Can I collect Social Security survivor benefits at 66 and 6 months instead of my FRA (66 and 10 months)?
I lost my ex-husband in 2023 after we'd been divorced for about 5 years (we were married for 22 years). I'm trying to understand when exactly I can start collecting survivor benefits. I'm getting mixed information and it's so frustrating! Some people tell me I need to wait until my full retirement age which is 67 and 2 months, while others say I can actually start survivor benefits 4 months earlier at 66 and 10 months. I don't understand why there would be a difference - either way I'm not taking them early. Also, what documentation do I need? I have our marriage certificate and divorce decree, but is that enough or do I need his death certificate too? The SSA website is so confusing and I can't get through on the phone. Has anyone gone through this process recently?
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Zoe Papadakis
For survivor benefits specifically, you can claim them as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled), but at a reduced rate. The special rule you're hearing about is that survivor benefits reach their FULL amount at either your FRA OR 4 months earlier - whichever comes first. So if your FRA is 67 and 2 months, you can get 100% of the survivor benefit at 66 and 10 months. As for documentation, yes, you absolutely need the death certificate along with your marriage certificate and divorce decree. The SSA needs to verify his death and that your marriage lasted at least 10 years (which yours did).
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Andre Rousseau
•Thank you so much! That actually makes sense now about the 4 months earlier rule. I had no idea survivor benefits worked differently than regular retirement. Do you know if I can apply online or do I need to make an appointment?
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Jamal Carter
When my sister tried to get survivor benefits last year after her ex died, they made her WAIT the full FRA!!!! The SSA people don't even know their own rules half the time!!! Make sure you PRINT OUT the rules from their website before you go in so they can't lie to you about it!!!
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Zoe Papadakis
•That's unfortunate about your sister's experience. The special 4-month rule for survivors is outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations but isn't widely understood even by some SSA employees. I always recommend politely asking for a supervisor if you encounter confusion about this specific provision.
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AstroAdventurer
my condolances on your loss. i got surviver benefits 2 years ago and needed death certificate for sure. bring all the papers you have just to be safe. they looked at everything.
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Mei Liu
The confusion you're experiencing is quite common. Let me clarify: For survivor benefits specifically, you can receive 100% of your ex-husband's benefit amount at your FRA minus 4 months. Since your FRA is 67 and 2 months, you can claim the full survivor benefit at 66 and 10 months. Regarding documentation, you will need: - Your marriage certificate - Your divorce decree (showing the marriage lasted at least 10 years) - Your ex-husband's death certificate - Your birth certificate - Your Social Security number and his You can't apply for survivor benefits online - you must either call the SSA or visit your local office. Unfortunately, both options often involve long wait times.
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Andre Rousseau
•Thank you for the detailed answer! That documentation list is really helpful. I've been trying to call for two weeks and either get disconnected or they say the wait time is over 2 hours. Is there any trick to actually talking to someone?
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Liam O'Sullivan
I went through this exact nightmare last year! After calling SSA for three weeks straight and getting disconnected every time, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under 20 minutes. They basically wait on hold for you and call you when an agent picks up. Totally worth it! Check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or go to claimyr.com - it saved me so much frustration with the survivor benefits application process.
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Amara Chukwu
•does it really work? i tried calling ss last week 5 times and gave up
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Liam O'Sullivan
•Yes, it actually does! I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for weeks. They called me back when they had an agent on the line, and I got all my survivor benefit questions answered in one call. Saved me from driving 45 minutes to the nearest office just to wait in line for hours.
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Giovanni Conti
when my husband passed three years back i had to wait the full fra but maybe thats cuz i was on my own benefits already and they were higher? the rules are different for everyone it seems like makes no sense
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Mei Liu
•Your situation is a bit different. If you were already receiving your own retirement benefits that were higher than your potential survivor benefits, there wouldn't be any advantage to switching. The 4-month early rule only matters if the survivor benefit would increase your monthly payment.
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Amara Chukwu
Wait so we can get survivor benefits from an ex-spouse?? I thought those were only for current spouses! My ex passed away 2 years ago and we were married for 15 years. I had no idea I could claim anything.
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Zoe Papadakis
•Yes! As long as you were married for at least 10 years, you can claim survivor benefits from an ex-spouse. You should contact SSA right away - there may be retroactive benefits available depending on your situation.
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Andre Rousseau
Update: I finally got through to SSA after trying different times of day (Wednesday at 4pm seemed to have shorter wait times). The agent confirmed that I can indeed claim the full survivor benefit at 66 and 10 months instead of waiting until 67 and 2 months. They also said I absolutely need the death certificate - they won't process the claim without it. I'm going to request one from the county where he passed away. Thanks everyone for your help!
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AstroAdventurer
•glad u got thru! good luck with everything!
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Jamal Carter
MAKE SURE you keep copies of EVERYTHING you send them!!! My friend had her original marriage certificate LOST by SSA and it was a nightmare to replace!!! They deny everything when they make mistakes!!!
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Andre Rousseau
•Oh no, that's terrible! Thanks for the warning - I'll definitely make copies of everything before I submit anything.
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