Can I estimate my survivor benefits at 60 based on my child's previous $1800 payment?

I went through this exact situation last year! The child benefit amount doesn't directly translate to what you'll receive as a surviving spouse, but I can help explain. Your survivor benefit would be based on what your husband would be receiving if he were alive today, including all cost of living adjustments since his passing. At age 60, you'll receive approximately 71.5% of your husband's full benefit amount. Based on your daughter's benefit (which is typically 75% of the deceased's benefit), your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) was probably around $3,000. So at 60, you might receive roughly $2,145 per month (71.5% of $3,000). I struggled forever trying to get through to SSA on the phone until I discovered Claimyr.com - they got me connected to a real person at Social Security in under 10 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much frustration when I was trying to sort out my survivor benefits.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are some MAJOR issues with the calculations in the previous response!!! Child survivors get 75% of the WORKER'S PIA, NOT what the worker would be receiving if alive today. And while 71.5% at age 60 is correct, that percentage applies to your husband's PIA, not his potential benefit with COLAs. You need to work backwards: If your daughter got $2,250, that means your husband's PIA was around $3,000 ($2,250 ÷ 0.75). At 60, you'd get about 71.5% of $3,000, so approximately $2,145. BUT this doesn't account for any COLAs since he passed - those would increase the amount. Be warned - taking survivor benefits at 60 means a PERMANENT reduction! You might want to consider taking reduced survivor benefits at 60 and then switching to your own retirement at your FRA if it would be higher by then (unlikely with the numbers you shared, but something to ask about).

My wife died in 2010 and I claimed survivors benefits last year when I turned 60. Based on my experience, the SSA will calculate everything for you - you don't need to do these complicated calculations yourself. The most important thing is to bring your marriage certificate, death certificate, both your SSNs, and birth certificate to your appointment. also bring you bank account info for direct deposit. they will tell you exactly what you qualify for and help you pick the best option for your situation. i was surprised to learn i could take survivor benefits at 60 and then switch to my own retirement later, which was better in my case.

Social Security benefits specialist here. Let me clarify a few important points about widow's benefits at age 60: 1. The calculation is based on your deceased husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), plus any Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) that would have applied since his death in 2015. 2. At age 60, you would receive 71.5% of that amount. This reduction is permanent. 3. Your daughter received 75% of the PIA (plus COLAs), so we can estimate your husband's adjusted PIA by dividing $2,250 by 0.75, which gives us $3,000. 4. Therefore, your widow's benefit at 60 would be approximately $2,145 (71.5% of $3,000). 5. Since your own benefit at FRA is significantly lower ($1,300), you would likely want to take the reduced widow's benefit at 60 and then continue with that benefit. However, your situation might have complexities that affect this calculation. When you speak with SSA, ask specifically about the GPO (Government Pension Offset) and WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) if you ever worked in jobs not covered by Social Security, as these could reduce benefits.

ok so i see everyone giving all these complicated answers but its actually pretty simple. the benefit your daughter got is different from what you'll get. your best bet is to just go to ssa.gov and use their calculators, or just call them directly and ask. nobody here can tell you the exact amount because theres too many factors. also dont forget that if you work while getting benefits before your full retirement age you might have some benefits withheld. i learned that the hard way lol

My apologies to everyone else, but i HAVE to correct some misinfo here! At exactly age 60 (for those born after 1960), the reduction is 28.5%, so you get 71.5% of the full survivor benefit. But for every MONTH you wait after 60, the benefit increases slightly until you reach YOUR full retirement age (which is probably 67 if youre turning 60 soon). since your own benefit will be much smaller, theres really no reason to wait past 60 for survivors benefits UNLESS you are still working and will exceed the earnings test (which actually isn't terrible since they'll recalculate and give you credit later). id recommend looking at this chart since everyone on this forum seems to have different %s in mind: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/survivorchartred.html

Has ANYONE mentioned the importance of APPLYING ON TIME??? The SSA only pays 6 months of retroactive benefits for survivors! If you're already past 60 or getting close, don't wait! I made this mistake and lost almost a year of payments because I didn't realize I needed to apply right at 60. Even if you're still working, it might be worth applying and dealing with the earnings test rather than missing out completely! Also something else to consider - if you decide to remarry AFTER 60, you can still collect your late husband's survivor benefits. But if you remarry BEFORE 60, you generally can't claim on his record.

Since several people have mentioned the earnings test, let me provide some clarity on that since it might affect your decision: 1. For 2025, the earnings limit is projected to be around $22,800 if you're under full retirement age for the full year (this is an estimate based on current trends). 2. If you earn over that amount, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $2 you earn above the limit. 3. However, it's important to understand that this isn't a penalty - it's a deferral. After you reach FRA, your benefit will be recalculated to give you credit for months when benefits were withheld. 4. If you're planning to continue working full-time at a job with significant earnings, you might want to calculate whether it makes sense to claim at 60 or wait until your earnings decrease or you reach FRA. I strongly recommend discussing these specifics with an SSA representative who can look at your exact situation and provide personalized guidance.