Can I work while collecting my deceased husband's Social Security survivor benefits?

Yes, you can work while collecting survivor benefits, but since you're under your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you'll be subject to the earnings limit. For 2025, if you earn more than $21,850 (approximately), SSA will deduct $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. When you reach your FRA (probably 67 in your case), there will be no earnings limit at all. You might want to calculate whether it makes financial sense to claim now with the reduction or wait until you're closer to FRA.

Are you SURE you want to claim now??? I started my husbands survivor benefits at 58 too and I COMPLETELY REGRET IT!!! The reduction for claiming early is PERMANENT and I'm stuck with a much smaller check for the rest of my life. And the SSA people never explained this clearly to me when I applied!!!

Sorry about your husband. Been there. One thing nobody mentioned yet - if your own retirement benefit might be higher than your survivor benefit, you could take the reduced survivor benefit now and then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 when it maxes out. That's what I did. Best of both worlds.

You can create an account at my.ssa.gov to see your estimated benefits. It will show your own retirement benefit at different ages. Compare that to what you'd get as a survivor (which would be your husband's benefit amount if he was at FRA, or what he was receiving if he had already started benefits). The strategy of taking reduced survivor benefits while working and then switching to your own retirement later can be smart if your own benefit at 70 would be higher than the survivor benefit at your FRA.

I had a lot of trouble reaching SSA when I was trying to apply for my survivor benefits last year. After getting disconnected multiple times and waiting on hold for hours, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Made a huge difference in getting my questions answered about the earnings limits and how the reductions would affect me personally.

Yes, it worked for me! I was skeptical too, but after spending two whole days trying to get through on my own, I was desperate. They connected me to an actual SSA agent who was able to give me specific information about my case. Much better than trying to piece together information from websites or waiting months for an in-person appointment.

i got widow benefits at 60 and still work full time. they take a bunch out each month but i get it back at tax time i think?? atleast that's what my son says lol. the rules r so confusing but im just happy to get something since my husband only had medicare when he passed, no other insurance.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to create that my.ssa.gov account today to look at my numbers. I think I might try the strategy of taking the reduced survivor benefit now (even with the earnings limit reduction) and then switching to my own benefit later if it would be higher. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

Make sure u ask for a WRITTEN BENEFIT ESTIMATE before you decide!! My neighbor got totally different amounts than what the website calculator said she would get!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I went through this same decision process last year at age 59. One thing that really helped me was scheduling an appointment at my local SSA office rather than trying to do everything online or over the phone. The representative walked me through the exact calculations with my real numbers - showing me what I'd get now versus waiting, how the earnings limit would affect me specifically, and what my own retirement benefit would look like at different ages. It took about an hour but was worth it to see everything laid out clearly. They also explained that if I change my mind about working more or less, I can always update my earnings estimate with them so the withholding is more accurate. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I'm really sorry for your loss. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while you're still grieving. I went through something similar when my spouse passed away two years ago. One thing I learned that might help you is that you can actually file what's called a "restricted application" - applying only for survivor benefits while letting your own retirement benefit continue to grow until age 70. This way you get some income now to help with your financial struggles, but you preserve the option to switch to your potentially higher retirement benefit later. Also, regarding the earnings limit, remember that only your wages count - not things like interest, dividends, or retirement account withdrawals if you have any of those. The SSA representatives can run scenarios for you showing exactly how much you'd receive each month with your current income level. Don't let the complexity of the rules delay you too long - you're already missing out on months of benefits while you're deciding!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Luca. This is such a tough decision to make while you're still dealing with everything. I went through a similar situation when I lost my spouse at 56. One thing that really helped me was understanding that the earnings test reduction isn't actually "lost" money - when you reach your Full Retirement Age, SSA will recalculate your benefit and give you credit for those months when benefits were withheld due to earnings. It's called the Adjustment to the Reduction Factor (ARF) that someone mentioned earlier. So while your benefit is reduced now for claiming early (the permanent reduction), the earnings test withholding can actually be partially recovered later. Given your financial struggles, it might make sense to start the survivor benefits now even with the reductions, especially if you're planning to switch to your own higher benefit at 70. The peace of mind from having some income coming in during this difficult time might be worth more than the optimal financial strategy. Just make sure when you apply that you're very clear you want ONLY survivor benefits, not your own retirement benefits yet.