Can I collect FERS supplement and Social Security survivor benefits simultaneously from age 60-62?

I think the second rep is right. The FERS supplement is different from actual SS benefits. My brother-in-law collects both his FERS supplement and his deceased wife's SS survivor benefits. Been doing it for like 18 months now with no problems.

The confusion stems from misunderstanding the FERS Supplement's relationship to Social Security. The FERS Special Retirement Supplement (SRS) is administered by OPM, not SSA, and is designed to approximate the Social Security benefit you would receive at age 62 based on your FERS civilian service. To directly answer your question: Yes, you CAN receive both the FERS Supplement and Social Security survivor benefits simultaneously. They are considered different benefits from different sources. However, be aware that while the FERS Supplement is subject to an earnings test (which won't affect you since you won't be working), your survivor benefits will also be subject to the Social Security earnings test until you reach your Full Retirement Age. When you start your own Social Security at 62, your FERS Supplement will automatically terminate, and you'll need to decide whether to continue with survivor benefits or switch to your own record, whichever is higher (sounds like you already know your own benefit will be higher). I recommend getting this confirmed in writing from OPM regarding the FERS supplement rules. Good luck!

Just to add a bit to what @User2 said - I retired under FERS and had a similar situation. The FERS supplement comes from OPM, not SSA, so they're completely separate systems. The first rep you spoke with was incorrect. However, I strongly recommend visiting your local SSA office IN PERSON and asking them to document this in your file. I had an issue where even though I was legally entitled to both benefits, the computer system flagged it and temporarily suspended my survivor benefits. It took 3 months to resolve because the person who processed my survivor application didn't make a note about my FERS supplement. Also, make sure you understand how the survivor benefit amount might be affected by taking it at 60 vs. your Full Retirement Age. There's a reduction for claiming early.

My husbnd worked for post office for 30 years and I got widows bennies at 60 while he was getting his postal pension. SSA and OPM don't talk to eachother much so thats why you get different answers when you call. Nobody knows what there doing over there lol

I'm going through this EXACT situation right now and it's been a NIGHTMARE!!!! I've been to my local office TWICE and called the 800 number FOUR TIMES!!! Each time I get different answers! One rep even told me I'd have to PAY BACK all my survivor benefits if I was getting the FERS supplement! I was in tears!!! Finally I got a supervisor who actually knew what she was talking about. YES you can get both at the same time. They are NOT the same benefit type. The FERS supplement is NOT Social Security even though it's calculated similarly. BRING YOUR FERS BENEFIT LETTER that shows it's the supplement when you go to apply for survivor benefits. They get confused because it has "Social Security" in the description sometimes. I'm so angry at how difficult they've made this process!!!!!

I was having similar issues trying to reach SSA about my benefits overlap question. After getting disconnected 5 times and waiting on hold for hours, I finally tried using Claimyr.com to get through to a live person at Social Security. They called SSA for me and got me connected to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of hours. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally spoke with a knowledgeable agent, they confirmed that the FERS supplement and survivor benefits don't offset each other. The agent explained that confusion happens because both are subject to separate earnings tests, but they're administered by different agencies. The agent documented everything in my file so I wouldn't have issues later.

wait hang on im confused. are you talking about the FERS pension itself or the supplement? those are 2 different things. the supplement stops at 62 but the pension is forever right? sorry im not understanding your situation completely

One thing nobodys mentioned is the WEP and GPO rules. My friend got caught by this and had her SS reduced cause of her government pension. You should ask about that too while your there!!!

Thank you all so much for your helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident now. I'm going to schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office and bring all my FERS documentation clearly showing it's the supplement. I'll make sure they document in my file that I'm eligible for both benefits simultaneously. It's frustrating that there's so much conflicting information out there, even from SSA representatives themselves. I'm glad I checked here before making any decisions. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation.