Can my son switch from SSDI to survivor benefits to avoid income limits? Father was state employee

Has your son been receiving SSDI for less than 10 years? Because if so, he might want to be careful about giving it up. Once he's been on SSDI for 24 months he gets Medicare, which is a huge benefit. Also, survivor benefits might be reduced by something called WEP/GPO if his father had a state pension where Social Security taxes weren't paid. Did they mention anything about that?

This is actually a complex situation that involves multiple benefit types and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision. Here's what your son needs to understand: 1. SSDI and survivor benefits are two separate entitlements with different rules 2. If your ex-husband worked in a state position where he didn't pay Social Security taxes (common in some states), the GPO may already be reducing the survivor benefit amount 3. The SSDI has the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit of $1,550/month (in 2025), but survivor benefits have different earnings test rules 4. Depending on your son's age and whether he's reached Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings test for survivor benefits may be more favorable He should request a benefits planning session with a Claims Specialist specifically knowledgeable about state pensions and dual entitlement. Ask for someone who handles WEP/GPO cases regularly.

Your son's situation is definitely complicated. To directly answer your question: Yes, it is sometimes possible to voluntarily terminate SSDI benefits to receive higher survivor benefits, but this decision is IRREVERSIBLE and requires careful analysis. For your son, he needs to consider: 1. The survivor benefit might already be reduced by GPO if his father didn't pay Social Security taxes while working for the state 2. If he's under Full Retirement Age (67 for his generation), survivor benefits still have an earnings test, though it's more generous than SSDI limits 3. CRITICALLY - giving up SSDI means giving up Medicare until age 65 4. Once SSDI is voluntarily terminated, he cannot get it back without filing a completely new application and going through the entire disability determination process again Before making any decisions, he should request form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) and explicitly request a written explanation of how his benefits would change, including the exact survivor benefit amount he would receive if he terminated SSDI.

my cousin went thru this. you DONT want to give up SSDI!!! especially for the medicare. what you want to look into is the Ticket to Work program so he can work more without losing benefits right away. theres a trial work period where he could try working and still keep everything.

I think everyone's missing something here. The real question is whether the survivor benefit is being properly calculated. If his father worked for a state that doesn't participate in Social Security (like some parts of CA, OH, TX), the survivor benefit calculation gets REALLY complicated. My husband and I spent 8 months trying to get a straight answer about this when his mother died (she was a teacher in a non-covered state job). Have you been able to get through to an actual technical expert at SSA who understands the government pension offset rules? Not just the front desk people?

After dealing with similar issues trying to coordinate my husband's SSDI with my own retirement, I found the only way to get to the right person at Social Security was using Claimyr. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they basically get you through to an actual SSA agent without the 2+ hour wait. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU In my case, I needed to speak with someone who understood the intersection between retirement and disability benefits, and the first few reps I talked to were clueless. Using the service, I was able to call back until I got someone who actually knew about these complex rules. Worth trying if you keep getting nowhere with regular calls.

One more crucial point: If your son is interested in working more while keeping benefits, he should look into the SSDI Trial Work Period (TWP). This allows him to test his ability to work for 9 months (not necessarily consecutive) while keeping full SSDI benefits regardless of how much he earns. After the TWP, there's a 36-month Extended Period of Eligibility where he can receive benefits in any month his earnings fall below the SGA level. This offers much more flexibility than simply trying to stay under the earnings limit permanently. And if his condition worsens, he doesn't have to reapply during this period.

JUST BE CAREFUL!!!! I almost lost my benefits because no one told me I had to report my trial work period earnings ON TIME!!! There's specific forms and deadlines and if you miss them they can say you're committing fraud! make sure he documents EVERYTHING and sends in all paperwork certified mail so they cant say they didn't receive it!!!

Based on everything in this thread, here's what I recommend: 1. DON'T give up SSDI - the Medicare loss and inability to easily get back on if needed make this too risky 2. DO set up a benefits planning session with a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) counselor - they're free and specifically trained on work incentives 3. DO look into Trial Work Period (9 months) and Extended Period of Eligibility (36 months) for maximum flexibility 4. DO request a detailed written explanation of how his survivor benefits were calculated, specifically asking about GPO adjustment if his father didn't pay into Social Security 5. If having trouble reaching the right SSA person, consider using a call service or contacting your congressional representative's office (they often have dedicated SSA liaisons) Good luck to you and your son!