Can I claim Social Security survivor benefits at 60 while still working if my much older husband passes away?

Yes, you can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled). The amount you'd receive depends on when you claim. If you wait until your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you'd get 100% of her benefit. If you claim earlier, it would be reduced - roughly 71.5% of her benefit if you claim right at 60. The good news is that survivor benefits are different from spousal benefits. As a survivor, you can claim on your wife's record first and then switch to your own retirement benefit later if your own benefit would be higher. This strategy can maximize your lifetime benefits. The 7-year marriage meets the requirement (need to be married at least 9 months in most cases). Previous marriages don't affect your eligibility for survivor benefits on your current spouse's record.

ur gonna have the earnings limit problem if ur working. SS takes back $1 for every $2 u earn above the limit. Its around $21K per year i think. so if ur making good money working, u might not get any survivor benefits til u hit full retirement age. thats when the earnings limit goes away

You've received some good information already, but I want to clarify a couple important points: 1. Survivor benefits are based on what your wife would have received at her Full Retirement Age, not her reduced age-62 amount. Since she filed early, her benefit was permanently reduced, but for survivor benefit purposes, you'd receive more than what she's getting now. 2. The earnings test is significant in your case. For 2025, you can earn up to $22,320 without reduction. Above that, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $2 earned. With your $75K income, most of your survivor benefits would indeed be withheld. 3. However, any benefits withheld due to the earnings test will result in a higher benefit payment once you reach FRA. SSA recalculates your benefit at that point. 4. You have options: claim reduced survivor benefits at 60 (knowing much will be withheld), wait until FRA for full survivor benefits with no earnings test, or switch between your own and survivor benefits to maximize lifetime payments.

SSA agents can help u run the numbers but good luck getting through on those phones! i spent 3 hours on hold last week just to get disconnected!!!

Just a quick note - I think you need to be married for 10 years to qualify for benefits on a spouse's record. You mentioned 7 years of marriage?

Something nobody mentioned yet - if you're planning to work until 67 anyway, and your own benefit at 67 will be higher than your wife's, it may not matter much in the long run. You'd get survivor benefits for a time if she passes before you reach FRA, but then you'd switch to your own higher benefit. The REAL planning question is what happens if YOU pass away first. Since your wife took benefits early, her survivor benefit based on YOUR record could be significantly higher than what she's receiving now. At that point, she would step up to your benefit amount (assuming it's higher than her current benefit). This is why married couples should always coordinate their Social Security claiming strategies. When one person files early, it can permanently impact both individuals' benefits depending on who passes away first.

My mom went thru this. She was still working when my dad died (she was 61). She went ahead and filed for survivor benefits even though she was still working. They witheld most of it because of the earnings limit, but when she hit full retirement age they recalculated and gave her a higher monthly amount to make up for some of what was witheld. So even if your working it might be worth applying when the time comes.

Thank you all for the helpful information! This has given me a lot to think about. I'm going to try to get through to SSA to discuss my specific situation and run some numbers. I may check out that Claimyr service if I can't get through on my own. It's a relief to know I have options, especially since neither of us really understood survivor benefits when my wife decided to claim early.

I'm glad this discussion has been helpful for your planning! One additional resource you might find useful is the Social Security Administration's online benefit estimator at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html - it can help you get a rough idea of your own projected benefits to compare against potential survivor benefits. Also, since you mentioned you're 58 and planning to work until 67, you might want to consider that your highest 35 years of earnings determine your benefit calculation. If you're still earning good money now, these later years could potentially replace some lower-earning years from earlier in your career, which would increase your eventual benefit. The fact that you're thinking about this now puts you ahead of many people. Having a clear understanding of your options will help you make the best decision when the time comes, whether that's survivor benefits or your own retirement benefits.

I want to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you understand the "deemed filing" rules that might apply to your situation. If you're eligible for both survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits when you reach age 62 or later, Social Security may require you to file for both simultaneously in some cases, rather than allowing you to choose just one. However, this rule typically doesn't apply to survivor benefits if you're under your full retirement age when you become eligible. Since you're planning this scenario for when you're 60-67, you should have the flexibility to claim survivor benefits first and delay your own retirement benefits until they reach maximum value. Also, don't forget that if you do end up receiving survivor benefits while working, you'll want to report your income changes to SSA promptly. If your earnings vary significantly year to year, this can affect how much gets withheld under the earnings test. Some people find it helpful to have SSA withhold taxes from their benefits upfront to avoid owing a large amount at tax time.

One thing that might be worth considering is getting your wife's earnings record from SSA to understand exactly what her benefit would have been at full retirement age. Since survivor benefits are calculated based on what she would have received at FRA (not her reduced amount), knowing that number will help you better plan. You can request a Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov/myaccount or by calling SSA. This will show her complete earnings history and projected benefits at different claiming ages. Having these concrete numbers will make it much easier when you eventually speak with an SSA representative about your options. Also, since you mentioned you're both previously married, make sure SSA has accurate records of all marriage dates and any divorces. Sometimes there can be discrepancies in their system that could affect benefit eligibility, and it's better to sort those out well in advance rather than during an already stressful time.

This is such a thoughtful discussion about a complex but important topic! As someone who works with Social Security cases, I want to emphasize one key point that could significantly impact your planning: survivor benefits are not subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) or Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) in the same way other Social Security benefits might be. If either you or your wife has worked in government jobs or have pensions from employers who didn't pay into Social Security, these provisions could reduce regular spousal or retirement benefits. However, survivor benefits have different rules and may not be affected as severely. Also, since you're doing long-term planning, consider that Social Security benefits receive annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The survivor benefit you might receive years from now will likely be higher than what your wife receives today, not just because it's based on her FRA amount rather than her reduced benefit, but also because of these annual increases. One last practical tip: when the time comes to apply for survivor benefits, you'll need certified copies of the death certificate, marriage certificate, and other documentation. It's worth keeping these important documents organized and easily accessible, as SSA processing can be faster when you have everything ready upfront.

I'm so glad to see this thorough discussion! As someone who recently went through the survivor benefits process myself, I wanted to add a few practical points that might help with your planning: First, when you do eventually need to apply for survivor benefits, you can actually start the application process online at ssa.gov, which can save time compared to trying to get through on the phone or scheduling an in-person appointment. You'll still need to provide documentation, but starting online gets the process moving faster. Second, regarding the earnings test - SSA actually has a pretty helpful online tool called the "Retirement Earnings Test Calculator" that can help you estimate how much might be withheld based on your specific income. It's worth playing around with different scenarios to see how various income levels would affect your benefits. Finally, I'd suggest documenting all of this information in a place where your wife can easily find it too. While you're the one asking about survivor benefits, she might also benefit from understanding these rules in case she ends up being the survivor. Having a shared understanding of your Social Security strategy can be really valuable for both of you. The fact that you're planning ahead shows great foresight. Most people don't think about these details until they're in the middle of a crisis, which makes everything much harder to navigate.