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.