Can I receive my late husband's Social Security SSDI at 60 or will benefit amount change?

I'm sorry for your loss. The calculation for survivor benefits can be confusing, but I'll try to explain. Your survivor benefit would be based on your wife's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), not necessarily the exact amount she was receiving. If she was receiving SSDI, that amount is likely her PIA. However, there are sometimes adjustments. Yes, if you claim at age 60, you would receive approximately 71.5% of her full benefit amount. Keep in mind that if you're working and under your Full Retirement Age, the earnings limit would apply ($1 deduction for every $2 you earn above the annual limit). I'd recommend calling SSA directly to get an exact calculation based on your specific situation. They can tell you precisely what your benefit would be.

sry about ur wife. my mom went thru this when dad died. they don't use the exact SSDI amount sometimes. its based on something called PIA like the other person said. but the 71.5% sounds right for age 60. just know if ur working they take away some of the benefit... its annoying how complicated they make all this!!

I went through this when my husband passed in 2022. The survivor benefit is calculated based on several factors, but in your case, it would likely be based on your wife's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), which may be the same as her SSDI payment of $2,450. The reduction for claiming at 60 is indeed about 71.5% of the full amount. However, be very careful about the earnings test if you're still working. For 2025, I believe the earnings limit is around $23,000 (it changes yearly with COLA). If you earn more than that while collecting before your FRA, they will withhold $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. I strongly recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to get the exact numbers for your situation. They can do benefit calculations that are impossible to figure out on your own.

So sorry about your wife. My situation was similar but I was the surviving spouse of an SSDI recipient. One thing I didn't see mentioned - if you're qualified for your own retirement benefit someday, you can switch to that if it's higher when you reach your own retirement age. That's what I did - took survivor benefits at 60, then switched to my own (higher) benefit at my FRA. Good strategy to consider!

The SSA is IMPOSSIBLE to reach by phone!!! When my husband died last year I tried for WEEKS to get through to discuss survivor benefits. Kept getting disconnected or told to call back later. FINALLY found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at SSA in like 20 minutes. They call SSA for you and then connect you when they reach an agent. Saved me so much frustration! Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Definitely worth it for getting your survivor questions answered directly by SSA instead of guessing.

My condolences on your loss. The whole system is so confusing!! I thought survivor benefits were 100% of what the deceased spouse was getting??? That's what my neighbor told me she gets after her husband died. Why would it only be 71.5%??? Social Security makes NO SENSE sometimes!

I've been through this exact situation and dealt with all the SSA bureaucracy. Here's what you need to know: 1) The benefit calculation WILL be based on your wife's PIA, which is probably that $2,450 SSDI amount 2) At age 60, you'll get 71.5% of that amount, so roughly $1,752 monthly 3) BUT if you're working, the earnings test will reduce that considerably. For 2025, if you earn over around $23,000, they'll take $1 for every $2 above that limit 4) The BEST STRATEGY is often to take reduced survivor benefits at 60, work part-time staying under the earnings limit, then switch to your own benefit at your FRA if it's higher Make an appointment at your local SSA office - going in person is MUCH better than trying to handle this by phone.

Just want to add that you should apply for survivor benefits 2-3 months before you want them to start. The process takes forever and they're not retroactive beyond 6 months!

One more thing to consider - if you're planning to continue working in some capacity, you might want to wait until your Full Retirement Age to claim survivor benefits. That way you avoid the earnings test completely. The benefit would be 100% of her PIA instead of the reduced 71.5%, AND you wouldn't have any benefit withheld due to earnings. It's always a personal calculation based on your health, financial needs, and employment situation. But many people don't realize how significant the earnings test reduction can be if they're still working substantially.