Can I get 71.5% of my husband's current SSDI with COLA or original FRA amount for survivor benefits?
I've been taking care of my husband (65) since 2011 when he qualified for SSDI. His medical condition was expected to be terminal, but thankfully he's beaten the odds. I'm 58 now but don't have enough work credits to qualify for my own Social Security benefits because I've been his full-time caregiver for over a decade. I'm trying to understand what my survivor benefits would be if something happens to him. The SSA website says I'd get 71.5% of his benefit if I claim at my current age, but I'm confused about WHICH benefit amount that percentage applies to. Would it be: 1. 71.5% of his ORIGINAL benefit from when he first got approved for SSDI? 2. 71.5% of what his retirement benefit would have been at his FRA? 3. 71.5% of his CURRENT benefit after all the COLA increases over 12+ years? The difference between these amounts is significant. When I called SSA, I got disconnected twice and then got different answers from two representatives. Can anyone here explain how this actually works?
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Jeremiah Brown
It will be based on his current benefit amount that includes all the COLAs over the years. SSA uses what's called the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) at the time of his death, not the original amount from 2011. So you'd receive 71.5% of whatever his benefit payment is at the time he passes away. Also, just so you know, the percentage depends on your exact age when you claim. At 58, it would actually be closer to 71.5% if you claimed immediately, but this increases gradually each month you wait until you reach your own full retirement age (probably 67) when you'd get 100% of his benefit.
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JacksonHarris
•Thank you so much for clarifying! That actually makes a big difference in our planning. Do you know if this same rule applies if I were to apply for spousal benefits now (at 50% rate) instead of waiting for survivor benefits? Would that also be based on his current SSDI amount with all the COLAs?
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Royal_GM_Mark
my mom went thru same thing when my dad passed. they def use the CURRENT amount with all the cost of living raises added in. she was so worried about this too but she ended up getting WAY more than she thought!!! call again and make sure u talk to someone who knows what there talking about!
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JacksonHarris
•That's a relief to hear! I've tried calling SSA multiple times but keep getting disconnected or conflicting answers. It's so frustrating when you're trying to plan for something this important.
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Amelia Cartwright
I went through this EXACT situation and let me save you some stress!!! It's DEFINITELY based on the current amount he receives with ALL COLAs included. I was told otherwise by TWO different SSA reps who didn't know what they were talking about!!!! They are SO OVERWORKED and UNDERTRAINED it's RIDICULOUS!!! My husband was on SSDI for 9 years before he passed and my survivor benefit was calculated based on his final benefit amount. Make sure you keep a copy of his most recent benefit statement to verify the correct amount is used when you apply. ALSO - and nobody told me this - if you're still caring for him, look into applying for Caregiver Credits in your state. Some states now recognize caregiving years toward Social Security credits.
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JacksonHarris
•Thank you for sharing your experience! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I had no idea about Caregiver Credits - I'll definitely look into that. Did you have any trouble with the application process for survivor benefits when the time came?
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Chris King
I had to call SSA about 8 times last month for a similar question. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that gets you through to a live person at SSA without the wait. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I finally got through, the agent confirmed that survivor benefits are based on the deceased person's benefit amount at the time of death, including all COLAs. But the percentage reduction depends on your exact age when you apply.
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Rachel Clark
•is that service legit? seems weird to pay just to talk to SSA when its supposed to be free.
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Chris King
•Yes, it's legitimate. I was skeptical too, but it worked exactly as advertised. I waited over 3 hours on my own before getting disconnected. With their service I was talking to someone in about 15 minutes. For something this important, it was worth it to me to not waste another day trying to get through.
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Zachary Hughes
My brother has been on SSDI for 15 years and I was just helping my sister-in-law with something similar. To add to what others have said - yes it's based on his current amount with COLAs, but there's something else to consider. If your husband was disabled before his full retirement age, they would have calculated his SSDI based on his earnings up to that point. If he had continued working until full retirement age, his benefit might have been higher. Sometimes SSA will recalculate at FRA to see if the benefit would be higher based on the earnings record including the disability period. Might be worth asking about that too when you call.
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Mia Alvarez
•This is partially correct, but needs clarification. SSA doesn't automatically recalculate SSDI benefits at FRA - SSDI simply converts to retirement benefits at the same amount. However, if the person had any earnings during the disability period that weren't accounted for in the original calculation, they can request a recalculation. But this is rare since most SSDI recipients don't have substantial earnings while receiving disability benefits. For the original question, survivor benefits are absolutely based on the beneficiary's amount at death, including all accumulated COLAs. The percentage reduction is based on the survivor's age when they apply, with 71.5% being approximately correct for someone who is around 60.
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Rachel Clark
wait im confused. isnt SSDI different from regular social security? my uncle gets SSDI and its less than what he would of got if he waited til retirement age. so wouldnt the surviver benefits be based on the SSDI amount not the retirement amount?
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Jeremiah Brown
•SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) and retirement benefits are different programs but they're both administered by SSA and calculated using the same basic formula. The key difference is that SSDI can begin before retirement age. If someone becomes disabled before reaching full retirement age, their SSDI benefit is essentially what their full retirement benefit would have been if they had continued working at the same earning level until FRA. It's not reduced for taking early benefits like early retirement would be. When an SSDI recipient reaches full retirement age, their benefit automatically converts to retirement benefits at the same amount (plus any COLAs that occurred). For survivor benefits, SSA uses whatever the benefit amount was at the time of death, regardless of whether it was being paid as SSDI or retirement.
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Royal_GM_Mark
btw if u havent already u should apply for spousal benefits right now, u dont need to wait for survivor benefits. since ur over 50 u can get them while hes still alive
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JacksonHarris
•I thought about that, but I think I need to be at least 62 to collect spousal benefits? I'm only 58 now. Unless there's something I'm missing?
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Mia Alvarez
•That's correct. For spousal benefits based on a living spouse, you generally need to be at least 62 years old to collect (unless you're caring for a child under 16 or a disabled child). The only exception to the age-62 rule for spousal benefits is if you're caring for the disabled worker's child who is under 16 or disabled. However, for survivor benefits, you can claim as early as age 60 (or 50 if you're disabled yourself).
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Amelia Cartwright
One more IMPORTANT thing I forgot to mention!!! If you're taking care of your husband full-time and he requires constant attendance, check if you qualify for the "Aid and Attendance" benefit through VA (if he's a veteran) OR look into whether your state has a paid family caregiver program through Medicaid. I missed out on YEARS of potential benefits because nobody told me about these programs!!! The system is DESIGNED to keep us in the dark!!
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JacksonHarris
•Thank you for this tip! He's not a veteran, but I'll definitely look into the Medicaid caregiver program. I've been doing this for so long without any financial support - it would be life-changing if I qualified for something like that.
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