Can a retired teacher get survivor benefits if husband died with 40+ quarters?

Yes, she likely qualifies for survivor benefits since they were married for at least 5 years (the minimum for widow(er) benefits is 9 months). HOWEVER - and this is a big however - she will almost certainly be affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO) since she receives a pension from work not covered by Social Security (teaching). The GPO will reduce her survivor benefit by 2/3 of her teacher's pension amount. In many cases, this eliminates the entire survivor benefit.

Ur friend should definitely apply!! my cousin was a teacher in TX and still got like $320/month after her husband died even with the GPO reduction. better than nothing! the SSA will calculate everything for her.

I went through this EXACT situation last year. Teacher for 32 years, husband died with plenty of SS credits. Let me tell you what happened: 1) I had to bring my pension award letter to the SSA 2) They calculated 2/3 of my monthly pension ($3200 x 2/3 = $2133) 3) My husband's benefit would have been $2400 4) So I ended up with $267/month ($2400 - $2133) Not much, but it helps with groceries. The whole GPO thing is RIDICULOUS if you ask me. I paid into my pension fair and square!

I've helped several teachers through this process. Here's what your friend needs to know: 1) The 6-year marriage meets the duration requirement for survivor benefits (minimum is 9 months) 2) The GPO will reduce her survivor benefit by 2/3 of her "non-covered" pension (teacher's pension) 3) However, if your friend paid Social Security taxes on her teaching job (some states like California deduct SS), the GPO may not apply or may be calculated differently 4) She should gather: death certificate, marriage certificate, pension award letter showing monthly amount, and her own and her husband's Social Security numbers 5) She should apply even if she thinks she'll get nothing - sometimes there are exceptions or special circumstances Hope this helps!

Your friend should definitely apply for the survivor benefits, but she should be prepared to provide extensive documentation. When my sister (also a teacher) applied for widow's benefits, she was initially denied because they claimed she hadn't provided sufficient proof of her pension amount. By the way, if she's having trouble getting through to the SSA on the phone, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at Social Security after weeks of trying myself. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me hours of frustration when I was dealing with my own benefits issue.

My mom got surviver benifets from my dads SS even tho she was a teacher for 25 yrs! She gets like $900 a month but she retired in florida not sure if that matters

tell ur friend to apply ASAP!! benefits can only be paid 6 months retroactive for survivors.

The whole GPO thing is SO UNFAIR!! My mom worked as a teacher for 35 years, paid into her pension the whole time. Dad worked factory job 40 years, paid SS taxes. When he died, she got ZERO of his benefits because of GPO. Meanwhile our neighbor who never worked a day in her life gets full survivor benefits from her husband!!! How is this fair??

Just wanted to add one more important point that I don't think has been mentioned yet - your friend should also ask about the lump-sum death payment when she applies. It's a one-time $255 payment that surviving spouses can receive if they were living with the deceased at the time of death. It's not much, but it can help with immediate expenses and isn't affected by the GPO. She'll need to apply for this within 2 years of her husband's death, so she shouldn't wait too long. The SSA office can process both the survivor benefit application and the lump-sum payment at the same time.

This is such helpful information for your friend! Based on what everyone has shared, it sounds like she should definitely apply even though the GPO will likely reduce her benefits significantly. I'd also suggest she check if her state's teacher retirement system participates in Social Security - some do and some don't, which makes a huge difference in how the GPO is calculated. If she's in a state like Florida where teachers pay into both systems, she might be in better shape than expected. The real-world examples people have shared here show that even after GPO reductions, some survivors still receive meaningful monthly benefits. Don't let her give up before trying - the worst they can say is no, and she might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that your friend should also consider whether she might be eligible for her own Social Security benefits later if she worked other jobs that paid into SS before or after teaching. Even if those benefits would be reduced by WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision), it's worth checking her Social Security statement at ssa.gov to see her complete earnings record. Sometimes people forget about summer jobs, part-time work, or other employment that contributed to SS. Also, if she's not already 60, she should know that survivor benefits can start as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled), though they'll be reduced if taken before her full retirement age. The timing of when to apply can make a difference in the monthly amount she receives.

I just want to emphasize something that's been touched on but bears repeating - even if your friend thinks she won't get much due to GPO, she should absolutely apply within the first 6 months after her husband's death to maximize any potential retroactive payments. I've seen cases where teachers were pleasantly surprised by their survivor benefit amount, especially if their pension wasn't as high as they initially thought or if there were calculation errors in their favor. Also, the SSA representatives are generally very helpful in walking through the GPO calculation during the application process, so she'll get a clear picture of what to expect. The peace of mind of knowing exactly where she stands financially is worth the effort of applying, regardless of the final dollar amount.