Calculating survivor benefits at 61-62 when husband's PIA was $3900 - widow confused about reduction

Since you'll be claiming survivor benefits before your Full Retirement Age (which is probably 67 for you), you'll receive a reduced amount. At age 61, you'd receive approximately 71.5% of your husband's PIA, and at 62 you'd get about 75%. So if his PIA was $3900, your monthly benefit would be roughly $2,789 at age 61 or $2,925 at age 62. The 3-year gap since his passing doesn't affect the calculation. However, if you're working, be aware of the earnings limit which is $21,240 for 2025 (for those under FRA). Earn more than that and they'll withhold $1 for every $2 over the limit.

sorry for your loss 😢 my sister got survivors when her husband died but she waited till 65 or something and got more money. not sure about the numbers but def a big difference from when she was 62

As the previous poster stated, you'll face a reduction for claiming early plus the earnings test will likely wipe out most or all of your benefit while working. With your income of $55K, you're about $33,760 over the earnings limit, which means SSA would withhold approximately $16,880 per year from your benefits. Since survivor benefits reach their maximum at your FRA (unlike retirement benefits which increase until 70), you might want to consider a strategy: Claim survivor benefits at FRA and then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 if it would be higher. Or if your own benefit is lower, claim your retirement benefit now and switch to survivors at your FRA.

While everyone is giving good advice about the reduction percentages, I wanted to recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually talk to an SSA representative. I had the same issue - kept getting disconnected after hours of waiting. Claimyr got me connected to an actual person at SSA in less than 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I found it super helpful because my widow benefits situation was complicated, and I needed specifics for MY situation - not just general rules. The agent was able to look at my deceased husband's record and tell me exactly what I qualified for at different ages.

I HATE the SS earnings test!! It's such a ripoff!! When I started survivors benifets at 62 they took away almost EVERYTHING because I was still working. They don't tell you this stuff upfront. The whole system is designed to confuse us and steal our money!!!!!

question - does anyone know if the $3900 PIA includes delayed retirement credits? My husband was 70 when he passed and his PIA and actual benefit were different numbers. The survivor benefit is based on PIA plus DRCs if he claimed after FRA, which made it really confusing for me to figure out.

If $3900 was his actual benefit including delayed retirement credits (not his PIA), then your survivor benefit at FRA would be the full $3900. When taking it early at 61, you'd get approximately 71.5% of that amount - around $2,789. However, given your work income of $55,000, the earnings test would apply until you reach FRA. With your earnings exceeding the 2025 limit by about $33,760, approximately $16,880 would be withheld annually - which might effectively eliminate your survivor benefit until you either reduce your work income or reach FRA. Considering your situation, it might make financial sense to wait until FRA to claim survivor benefits, especially since you're still working full-time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Edwards. Losing a spouse is incredibly difficult, and navigating the SSA system on top of grief makes it even harder. Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you're in a situation where the earnings test would significantly impact your survivor benefits if you claim early. With your $55K income, you'd be losing most of your benefit to the earnings test anyway, so waiting until FRA might be the smarter financial move. One thing to consider is whether you might want to reduce your work hours in the next few years. If you could get your earnings below the $21,240 limit, claiming survivor benefits early could work out better. You'd need to do the math on whether the reduced work income plus survivor benefits would exceed your current salary. Also, don't forget to factor in your own retirement benefit when making this decision. If your own benefit at 70 would be higher than the survivor benefit, you might want to claim survivors at FRA and then switch to your own at 70. A financial planner who specializes in Social Security could help you run these numbers. Hang in there - this stuff is complicated even for people who work with it regularly!

I'm sorry for your loss, Edwards. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while you're still grieving. From what I'm reading in the thread, it sounds like you're getting some really solid advice about the financial aspects. The earnings test issue is a real pain point - I went through something similar when my mom was widowed and still working. She ended up reducing her hours to part-time specifically to stay under the earnings limit, and it worked out well for her situation. One thing I'd add is that you might want to request a formal benefit estimate from SSA in writing, especially given the confusion about whether that $3900 figure includes delayed retirement credits or not. Sometimes having it in black and white helps cut through the confusion. And definitely consider that Claimyr service someone mentioned - anything that can get you past those endless phone waits is worth it. You're asking all the right questions, and it's clear you're being thoughtful about this decision. Take your time and don't let anyone pressure you into claiming before you're ready. The financial impact is permanent, so it's worth getting it right.