Can I switch to survivor benefits at FRA after pausing early retirement? What happens to my $14,800 overpayment?

I'm very sorry for your loss. You're correct that survivor benefits at your FRA won't have an earnings test, so you can work without reduction. Regarding your suspended benefits - they remain suspended until you request they be resumed. The overpayment situation is separate and will need to be resolved one way or another. You have several options: 1) Set up a payment plan, 2) Request a waiver if repayment would cause hardship, 3) Request reconsideration if you believe the amount is wrong. And yes, you could keep your retirement benefits suspended until 70 while collecting survivor benefits if that maximizes your situation.

My condolences on your husband. I went thru similar thing last year but without the owing money part. The survivor benefit is totally seperate from your own SS. You can definitely get it even with the overpayment issue still going on. But be ready for LOTS of paperwork and bring death certificate to your appointment!!

Not to complicate things, but have you looked at whether your husband's benefit is actually HIGHER than yours would be at FRA? I assumed my husband's would be bigger but turns out mine would be more at 70!! The SSA rep never volunteered this info - I had to specifically ask for the comparison calculations. MAKE THEM SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS for both scenarios!!

Oh man, I'm sorry you're dealing with all this after losing your husband. I had a NIGHTMARE getting through to SSA about my survivor benefits last year. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person in less than 20 minutes after I'd spent days trying on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it to avoid the endless busy signals and disconnects, especially with something as important as survivor benefits.

@temporary_account55 - Yes! It absolutely does work. I was super skeptical at first but was desperate after trying for days. They connected me within about 15 minutes and I finally got my survivor benefit application started. The SSA phone system is completely broken right now.

I need to clarify some important points here. When dealing with an early retirement benefit suspension and survivor benefits: 1. The earnings test no longer applies once you reach FRA, regardless of which benefit you're receiving. 2. Regarding your husband having been a teacher - this could trigger the Government Pension Offset (GPO) if YOU receive a pension from non-covered employment. If HE received a teacher's pension from non-covered work, that wouldn't affect your survivor benefits. 3. Most importantly, the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) may have reduced your husband's benefit if he received a pension from work not covered by Social Security. This is critical to understand when calculating survivor benefits. 4. Regarding the overpayment - yes, you will need to address this, but it won't prevent you from receiving survivor benefits. They are separate issues.

Yes, if your husband was receiving both a pension from non-covered teaching work AND Social Security benefits, his SS benefit was likely reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). However, there's good news: when calculating survivor benefits, the WEP reduction is less severe than it is for retirement benefits. This is called the "WEP survivor benefit limit" - it means your widow's benefit might be higher than you'd expect based on what he was receiving. This is absolutely something to discuss specifically with SSA when you apply for survivor benefits.

Not to be negative but prepare for a LONG process. My mom's survivor claim took 4 MONTHS to process after my dad died!!! And they kept asking for the same documents over and over!! Keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit!!!!

She was getting her own SS retirement already so she was ok financially. But if you're concerned about money during the wait, make sure to ask about receiving "partial" or "expedited" payments when you apply. Sometimes they can start paying a portion of the benefit while they process the full claim. Not everyone knows to ask about this!!

To address your original question more directly: your suspended benefits continue to earn delayed retirement credits while suspended (8% per year after FRA). The optimal strategy in many cases is to take the lower of your survivor benefit or your own benefit first, then switch to the higher one later. If your own benefit will eventually be higher, you might take survivor benefits at FRA, let your own benefit grow until 70, then switch. If survivor benefits will be higher, you might do the reverse. A full calculation with your specific numbers is essential.

sorry about ur husband. when my wife passed they said i had to apply in person not online. rules might be different now but they told me survivor benefits HAVE to be in person. also they backdated her death by 6 months for payment!!

no they can go back 6 months from when u apply for survivors. not 6 months from death date. so dont wait too long to apply!!

IMPORTANT: If your husband's teaching job was in a state where teachers don't pay into Social Security (like CA, CO, IL, etc.), you need to check if the Government Pension Offset (GPO) applies to YOU. If YOU will get a pension from work not covered by SS, it could reduce your survivor benefits by 2/3 of your pension amount. This catches many people by surprise!

If YOU dont have a non-covered pension then GPO wont affect you. But his WEP definitely matters for your widow benefit. Ask specifically about the 'WEP survivor limit' when you talk to SSA. The rep probably wont mention it unless you ask!!

To give you a complete picture: with your husband passing and your FRA approaching next year, here's the optimal path forward: 1. Resolve the overpayment issue through a payment plan or hardship waiver. 2. Keep your retirement benefits suspended until you know which will be higher - your benefit at 70 or your survivor benefit at FRA. 3. Apply for survivor benefits approximately 3-4 months before your FRA date. 4. Request a detailed calculation showing both benefits projected to age 70. 5. If your own benefit at 70 will be higher, stay on survivor benefits until 70, then switch. 6. If survivor benefits are higher, consider taking your own reduced benefit until FRA, then switching to survivors. This approach maximizes your lifetime benefits while handling the current overpayment situation.

They are separate benefits, but the SSA systems treat them as choices within your overall record. When you apply for survivor benefits, clearly state that you want to KEEP your retirement benefits suspended. Get the representative to note this in your file. Also request written confirmation of this instruction. Without being explicit about this, there is a risk they could restart your retirement benefits. Document everything - the name of the representative, date, and confirmation numbers for all communications.