Can my wife claim Social Security survivor benefits if I die before taking SS at 70?

Yes, if you pass away before claiming your benefits at 70, your wife would be eligible for survivor benefits. The amount she'd receive would be based on what you would have received at your Full Retirement Age (FRA), plus any delayed retirement credits you earned up until your death. So if you pass at 67, she'd get what you would have received at 67 (your FRA benefit plus 8% for each year of delay). If you pass at 69, she'd get what you would have received at 69 (FRA plus 24% for 3 years of delay). She can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, but they'll be reduced if she claims before her own FRA. At her FRA, she'd get 100% of your benefit amount calculated as explained above.

My husband passed away last year before claiming his SS too. I'm 62 and just went through all this. The SSA will calculate what ur husband would have received including any delayed retirement credits up to the date of death. But heads up they don't automatically give you the highest amount!!! You have to specifically ASK about all the different calculations they can do. Some reps know more than others.

The previous answers are correct about your wife being eligible for survivor benefits if you pass away before claiming at 70. At age 60, she would receive about 71.5% of your calculated benefit. Each month she waits after 60 adds a little more until she reaches her FRA when she gets 100%. One important consideration: If your wife has earned her own Social Security benefit, she should carefully consider when to claim each benefit. She could take the survivor benefit first and switch to her own retirement benefit later if it would be higher (or vice versa). This dual-entitlement strategy can maximize her lifetime benefits.

when my dad died my mom had to wait MONTHS to get survivor benefits! social security lost her paperwork twice and she had to reapply! she was 62 and broke and they didnt care at all. make sure your wife knows where all your papers are and your SS numbers and everything!!

When dealing with survivor benefits, getting through to SSA can be incredibly frustrating. After my spouse passed, I spent weeks trying to reach someone knowledgeable. I eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent without the endless waiting. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Finally got my questions answered about exactly how the survivor calculation would work with delayed retirement credits. Saved me hours of frustration during an already difficult time.

Another thing to consider is if your wife will be eligible for the LUMP SUM DEATH PAYMENT. Its only $255 but hey thats better than nothing!!! Also she should apply for survivor benefits right away because they only back pay for 6 months!!! My sister waited almost a year to apply and lost out on thousands of $$$!!

I went through this last year. One thing nobody mentioned yet is that your wife will need to CALL to make an appointment to apply for survivor benefits. You cannot do it online! And getting through on the phone is nearly impossible these days. Took me 27 calls over 3 days. The local offices are still limiting in-person visits too.

I want to add some clarification about the calculation. If you die before age 70, your wife's survivor benefit would be based on what's called your "Primary Insurance Amount" (PIA) with any delayed retirement credits earned up to your death. For example: - If your monthly PIA at FRA (66) would be $2,500 - And you die at age 68 (2 years of delayed credits = 16% increase) - Her survivor benefit at her FRA would be $2,900 ($2,500 + 16%) If she claims at 60, she'd get about 71.5% of that amount, or approximately $2,073. You're making a sound decision by planning to delay until 70 as this not only maximizes your benefit but also potentially increases her survivor benefit if you pass away.

Make sure ur wife knows she CAN'T just call the main 800 number for survivor benefits!!! She has to call the local office directly but they never answer. I had better luck faxing them (yes, FAX, in 2025!) a request for them to call me back with appointment. Riduculous system.

This is really great information everyone! As someone new to thinking about survivor benefits, I had no idea about so many of these details. A few questions based on what I'm reading: 1. Is there a specific form my wife would need to fill out for survivor benefits, or is it all done through the phone appointment? 2. When you mention bringing "ALL paperwork" - beyond marriage certificate and death certificate, what other documents are typically required? 3. For the delayed retirement credits calculation - does SSA automatically calculate this correctly, or is this one of those things where she'd need to specifically ask them to verify the math? The stories about getting through to SSA are honestly terrifying. It sounds like the system is set up to discourage people from getting their benefits. I'm definitely going to organize all our documents now and maybe even write up a step-by-step guide for my wife so she knows exactly what to expect and ask for. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences - this is so much more helpful than the generic info on the SSA website!

Great questions! I'll try to help based on what I learned when my mom went through this process: 1. There isn't a specific form to fill out beforehand - it's all handled during the phone appointment. The SSA rep will gather all the info and process the application during that call. They'll send any paperwork that needs signatures by mail. 2. For documents, definitely have ready: marriage certificate, death certificate, birth certificates (yours and spouse's), Social Security cards, last few years of tax returns, bank account info for direct deposit, and any military discharge papers if applicable. Also helpful to have your spouse's W-2s or self-employment records to verify earnings history. 3. You absolutely need to ask them to verify the delayed retirement credits calculation! Don't assume they'll get it right automatically. My mom had to specifically ask them to walk through the math showing how they calculated her benefit amount. The first rep got it wrong and we had to call back to get it corrected. I'd also suggest creating a simple one-page summary with all your key info (SSNs, dates of birth, marriage date, etc.) so your wife doesn't have to hunt for details during an already stressful call. The more organized and prepared she is, the smoother the process will go. The SSA website really doesn't prepare you for the reality of dealing with their system. These real-world experiences are invaluable!

As someone who just went through the survivor benefits process 6 months ago, I can confirm that bringing someone with you is EXTREMELY helpful. My sister came with me to the SSA office and it made all the difference. She took notes while I focused on answering questions, and she caught several things the rep glossed over quickly. A few additional tips from my experience: - Write down the rep's name and direct number if they give one - Ask for a written summary of what benefits you'll receive and when - If they say you're not eligible for something, ask them to explain exactly why in writing - Don't leave without a clear timeline of when your first payment will arrive One thing that really helped was that my husband had written a simple letter before he passed explaining our situation and what benefits I should be entitled to. When the SSA rep tried to shortchange me on the delayed retirement credits calculation, I was able to reference his notes and push back confidently. The rep "suddenly" found the error and corrected it. The whole system is unfortunately designed to wear you down, but being prepared and having support makes it manageable. Document everything and don't be afraid to advocate for yourself!