Can I apply for Social Security survivor benefits online or do I need to call SSA?

I'm so sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, you cannot apply for survivor benefits online. The SSA requires you to either call to schedule an appointment or go in person. This is different from retirement benefits which can be done online. They need to verify more documents for survivor claims.

When my wife died i tried applying online too and couldnt... so frustrating!! had to call like 6 times b4 someone picked up.

You'll need his death certificate, your marriage certificate, both Social Security cards, your birth certificate, and your most recent tax returns. Also bring any information about his earnings if he was still working. If either of you were married before, bring divorce decrees too.

I went through this last year and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to get through on the phone. I finally gave up and drove to the office just to make an appointment, only to be told I needed to call! Circular madness!!! The whole system is BROKEN.

I used a service called Claimyr when I needed to apply for my survivor benefits last year. It got me through to a SSA agent in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it helped me schedule my appointment without the endless busy signals and disconnections. Made the process much less stressful during an already difficult time.

BTW you're smart to apply now even though you're not at your FRA yet. A lot of people don't realize you can take reduced survivor benefits at 60 (or 50 if disabled) and then switch to your own retirement at FRA if it's higher. Or vice versa!

just wanted to mention that they will need originals or certified copies of all documents, not photocopies. learned that the hard way and had to reschedule my appointment!

I'm going through this exact process right now. Just had my appointment last week. Make sure to also bring proof of your husband's death benefit payment from the funeral home if they received the $255 payment directly. And if you had any children under 18 with him, bring their birth certificates too as they might qualify for benefits until they graduate high school. The agent I talked to was actually really helpful once I finally got an appointment.

dose anyone know how long it takes to get the first check? i waited like 6 weeks after my appointment

Make sure you ask about retroactive benefits too! They don't always tell you that you can get up to 6 months of retroactive survivor benefits from your application date IF you're past your FRA. They never volunteer this information!

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information. I've called SSA three times today and can't get through. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to get an appointment scheduled. I've gathered all the documents mentioned and ordered certified copies of my birth certificate and our divorce papers. I'll update once I get an appointment and go through the process in case it helps someone else.