Can my non-US resident German husband get my full Social Security survivor benefits if he never paid into SS?

Yes, as your spouse, he would generally be eligible for survivor benefits even though he never paid into Social Security himself. The fact that he's a US citizen is helpful here. As a surviving spouse, he could receive up to 100% of your benefit amount (what you were receiving at your death).However, there are two important considerations:1. Since you're claiming at 62, your benefit is reduced (about 30% less than your full retirement age amount), which means his survivor benefit would be based on this reduced amount.2. Since he's living outside the US, special rules may apply. Fortunately, Germany has a totalization agreement with the US which generally allows payment of benefits to non-residents. However, he would need to meet certain requirements to continue receiving payments abroad.I recommend contacting the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) that serves Germany for specific information on his situation.

Thank you for explaining this! So his survivor benefit would be based on my reduced amount because I'm claiming early? I didn't realize that part. Do you know if he would need to come to the US to initially apply for survivor benefits, or can he do everything from Germany?

my cousin was in similar situation but reverse (american married to german). The germany-US agreement makes it easier but still confusing!!! i think they can appply at the embassy in germany when the time comes but not 100% sure

Thanks! That's helpful to know about the embassy option. I'll have to look into that more.

Just want to say good luck with this! International SS stuff is so complicated, my head spins just thinking about it. Hope you get the answers you need!

I went through something similar with my wife who is Canadian. The survivor benefits for foreign spouses is DEFINITELY complicated. You mentioned your husband is a US citizen too though - that's VERY IMPORTANT!! Non-citizen spouses have more restrictions, but dual citizens have more rights.Here's what we found out: If you pass away, he CAN get survivor benefits, but he MUST have been married to you for at least 9 months (unless death was accidental). Since you're taking benefits at 62, his survivor benefit will be LOWER than if you had waited until your Full Retirement Age.We had SO MANY PROBLEMS trying to get answers from SSA on the phone - hours of waiting just to get disconnected!!! SO FRUSTRATING!!!

We've been married for 15 years, so that part should be fine at least. The reduced benefit is disappointing, but I don't think I can wait until FRA financially. The phone problems sound awful - that's exactly what I'm worried about with trying to get more specific answers.

One thing no one has mentioned yet - there's also a requirement that your husband must have been married to you for at least 9 months before your passing (with some exceptions for accidents). Since you mentioned you've been married for 15 years, that won't be an issue.Regarding applying from Germany - yes, he can apply through the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in Germany. He won't need to travel to the US to apply.Also, since he's a US citizen, he avoids many of the payment restrictions that would apply to non-citizens living abroad. The US-Germany totalization agreement further simplifies things.If you're having trouble reaching SSA by phone (which is incredibly common), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). It's a service that helps you get through to a Social Security representative without the endless waiting. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. I used it when dealing with my own international benefits situation and it saved me hours of frustration.

Thank you for mentioning the embassy application process - that's a relief! And I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service. Getting specific information about international cases seems nearly impossible otherwise.

Just to add to what others have said - the rules for Social Security payments to beneficiaries residing outside the US are covered under the

wow thats super helpful info about the form SSA-21!! my family member needed to do this and didnt know!!!

Dont mean to go off topic but why are u claiming at 62??? Thats such a big reduction! Almost a third less money forever! My financial advisor said never ever take SS at 62 unless your literally on deaths door. Just curious about your thinking.

I have some health issues that make working full-time difficult, and my savings aren't enough to bridge the gap until FRA. I've run the numbers and talked with a financial planner - in my specific situation, claiming early makes sense even with the reduction. But I appreciate the concern!

This advice about NEVER taking SS at 62 is TOO SIMPLISTIC! Everyone's situation is different! Some people NEED the money earlier, others have health concerns, others have longevity calculations. Financial advisors who make blanket statements like that aren't considering individual circumstances!

To answer your follow-up question about the reduced benefit: Yes, unfortunately, since you're claiming at 62, any survivor benefits would be based on this reduced amount. Specifically, if you were to pass away, your husband would be eligible for a survivor benefit equal to the higher of:1. The actual benefit amount you were receiving at death, or2. 82.5% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA, which is what you would have received at full retirement age)Regarding application procedures, as others have mentioned, he can apply through the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy or Consulate in Germany. He doesn't need to travel to the US. The FBU would help process his application and serve as his point of contact with SSA.I also want to clarify that while the US-Germany totalization agreement helps with qualifying for benefits by combining work credits, your husband's eligibility for survivor benefits is based entirely on your US work record, so the agreement mainly helps with the administrative aspects in this case.

Thank you for breaking down those percentage details - that helps me understand what he might receive. So there's basically a floor of 82.5% of what my FRA benefit would have been. That's good to know. I really appreciate all this information!