Confused about Surviving Spouse Benefits calculation - is partial payment of deceased husband's Social Security normal?

The SSA rep is correct, but I understand why you're confused. This is how survivor benefits work when you have your own work record. When you're at FRA, you're entitled to the HIGHER of either: 1. Your own retirement benefit, OR 2. Your deceased spouse's full benefit You don't get both added together. It sounds like your husband's benefit was higher than your own, so you'll receive an amount equal to what he was receiving. What the rep was describing is how SSA administratively handles this. They'll pay your own retirement benefit first, and then add enough of the survivor benefit to reach the total of your husband's benefit amount. This is normal procedure. The advantage of filing for your own retirement now is that you'll get that 6-month backpay faster while they process the survivor claim. Eventually, you'll receive the full survivor amount retroactive to when you applied (or when he passed, depending on timing).

ur getting ur full amount!!! they just have to process it weirdly in their system. my sister went thru the same thing last yr when her husband died. its confusin but you'll get 100% of his amount since ur FRA. dont worry! its just system stuff

I've been through this nightmare. The way they explained it to me was that I get the HIGHER of either my own or my deceased husband's benefit. But then they break it down in their system as "your own benefit" PLUS "the difference to reach his benefit." It's incredibly confusing! Take the backpay for your own benefits! That money will come faster while they process the survivor portion. You're not losing anything. They're just processing it in parts. BUT you should call back and confirm this. When I was dealing with survivor benefits, I got different answers from different SSA reps. It took me THREE CALLS to get the same answer twice!!!

Hey i kno this is a bit off topic but have you tried calling the SSA directly to get this clarified? When my wife passed last year I kept trying to call the 800 number and it was IMPOSSIBLE to reach anyone. I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live person at SSA in about 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration. Just fyi in case you need to talk to someone directly about this confusing survivor benefit stuff.

The SSA rep is WRONG and you're getting SCREWED!! You're supposed to get your FULL benefit PLUS his FULL benefit! My cousin's neighbor got BOTH when her husband died. Call back and DEMAND to speak to a supervisor!!!!

Quick update on the backpay situation - applying for your own retirement with 6 months backpay is a smart move. Since you reached FRA in early 2024, you can get those months of retirement benefits while waiting for the survivor benefit processing. One thing to check: make sure your application for survivor benefits is properly dated. It should be effective from the month of your husband's death if you applied within the first month. If he passed in October 2024, and you applied in November or December, your survivor benefits should be paid retroactively to November (the month after death). This would mean you should receive several months of back survivor payments once approved. The fact that they're offering to process your retirement claim separately suggests they're trying to get you some income faster while the survivor claim processes.

Did anyone else think the example numbers the SSA lady used seem really low?? $1,320 + $1,040 = $2,360 for a total benefit?? My dad was getting almost that much 10 years ago! Just seemed weird to me.

Social Security survivor benefit expert here. Let me clarify exactly what's happening: 1. As a surviving spouse at FRA, you're entitled to 100% of your deceased husband's benefit amount. 2. How SSA processes this internally: - They pay your own retirement benefit first - Then they add a "partial survivor benefit" to reach the total - The sum equals your husband's full benefit amount 3. Why they suggested filing for your retirement: - Retirement claims process faster than survivor claims - You'll get some income (your retirement + 6 months backpay) while waiting - When the survivor portion is approved, your total will equal your husband's benefit - You'll also get retroactive survivor payments back to the month after his passing 4. This dual-entitlement processing is standard procedure and doesn't reduce your total benefit. The rep was actually trying to help you by suggesting this approach. It gets money in your pocket faster while the more complex survivor portion processes.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ava. Losing a spouse is devastating, and dealing with SSA bureaucracy on top of grief makes it even harder. The rep explained it correctly - you'll receive the full amount your husband was getting, but SSA splits it administratively between "your benefit" and "survivor portion." This is completely normal and you're not being shortchanged. Since you've been without income since October, I'd strongly recommend taking their suggestion to file for your retirement benefits now. Here's why: - You'll get your retirement benefit plus 6 months backpay within a few weeks - Survivor benefits can take months to process fully - Once approved, you'll get retroactive survivor payments back to November 2024 - Your total monthly amount will equal your husband's full benefit One tip: get everything in writing or take detailed notes during calls, including the rep's name and date. SSA processing can be inconsistent, and having documentation helps if you need to follow up. You're doing everything right - hang in there. The financial relief is coming.