Can my widowed sister claim SS survivor benefits at 60 while waiting on her disability claim?

Yes, your sister can definitely claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, but she'll only get about 71.5% of what she would receive if she waited until her full retirement age (which is probably 67). Given her situation with no income, taking reduced survivor benefits at 60 makes a lot of sense. As for switching to her own retirement benefit later - absolutely! This is one of the few remaining strategies after the 2015 rule changes. She can take reduced survivor benefits at 60, then switch to her own retirement benefit at her FRA if that amount would be higher (which it might be if she had strong earnings). Regarding her pending disability claim - if approved, SSA will compare the disability benefit amount to the reduced survivor benefit she'd be receiving and pay the higher of the two amounts. They won't pay both simultaneously. One important note: if she's approved for SSDI before age 60, she can receive unreduced survivor benefits because disability benefits aren't reduced for age like early retirement benefits are.

my mother went thru this exact thing last year!! she was 61 when my dad passed and she got survivors benefits right away. but she had to go to the SSA office in person with death certificate. they dont tell u the amounts over the phone u have to actually apply to find out. hope ur sister gets the help she needs!!

My deepest condolences to your sister. I lost my husband at 58 and know how overwhelming it all feels. The advice about taking survivor benefits at 60 is generally good, but with her disability claim pending, it gets complicated. If her disability is approved before she turns 60, she might be able to get her SSDI and then switch to survivor benefits at her FRA if they're higher. The timing gets tricky. Has she had her disability interview yet?

I went through EXACT same situation with my wife two years ago. SSA phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE - 2+ hour waits and then they disconnect you!!! After weeks of frustration I found a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the SSA rep gave us exact figures for both disability and survivor benefits and helped us understand which path made more sense. The site is claimyr.com if your sister needs to actually speak with SSA to get those benefit amounts. Saved us weeks of stress.

Social Security specialist here. Let me clarify a few important points for your sister's situation: 1. Survivor benefits at age 60 will be about 71.5% of her husband's full benefit amount (not his SSDI amount, but his Primary Insurance Amount). 2. The "disability pays more than survivors" advice is often given, but it's highly individualized. If her disability claim is approved, SSA will pay the higher benefit amount, not both. 3. KEY STRATEGY: If she takes reduced survivor benefits at 60, she can indeed switch to her own retirement benefit at FRA with no reduction. Or if her disability is approved, she could receive disability until FRA, then switch to unreduced survivor benefits if those would be higher. 4. To get accurate estimates, she needs to speak with a Claims Specialist at SSA - regular service representatives often don't have access to calculate these complex scenarios. 5. IMPORTANT: If she has limited resources, she should immediately check eligibility for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) which could provide support while waiting for disability/survivor decisions. Hope this helps with her planning!

The SSA agent who told your sister to focus on disability was giving incomplete advice. While it's true her disability might pay more than reduced survivor benefits, there's a major advantage to filing for survivors at 60 that they didn't mention: it preserves her option to switch to her own retirement benefit later with no reduction. This is literally one of the last remaining Social Security "loopholes" after the 2015 law changes closed most others. I'd recommend she pursue BOTH paths simultaneously - continue with her disability claim AND apply for survivor benefits when she turns 60. SSA will pay the higher of the two if both are approved. But they need separate applications!

just wondering, has ur sister checked if shes eligible for any of her late husbands Medicare?? my aunt got Medicare at 62 thru her deceased husbands benefits even tho normal Medicare age is 65. might help with her health issues

WARNING ABOUT SURVIVORS BENEFITS! If your sister gets a job while collecting early survivors benefits (before her FRA), she'll be subject to the earnings limit ($22,320 in 2025) and could lose some benefits if she earns over that amount. This trips up so many people! Also, make sure she applies for the one-time $255 death benefit if she hasn't already. It's not much but every bit helps in this situation.