Can't get deceased husband's SS benefit amount before retirement - widow's filing strategy dilemma

This is unfortunately common with survivor benefits. SSA has a weird policy about not providing certain benefit estimates over the phone. You should schedule an in-person appointment at your local office - they can print out the benefit amounts right there for you. Bring your husband's death certificate, your marriage certificate, and your own ID. The switch strategy you're considering (taking your own benefit now and switching to survivor benefits at FRA) can be smart if your husband's benefit was significantly higher than yours.

Same thing happened to me last year!!! took FOREVER to get any info. SSA is the worst with communication 😡

I can help clarify what's happening here. For widow's benefits, the SSA system requires manual verification of your husband's earnings record and benefit amount, which is why they won't provide estimates over the phone. This is especially true for the specific strategy you're considering (known as the "restricted application" for survivors). Your best option is to request a PEBES (Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement) specifically noting you need both your retirement benefit estimate AND your potential survivor benefit amount. Make sure to specify you're planning a strategy that involves switching between benefits. Also, if your husband had already filed for his benefits before passing, the survivor benefit would be approximately the same as what he was receiving (or would have received at his FRA if he filed early).

u should just take whichever is higher now why wait? my mom tried the switching thing and ended up getting less than if shed just taken the bigger one first

I went through this exact situation last year and finally found a solution! I was getting nowhere with phone calls and waiting for mail that never came. I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent within 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent was able to schedule me an expedited appointment where I finally got all the benefit amounts I needed. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it saved me weeks of waiting and confusion.

This is why I HATE dealing with Social Security!!! They make everything SO HARD on purpose to discourage people from getting their full benefits. I went through similar nonsense when my husband died. They kept sending me to different departments and giving me conflicting information. Took me THREE MONTHS to get actual numbers and by then I had already made decisions I couldn't change. The whole system is designed to frustrate us and save them money!

Quick tip - check your MySSA online account! I was surprised to find my deceased husband's benefit info was actually listed there under the "Potential Benefits" section. Might save you some time.

One important point regarding your strategy: Since you're turning 65 (below your FRA, which I'm assuming is 66 and 10 months if you're retiring in 2025), taking your own benefit now and then switching to survivor benefits at your FRA is often optimal IF your husband's benefit would be significantly higher than yours. However, if your own benefit at 70 would be higher than your husband's benefit, you might consider taking the reduced survivor benefit now and switching to your own at 70. This is why having the exact numbers is crucial. Have you tried contacting your Congressional Representative's office? They often have staff dedicated to Social Security issues who can expedite these requests.

My sister got widowed last year and they told her it would take 6-8 weeks to get the benefit estimate by mail but she never got anything. She ended up just filing for her own benefits and hoping for the best because she couldn't wait any longer financially. Now she's worried she made a mistake but feels stuck 😕

Have you tried faxing a request? Sounds old-school but sometimes the fax requests get processed faster than phone or online requests with SSA.

After seeing all these responses, I wanted to add that you might want to request a BRIEF - Benefit Rate Increase at Full retirement age Time. This specifically shows what your widow's benefit would be at different ages. Not all SSA representatives know about this report, so you might need to specifically ask for it by name. It will show exactly what your benefit would be if you take it now (reduced) or wait until FRA (full amount). Also, if your calculation is particularly complex (if your husband had a government pension or foreign earnings, for example), this could be contributing to the delay.

just go in person its the only way to get anything done with these people trust me