Can I claim survivor benefits at 63 while still working full-time? Husband died 11 years ago

Yes, you're likely eligible for survivor benefits right now! As a widow, you can claim as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled). At 63, you'd receive approximately 82.5% of your husband's full retirement benefit amount. The fact that you're working might affect how much you receive due to the earnings limit ($22,320 for 2025 if you're under FRA), but you should definitely apply. You can only receive retroactive benefits for up to 6 months, so unfortunately you can't claim for all those previous years. Make an appointment with SSA immediately to discuss your options. You might want to compare taking reduced survivor benefits now while continuing to work (and letting your own retirement benefit grow), then switching to your own benefit later if it would be higher.

I went through almost the EXACT same situation. My husband died when I was 59, and I didn't realize I could claim survivor benefits until I was 64! I was so upset about the money I'd missed. One really important thing to consider is your long-term strategy. At your full retirement age (probably 67), the earnings limit goes away completely. Also, if your own retirement benefit would be higher than the survivor benefit when you reach 70, you might want to take the survivor benefit now (even if reduced by the earnings test) and then switch to your own at 70 when it's maximized. Do NOT just walk into an SSA office without an appointment and strategy. They're overwhelmed and might not explain all your options.

If you make over the earnings limit, they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. BUT!!!! Don't let that discourage you from applying! It's still usually worth it to get whatever amount you can, and remember that once you reach your Full Retirement Age, there's NO earnings limit whatsoever. I tried for WEEKS to get through to Social Security to discuss my widow benefits last year. Kept getting disconnected or waiting 3+ hours. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. Totally worth it for saving me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

my condolences on your loss. you should definitely apply asap! just know that if you're making good money they might not give you much because of the earnings test thing everyone mentioned. but something is better than nothing!

Wait I'm confused about something... I thought survivor benefits and widows benefits were different things??? My aunt gets survivors benefits for my uncle but my neighbor gets widows benefits after her husband died. Are these the same or different??? Also does it matter that they were only married 14 years? I thought there was a 10 year minimum or something.

One critical point that hasn't been mentioned: OP should immediately file for "protective filing" even before her actual appointment. This establishes her intent to file and can protect her retroactive benefits date if there are delays getting an appointment. Also, when you apply, bring ALL documentation: your marriage certificate, husband's death certificate, both Social Security cards, birth certificates, and recent tax returns/W2s (to verify your current earnings). And remember that the earnings limit is only on earned income (wages/self-employment). Investment income, pensions, etc. don't count against the earnings test. If you have any flexibility with your compensation structure, there might be planning opportunities there.

does anyone know if she has to PAY BACK the money from all the years she didn't apply??? my uncle had to pay back some benefit he didn't know about and it was a huge mess!!

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I've set up an appointment with SSA for next month (earliest they had) and submitted a protective filing statement online as suggested. I'm also gathering all my documentation. I'm still frustrated about all the money I potentially missed out on over the years, but I'm trying to focus on maximizing what I can get going forward. My plan now is to take whatever survivor benefits I can get now (even if reduced by the earnings test) and then switch to my own retirement benefit at 70 if it would be higher. It seems ridiculous that SSA doesn't proactively notify people about benefits they're entitled to. How many others are out there not collecting what they deserve?

One last piece of advice - when you have your appointment, ask specifically about the "restricted application" strategy. Since you were born before January 2, 1954, you might be eligible to ONLY apply for survivor benefits now while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70. This can be very valuable if your own benefit at 70 would be higher than the survivor benefit. Not all SSA reps understand this option fully, so you might need to specifically ask about it. Print out the information from the SSA website about restricted applications before your appointment. Also, depending on your husband's earnings history and how long ago he passed, you might be eligible for a lump-sum death benefit of $255. It's not much, but it's something.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Giovanni. What a difficult journey you've been on. I'm glad you're finally getting the guidance you need on this! Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - when you go to your SSA appointment, consider bringing a trusted friend or family member with you if possible. These appointments can be overwhelming with all the information they throw at you, and having someone else there to take notes or ask follow-up questions can be really valuable. Also, don't be afraid to ask them to repeat information or explain things differently if you don't understand. The rules around survivor benefits can be complex, and it's important you fully understand your options before making any decisions. You've already lost out on years of potential benefits - make sure you get the maximum going forward! Best of luck with your appointment. Please do update us on how it goes - your experience could help other people in similar situations.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Giovanni. Going through this for 11 years without knowing about these benefits must be incredibly frustrating. One thing I want to emphasize that others have touched on - definitely explore that restricted application strategy since you were born before 1954. At 63, you could potentially claim survivor benefits now (even if reduced by the earnings test) while your own retirement benefit continues to grow with delayed retirement credits until age 70. The math can get complex, but here's a simplified example: if your survivor benefit would be $1,800/month and your own benefit at 70 would be $2,200/month, you'd want to take the survivor benefit now and switch later. Even with the earnings test reducing your current payments, you'd still come out ahead in the long run. Also, when calculating the earnings test impact at your $85k salary, remember it's only the amount OVER $22,320 that matters. So roughly $62,680 over the limit means they'd withhold about $31,340 in annual benefits ($2,612/month). But as others mentioned, you get credit for these withheld amounts later. Document everything at your appointment and don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor if the representative seems unclear on restricted applications - not all of them are familiar with this strategy.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Giovanni. It's heartbreaking that you've missed out on years of benefits simply because the system doesn't proactively inform people of their entitlements. One additional consideration I haven't seen mentioned yet - since your husband died at 52, his benefit amount is frozen at what it would have been at that time. This means you won't benefit from any cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that would have been applied to his record if he had lived longer. However, survivor benefits do receive COLAs after you start collecting them. Also, make sure to ask at your appointment about any potential state-specific survivor benefits or programs you might qualify for. Some states have additional assistance programs for widows/widowers that work alongside federal Social Security benefits. The protective filing was a smart move! Given how backed up SSA appointments are, that could save you from losing additional retroactive benefits. When you do have your appointment, consider asking them to mail you a written summary of your discussion and decisions - it's easy to forget details later, and having it in writing protects you if there are any processing errors. You're taking all the right steps now. Better late than never, and you still have many years ahead to benefit from these payments!

Giovanni, I'm so sorry for your loss and the frustration you must be feeling about missing out on these benefits for so long. You're absolutely not alone - this happens to far too many people. One thing I want to emphasize that's been touched on but bears repeating: even though you'll face earnings test reductions now, filing for survivor benefits at 63 while working is often still the right financial move. Here's why: 1) The survivor benefit amount is based on what your husband would have received at his full retirement age, not reduced for early claiming like your own benefit would be 2) Even with earnings test withholding, you're establishing your claim and will get credit for those withheld amounts later 3) Most importantly, this allows your own retirement benefit to keep growing with delayed retirement credits until age 70 I'd also suggest asking your SSA representative to run projections showing your total lifetime benefits under different scenarios - taking survivor benefits now vs. waiting, when to potentially switch to your own benefit, etc. Having those numbers in black and white can help you make the best decision. The system really should do better at notifying people about benefits they're eligible for. Your story will hopefully help others who might be in similar situations. Best of luck with your appointment!

Giovanni, I'm so sorry for your loss and what you've been going through. Your situation really highlights how broken the notification system is - it's unconscionable that SSA doesn't proactively reach out to people about benefits they're entitled to. I wanted to add one more strategy consideration that might be relevant: since you're planning to work until at least 67, you might want to calculate whether it makes sense to delay applying for survivor benefits until you reach your full retirement age (when the earnings test disappears entirely). At that point, you'd get 100% of your survivor benefit with no earnings restrictions, and you could still let your own retirement benefit grow until 70 if that would be higher. The trade-off is losing the partial payments you'd get now (after earnings test reductions) versus waiting for full payments in a few years. Given that you've already missed 11 years, waiting another 4 years might actually maximize your lifetime benefits - especially since you're earning $85k which would significantly reduce your current payments anyway. Definitely ask your SSA rep to run the numbers both ways: applying now with earnings test vs. waiting until FRA. The math might surprise you! Also, document everything at your appointment and don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion or supervisor if anything seems unclear. You've waited this long - make sure you get it right going forward.