Can I receive Social Security survivor benefits at 60 from late husband under FERS pension?
I lost my husband 3 years ago when he was 62. We'd been married just under 5 years when he passed (he was divorced from his first wife for about 8 years before we met). He worked for the federal government and was receiving his FERS pension when he died. I'm turning 60 next month and haven't remarried. I'm completely confused about what survivor benefits I might qualify for. Do I get anything from Social Security even though he was a federal employee? Does the fact that our marriage was relatively short affect my eligibility? I know nothing about how FERS works with Social Security benefits or if I'd get reduced amounts because of his pension. I'm on a pretty tight budget and need to plan ahead. Anyone familiar with federal employee benefits and survivor situations like mine? Would appreciate any information before I try tackling the SSA phone lines.
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Miguel Silva
you can probably get survivors benefits at 60 but they'll be reduced. my sister went thru something similar but her husband wasn't FERS. call SSA asap bc theres paperwork you need to start
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StarSailor}
•Thanks! Do you know if there's a minimum marriage length requirement for survivor benefits? And does your sister get the full amount or is it reduced?
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Zainab Ismail
Yes, you likely qualify for survivor benefits. For Social Security survivor benefits, you need to have been married at least 9 months (with some exceptions). Since you were married almost 5 years, you meet this requirement. Regarding FERS, that's separate from Social Security. Federal employees under FERS participate in three programs: FERS basic annuity, Social Security, and TSP (similar to a 401k). As his widow, you may be entitled to: 1. A survivor annuity from his FERS pension (if he elected survivor benefits) 2. Social Security survivor benefits (reduced if claimed before your FRA) 3. His TSP account (if you were his designated beneficiary) You should contact both the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) about the FERS survivor annuity and Social Security for the survivor benefits. At age 60, you can receive approximately 71.5% of his full Social Security benefit.
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StarSailor}
•Thank you so much for this detailed information! I had no idea about the three separate programs. I'll need to check if he elected survivor benefits for the FERS annuity. I know I'm listed on his TSP account. This gives me a much clearer picture of what to look into.
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Connor O'Neill
I went thru this when my wife died (she was also federal employee). You'll get survivor benefits from Social Security even with the FERS pension, but there might be a reduction because of something called WEP or GPO, I always mix them up. The marriage length is fine, I think its 9 months minimum.
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Zainab Ismail
•You're thinking of the Government Pension Offset (GPO), but that primarily affects government pensions and Social Security spousal/survivor benefits for the government employee themselves. Since her husband was the FERS employee (not her), she should be eligible for full survivor benefits without GPO reduction. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) affects the worker's own Social Security benefits if they receive a pension from non-Social Security covered employment, but doesn't impact survivor benefits paid to their spouse.
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Yara Nassar
CONTACT OPM FIRST!!! You need to get the FERS survivor benefit started before you go to Social Security. My husband was FERS and I had to get like 5 different forms and his death certificate and wait FOUR MONTHS for OPM to process everything. It was a nightmare but I eventually got backpay. The number is 1-888-767-6738 but GOOD LUCK getting through to anyone!!!!!
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StarSailor}
•Oh no, that sounds stressful! I've heard the wait times for government agencies can be brutal. Did you eventually get everything sorted out? How long did it take from start to finish?
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Yara Nassar
•It took almost 6 months total and I had to send the same paperwork TWICE because they "lost" it the first time. Make copies of EVERYTHING and get certified copies of the death certificate (like at least 5). I finally got it all worked out but it was so frustrating!
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Keisha Robinson
I had so much trouble getting through to both SSA and OPM when my husband passed (also federal employee). After weeks of constant busy signals and disconnections, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. Saved me hours of frustration. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For the OPM side of things, I'd recommend calling right when they open at 7:40am Eastern time. That's how I finally got through to someone there.
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Miguel Silva
•does that actually work? i've been trying to call SSA for 2 weeks about my disability claim
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StarSailor}
•Thank you for the recommendation. I've been dreading the phone calls because everyone says it's impossible to get through. I'll check out that service if I can't get through using the early morning trick.
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GalaxyGuardian
To clarify some information here: 1. You can apply for reduced survivor benefits at age 60. If you wait until your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you'll get 100% of his benefit. 2. For FERS employees, there are specific rules. Your husband's FERS pension likely had a survivor benefit option. If he elected one, you should have been contacted by OPM after his death. If not, contact them immediately. 3. There's a specific application process for these benefits: - First, contact OPM for the FERS survivor annuity at 888-767-6738 - Then apply for Social Security survivor benefits (you can do this up to 3 months before turning 60) - Check with TSP regarding his retirement savings account 4. Documents you'll need: marriage certificate, his death certificate, his SSN, possibly his last W-2, and your identification. 5. The 9-month marriage duration requirement is waived in some circumstances (accidental death, military service death), but you've been married long enough that this isn't an issue. Remember that taking benefits at 60 means a permanent reduction to about 71.5% of the full survivor benefit.
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StarSailor}
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I need to check if I ever received anything from OPM - it's possible I missed something in all the confusion after he passed. Would his former HR department at his federal job be able to help me figure out if he elected the survivor benefit option?
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GalaxyGuardian
•Yes, his former HR department can help guide you, but ultimately OPM handles all federal retirement benefits. If he was already receiving his pension when he passed, there should be records at OPM about his benefit elections. Have his CSA (Civil Service Annuity) number handy if you have it - it would have been on his pension statements. If not, they can locate his records with his SSN and full name. Also, if you haven't already, check if you received any life insurance payments. Most federal employees have FEGLI (Federal Employees Group Life Insurance) with benefits payable to survivors.
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Paolo Ricci
my uncle worked for govt and when he died my aunt got like half his pension. she said the paperwork was a mess though. good luck
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Connor O'Neill
One thing nobody mentioned - if you're planning to work while collecting survivor benefits, be aware of the earnings limit! In 2025 if you earn over $24,000 (I think that's the new amount), they'll deduct $1 from benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. The limit goes away when you reach full retirement age though.
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StarSailor}
•That's really good to know! I do work part-time and was planning to continue. Does that earnings limit apply to all types of income or just wages from a job?
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Zainab Ismail
•The earnings limit only applies to wages from employment or net earnings from self-employment. It doesn't count investment income, interest, pensions, annuities, capital gains, or other government benefits. Also, if your benefits are reduced because of the earnings limit, you'll get credit for those months when you reach full retirement age, resulting in a higher benefit amount later.
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