Can I get my husband's Social Security after he died if I only have a small state pension and no SS benefits?
My husband passed away 3 months ago, and I'm trying to figure out our financial situation now. He was getting about $2,350/month in Social Security retirement, which was our main income. I worked for our state's Department of Transportation for 22 years and receive a small pension of $875/month. I never paid into Social Security during my career (our state had its own retirement system), so I don't qualify for SS benefits on my own record. Someone mentioned the Government Pension Offset (GPO) might affect me, but I don't fully understand it. Can I receive any of my husband's Social Security benefits as his widow? Our savings won't last long with just my small pension. Any advice would be so appreciated.
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Paolo Rizzo
Yes, you can potentially receive survivor benefits based on your husband's record, but the Government Pension Offset (GPO) will likely reduce them. The GPO typically reduces survivor benefits by 2/3 of your government pension. So if your pension is $875, about $583 would be deducted from whatever survivor benefit you'd normally receive. If your husband's full benefit was $2,350, as a widow you could be entitled to 100% of that amount (assuming you're at your full retirement age). With the GPO reduction of $583, you might receive around $1,767 per month. Contact SSA immediately to apply - survivor benefits can only be paid from the time you apply, not from the date of death if you delay.
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Keisha Johnson
•Thank you so much for explaining this! I had no idea I could get any of his benefits. Do you know if I need specific documents when I apply? His death certificate obviously, but what else?
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QuantumQuest
sorry about ur husband. my mom went thru similar thing last year. they made her bring marriage certificate and death certificate and her ID. she got some of my dads ss but not all of it becuz of that gpo thing too
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Keisha Johnson
•I'm sorry about your dad. Thanks for letting me know about the marriage certificate - I'll make sure to have that ready along with the death certificate.
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Amina Sy
The GPO is so unfair!!! I worked for the county for 31 years and get PENALIZED just because I have a pension! Why should we be treated differently than people who get private pensions?? They don't reduce THEIR Social Security!!! Call your congressman about this injustice!!!
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Paolo Rizzo
•While I understand the frustration, there is a reason behind GPO. Social Security spouse/survivor benefits were designed to support those who didn't work or earned very little. Government employees with pensions didn't pay into Social Security for those jobs, so Congress created GPO to maintain comparable treatment. Private pensions don't trigger GPO because those workers also paid SS taxes simultaneously. That said, it does hit people with smaller pensions particularly hard.
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Oliver Fischer
I went through this exact situation when my husband died in 2023. Here's what you need to do: 1. Gather documents: your husband's death certificate, marriage certificate, both your Social Security cards, your government pension information, and birth certificates if possible 2. Apply for the survivor benefits as soon as possible - you can't get retroactive payments for months before you apply 3. Be prepared to provide details about your pension. Bring a recent statement showing the monthly amount 4. You'll likely get a provisional payment while they calculate the GPO reduction One important thing: if they tell you that you don't qualify because of GPO, insist they do the calculation. Some people at SSA don't understand that GPO reduces benefits but doesn't always eliminate them completely, especially with a smaller pension like yours.
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Keisha Johnson
•Thank you for sharing your experience. This is really helpful advice. I'll make sure to ask for the calculation to be done properly. I'm sorry for your loss too.
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Natasha Petrova
Good luck getting through to SSA! I've been trying to reach them for THREE WEEKS about my husband's death benefits. Can't get through on the phone, local office is appointment only with 6 week wait. I'm about to give up entirely.
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Javier Morales
•Have you tried Claimyr? I was in the same situation last month trying to reach Social Security about survivor benefits. Used their service at claimyr.com and got through to a real person in 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much stress during an already difficult time.
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Natasha Petrova
•No, never heard of that. Does it actually work? I'll check out that video. At this point I'd try almost anything to get this resolved.
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Emma Davis
I'm confused about something... if the husband's benefit was $2,350 and the wife gets 100% as survivor (at FRA), but then they subtract 2/3 of her $875 pension ($583), shouldn't she get $1,767 in SS benefits? That's a lot more than her pension! Am I missing something about how GPO works?
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Paolo Rizzo
•You're absolutely right. That's exactly how it should work in this scenario. The GPO reduces but doesn't eliminate her survivor benefits. With a relatively small government pension of $875, the reduction is only $583, leaving a substantial survivor benefit. This is why it's so important for her to apply despite having a government pension.
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QuantumQuest
dont forget about the one-time death payment from ss too. its only $255 but better than nothing
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Keisha Johnson
•Oh! I had no idea about that. Every bit helps right now. Thank you for mentioning it.
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Keisha Johnson
Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to gather all my documents (death certificate, marriage certificate, pension statements, etc.) and apply for survivor benefits right away. It sounds like even with the GPO reduction, I should still receive a significant portion of my husband's benefit. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service if I have trouble getting through to Social Security. It's such a relief to know I won't have to rely solely on my small pension.
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Oliver Fischer
•Be sure to ask specifically about the Lump Sum Death Payment of $255 when you apply - sometimes they forget to process this automatically. Also, if your husband received benefits for the month he died but they came after his death date, you generally don't need to return that payment. Make sure to clarify this when you speak with them to avoid confusion later.
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