write down EVERYTHING they tell you!!! my aunt got different answers from 3 different people! also they backdate survivor benefits to the month of death if you file within 6 months

I tried calling SS sooooo many times last month about my disability application! Kept getting busy signals or would wait forever and then get disconnected. Super frustrating! Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me literally hours of hold time. Might be worth trying if you need specific answers about your situation.

To summarize what others have correctly stated: You need to have been married for at least 10 consecutive years to qualify for divorced spouse benefits. With only 6 years of marriage, you unfortunately won't be eligible to collect benefits on your ex-husband's record. At this point, I'd recommend: 1. Create a my Social Security account to see your own benefit estimates 2. Consider delaying your benefits until 70 if possible to maximize your monthly amount 3. Review if you have any other ex-spouses from marriages that lasted 10+ years 4. If you've remarried, you may be eligible for spousal benefits on your current spouse's record You mentioned spotty work history, but even with limited work credits, you might qualify for your own retirement benefits. If your own retirement benefit would be very low, you might also want to look into SSI (Supplemental Security Income) depending on your financial situation.

My wife had to deal with this when I had a health scare last year. Something important no one mentioned yet - if you're getting your own SS retirement benefit already, you would only switch to survivors if his benefit amount is HIGHER than what you're currently receiving. The SSA will pay the higher of the two amounts, not both. Make sure to compare the benefit amounts when making your plans.

Does anyone know if there's a waiting period after death before survivor benefits start? My grandma had to wait 3 months which seemed really long.

when my aunt died my uncle got more from her SS than his own even tho he already filed. they just switched him to the higher one automatically. maybe theyll do that for you to?

To clarify the earlier discussion about benefit amounts: If your ex-husband passes away, the survivor benefit you'd be eligible for would be subject to the RIB-LIM rule that another commenter mentioned. This rule means that your survivor benefit would be limited to the higher of: 1. The reduced benefit your ex-husband was receiving, or 2. 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA, which is what he would have received at his FRA) This is why it's critical to speak with SSA about your specific case - the calculations are complex and depend on multiple factors including your ex-husband's age when he claimed benefits, his PIA, and when you would claim the survivor benefits. Regarding switching benefits: If your own reduced retirement benefit is less than what your potential survivor benefit would be, SSA will automatically supplement your benefit up to the survivor amount when you apply for survivor benefits after your ex passes away.

One more thing I should mention - make sure you understand that if you're filing after your Full Retirement Age (which it sounds like you are since you mentioned being 67), you're eligible for up to 6 months of retroactive benefits before your application month. So if you apply in February 2025, you could potentially get benefits dating back to August 2024. This is something they should ask you about during the application process, but sometimes they don't clearly explain it. If you want those retroactive benefits, make sure to specifically request them. If you don't want the retroactive benefits (some people prefer to have a higher monthly amount instead), you can decline them.

My sister just went through this in December. She applied right before Thanksgiving and just got her first payment last week! They did backpay her for December and January though so thats something to look forward to. She said the online tracker thingy never updated either so don't rely on that.