Can my 62-year-old coworker collect Social Security survivor benefits while still working?
My coworker just turned 62 last month and she's been widowed for about 12 years. She's really struggling with deciding what to do about Social Security. She wants to continue working (she needs the income) but is wondering if she could collect survivor benefits from her late husband now? She's nowhere near ready to retire and is terrified about making the wrong decision with her benefits. Can she collect survivors while still working full-time? Or would she face some kind of penalty? She's afraid to call SSA because she doesn't want to 'start something' she can't stop. I've tried looking online but keep finding conflicting information about earnings limits and survivor benefits.
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Javier Morales
Yes, she can collect survivor benefits at 62 while still working, but there are important things she needs to know. First, since she's under her Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for her), there's an earnings limit that will affect her. For 2025, if she earns more than $22,600, SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 she earns above that limit. Once she reaches FRA, the earnings limit goes away completely. Second, taking survivor benefits at 62 means they'll be reduced to about 71.5% of what she'd get if she waited until her FRA. This reduction is permanent. Third, she should definitely compare the survivor benefit amount to her own retirement benefit. At some point, her own benefit might be higher, and she could switch to that later. Tell her not to be afraid to contact SSA - getting information doesn't commit her to anything. She should at least find out what her benefit amounts would be so she can make an informed decision.
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Natasha Petrova
•Thank you for this detailed response! She'll be relieved to know she can collect something now even while working. Do you know if the earnings limit applies to just her job income or things like rental properties too? I'll pass this along to her - I think just knowing her options will help with the anxiety.
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Javier Morales
•The earnings limit applies to wages and net earnings from self-employment. It does NOT count other income like rental income, investment income, pension payments, or capital gains. Only money she actively earns through working counts toward the limit. One more thing - she should consider applying for benefits online at ssa.gov. It's often easier than dealing with the local office, and she can save her application and think about it before submitting if she's unsure.
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Emma Davis
•I did this exact thing when my husband passed. Started survivors at 62 while working part-time. They DO take money away if u earn too much!! I went over by about $3000 one year and they took like $1500 back. But still worth it even with the reduction becuz something is better than nothing!!
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GalaxyGlider
Your friend should definitely explore her options! When my dad passed, my mom was in a similar situation. She was terrified of making the wrong choice, but eventually called SSA and found out she was eligible for reduced survivors benefits. One warning though - trying to actually reach someone at Social Security is a NIGHTMARE. My mom spent literally days trying to get through on the phone. She'd wait on hold for hours only to get disconnected. When she finally got through, the information was helpful, but the process was awful. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an SSA agent in under 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It made a huge difference when I needed to straighten out my own benefit questions. But regardless of how she contacts them, your friend should definitely find out her options. Knowledge is power, especially with these complex Social Security rules!
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Natasha Petrova
•Thanks for sharing that resource! She's been putting this off partly because she dreads dealing with the phone system. I'll let her know about Claimyr - that might make it seem less overwhelming for her to at least get some information. Did your mom end up working while collecting survivors benefits?
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GalaxyGlider
•Yes, my mom did work part-time while collecting survivors. She kept her income under the annual limit most years to avoid penalties. Just make sure your friend understands exactly what that annual limit is and how it works if she decides to go this route. The peace of mind of having those survivor benefits coming in really helped my mom, even though they were reduced.
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Malik Robinson
DONT DO IT!!! If she earns more than the limit then SSA will take EVERYTHING BACK and she'll end up OWING them money!!! They did this to my sister and it was a NIGHTMARE!!! She had to pay back $8000 and they garnished her tax returns!!! The earnings limit is WAY TOO LOW for anyone who has a decent job. Tell her to just keep working and wait until she ACTUALLY retires to deal with SS!!!
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Isabella Silva
•This information isn't entirely accurate. SSA won't "take EVERYTHING BACK" if someone exceeds the earnings limit. They withhold benefits according to a specific formula ($1 for every $2 earned above the limit), and they only withhold what's necessary - they don't take everything. If your sister had to repay $8,000, she likely didn't report her work activity or earnings changes to SSA in a timely manner, which resulted in an overpayment. That's different from the normal withholding process that happens when you properly report earnings. Your friend should make an informed decision based on her specific situation, and proper reporting is essential to avoid overpayments.
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Malik Robinson
•Maybe its different for regular retirement but for survivors they ABSOLUTELY took everything from my sister and THEN some!!! This happened just last year so its not like im talking about ancient history. The whole system is designed to confuse people and then punish them!!!
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Javier Morales
•The rules are actually the same for both retirement and survivor benefits when it comes to the earnings test. The difference is likely in how the situation was handled. If your sister didn't report earnings changes promptly, an overpayment can build up. This is why it's so important for the original poster's friend to understand the rules clearly and stay in communication with SSA about any income changes.
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Ravi Choudhury
just a quick question - ive heard that widows can get benefits at 60 not 62 is that right? why would your friend wait til 62 if she could have been getting them already for 2 years?
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Freya Andersen
•Yes, survivor benefits can start as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), but the reduction is even greater than at 62. At 60, you'd only get about 71.5% of the full survivor benefit, whereas at FRA you'd get 100%. Many people wait until 62 because the increase in monthly benefit outweighs the fewer number of payments. Also, the earnings limit still applies no matter when you start before FRA.
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Ravi Choudhury
•oh that makes sense, thanks! i didnt know about the different percentages. i guess it all depends on if you need the money now or can wait for more later
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Emma Davis
Bless her heart, I know EXACTLY how she feels!!! I was widowed at 49 and it was so scary trying to figure all this out. I started taking my survivors benefits at 60 while still working part time at Walmart. Here's what I learned the hard way: 1) They reduce your check if you make over the yearly limit (its around $22K now I think) 2) You have to report your expected income every year 3) If you mess up and don't report correctly they come after you for every penny! But even with all that, it was worth it for me to get those survivors checks while working. Just tell her to be super careful about reporting her income and maybe keep her hours down if possible. When I turned full retirement age (mine was 66) all those earning limits went away and I could work as much as I wanted without any reductions.
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Natasha Petrova
•Thank you for sharing your experience! This is so helpful to hear from someone who's been through it. I'll definitely tell her about the yearly reporting requirement - I don't think either of us realized that was necessary. Did you find it complicated to estimate your earnings each year?
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Emma Davis
•It wasn't too bad estimating my earnings since I had pretty regular hours, but it was stressful! I always tried to estimate a little bit higher just to be safe. The most important thing is to call them right away if you end up working more or getting a raise - don't wait until the end of the year or you'll have a big surprise bill! They're not very forgiving about overpayments.
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Isabella Silva
Your coworker has several options to consider: 1. She can claim survivor benefits now at 62, which would be approximately 71.5% of her husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). The exact percentage depends on her exact birth year. 2. If she works full-time, she needs to be aware of the 2025 earnings limit of $22,600 for those under Full Retirement Age (FRA). Exceeding this means SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 above the limit. 3. She might want to consider a strategic approach: claim survivors benefits now (even with the reduction and earnings limit), then switch to her own retirement benefit later if it would be higher. 4. Alternatively, if her own benefit would be higher, she could claim her reduced retirement benefit now and switch to survivors benefits at her FRA when they would not be reduced. The best approach depends on a comparison between her own work record and her late husband's. She should create an account at my.ssa.gov to see her estimates and contact SSA for a complete benefits analysis before deciding.
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Natasha Petrova
•This is really helpful information! I didn't realize there might be a strategy involving switching benefits later. I'll suggest she create that online account to see her estimates. Do you happen to know if there's a way to see what her late husband's benefit amounts would have been through her online account, or does she need to call SSA directly for that information?
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Isabella Silva
•She would need to contact SSA directly to get information about her potential survivor benefits based on her husband's record. The my.ssa.gov account only shows estimates based on her own work record. When she calls, she should have her husband's Social Security number ready, as well as their marriage certificate and his death certificate (or at least the information from them). This will help SSA calculate her potential survivor benefit amounts accurately.
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