Can I claim Social Security survivor benefits at 60 after my husband died 7 years ago?

Yes, you absolutely can apply for survivor benefits at age 60! Survivor benefits are MONTHLY payments (not a one-time payment) based on your deceased husband's Social Security record. Since you were married for 19 years and haven't remarried, you definitely qualify.However, there are a few important things to understand:1. If you claim at age 60, your benefit will be reduced to about 71.5% of what you would receive at your Full Retirement Age (FRA).2. Survivor benefits are separate from the one-time death payment of $255 (which you probably would have received when he passed).3. If you work while receiving survivor benefits before your FRA, you'll be subject to the earnings limit test which might reduce your benefits temporarily.I'd recommend making an appointment at your local SSA office to discuss your specific situation. Bring your marriage certificate, his death certificate, both your Social Security numbers, and your birth certificate if possible.

Thank you so much for this clear explanation! I had no idea I could get monthly payments. Do you know if claiming survivor benefits at 60 would affect my own retirement benefits later? I'm still working full-time and was planning to wait until 67 for my own benefits.

yep you can get survivors now! my mom did this when she turned 60 after my dad died. its not just a one time thing its monthly $$$. she said it was reduced tho cuz she took it early. good luck!

You're in a perfect position to use what's called a \

This strategy sounds perfect for my situation! I had no idea I could claim survivor benefits and then switch to my own later. Is there a specific way I need to apply to make sure they understand I want the survivor benefits now but my own later? I'm definitely earning above that earnings limit, so I guess that means my survivor benefits would be reduced while I'm working?

When my husband died they only gave me $255 ONE TIME PAYMENT and said that was all I get!!! The SSA is TERRIBLE about explaining benefits. NO ONE told me about monthly survivor payments and I was 58 when he died. I didn't find out until I was 62 and by then I'd lost TWO YEARS of payments I could have been getting!!!! Make sure you SPECIFICALLY ask about MONTHLY widow benefits when you apply. Don't trust them to tell you everything!!!

That's awful! Unfortunately, SSA doesn't automatically tell people about all their benefit options. This is why it's so important to do research before applying. The $255 is just the death benefit - completely separate from monthly survivor benefits. Did you ever get retroactive benefits for the time you could have been collecting?

NO!!! They said I could only get 6 months of back payments even though it was THEIR FAULT for not telling me. I lost thousands of dollars because no one explained my options. Makes me so angry!!!!

my mom and dad were only married 9 years before he passed is that enough to get survivors benefit? mom is 59 now

Yes, your mom would qualify! You only need to be married for 9 months (not years) to qualify for survivor benefits, unless the death was accidental or occurred in the line of military duty, in which case there's no duration requirement. Tell your mom she can apply when she turns 60.

I was in almost exactly your situation last year. Turned 60 and my husband had been gone for 5 years (married 22 years). I tried calling SSA for weeks and kept getting disconnected or put on hold forever. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUOnce I got through, the agent helped me apply for survivor benefits. I'm getting about $1,750/month now which is really helping since I'm only working part-time. I'll switch to my own benefit at 67 since it will be higher by then. Definitely apply right away - you're likely leaving money on the table each month you wait!

Thank you for sharing your experience! That sounds exactly like my situation with the phone calls. I'll check out that service - anything to avoid more hours on hold. $1,750/month would make a huge difference for me right now, even with the reduction for claiming early.

One critical thing nobody mentioned yet is that if you're still working full-time, the earnings limit might completely wipe out your survivor benefits until you reach Full Retirement Age. For 2025, if you earn more than $22,320, SSA will withhold $1 for every $2 above that limit.So if you're earning say $72,320, that's $50,000 over the limit, meaning they'd withhold $25,000 in benefits for the year. If your annual survivor benefit amount would be less than $25,000, you'd effectively receive nothing until your earnings decrease or you reach FRA.This doesn't mean you shouldn't apply - any withheld benefits are credited back to you later - but just be aware you might not actually see any monthly payments if your income is high enough.

This is really important information - thank you! My salary is about $65,000, so I would definitely be affected by this. Do you know if they withhold the benefits evenly throughout the year, or would I just not receive any payments until I've

They typically withhold full monthly payments at the beginning of the year until the calculated withholding amount is satisfied. So you might not see any payments for several months, then they'd start. Even with your income, I'd still recommend applying now because:1. Any month you earn under the monthly limit ($1,860 in 2025), you'd get benefits for that month regardless of annual earnings (special rule for the first year)2. The withheld benefits increase your amount when you reach FRA3. Getting in the system now establishes your eligibilityYou could also consider reducing your hours slightly if the combination of reduced work income plus survivor benefits would be financially advantageous.

wait dont u only get survivors benefits if u have kids??? my sister got them for her kids when her husband died but she didnt get any herself

That's a common misconception. Survivor benefits are available to several categories of people:1. Widow/widower age 60+ (50+ if disabled)2. Widow/widower any age caring for the deceased's child under 163. Unmarried children under 18 (or 19 if still in high school)4. Disabled children of any age if disability began before 225. Dependent parents age 62+Your sister's situation sounds like #2 - she may have been receiving benefits as a caretaker for young children. Those benefits would stop when the children turn 16, but she could claim again when she turns 60 as a widow (#1).

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've scheduled an appointment at my local SSA office for next week. I'm bringing all the documents suggested (marriage certificate, his death certificate, birth certificate, etc.). Based on everyone's advice, I think I'll apply for survivor benefits now even though some might be withheld due to my earnings. I'm really grateful to learn about the strategy of taking survivor benefits now and switching to my own retirement benefit later. That was never on my radar!If anyone has recommendations about specific questions I should ask during my appointment, I'd appreciate the advice. I want to make sure I don't miss anything important.

Great decision! Here are key questions to ask at your appointment:1. Ask for a benefit estimate printout showing both your survivor benefit amount AND your own retirement benefit projected to ages 67 and 702. Confirm that you're filing a \