Do Social Security survivors benefits disappear with TRS pension over the earnings limit?

Your mixing up different rules! Earning limit is for working ppl before FRA. GPO was the one that reduced spousal/survivors benefits for govt pensions but thats gone now. You should get full survivors now as long as ur not working and earning over the limit before FRA.

There's some confusion here that needs clarification. Two separate rules: 1. The earnings test (which still exists): This applies to WAGES from working before your Full Retirement Age. For 2025, if you're under FRA the entire year, the limit is approximately $22,320. This only counts EARNED income from a job, not pensions. 2. The Government Pension Offset (GPO): This used to reduce survivor/spousal benefits for people getting non-covered government pensions, but this was repealed recently. Your TRS pension doesn't count toward the earnings limit because it's not earned income. So you CAN receive survivor benefits now that GPO is eliminated, regardless of your pension amount. However, if you work a job in addition to receiving your pension, those earnings would be subject to the earnings test until you reach your Full Retirement Age.

I went through something similar after my husband died. The rules are SO CONFUSING!! I have a state pension too and they kept giving me wrong info. I spent 6 WEEKS trying to reach someone at Social Security who actually understood my situation. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!

When I was trying to sort out my survivors benefits with my government pension, I was getting nowhere with the standard SSA phone line. I tried for weeks! Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was the only way I could actually get through to someone who could answer my specific questions about my pension and survivors benefits. After that call, I finally understood exactly what I was eligible for.

I know this is off topic but does anyone know if you need to APPLY for survivors benefits or do they automatically switch you over when your spouse dies? My wife gets SSDI and I get retirement benefits.

Everyone here is focusing on the earnings limit, but make sure you understand how survivor benefits work in general. If you're under your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for you), and you claim survivors benefits early at 62, they'll be permanently reduced by about 30% from what they would be at your FRA. Also, you need to compare which would be higher - your own retirement benefit (if you've earned one) or the survivor benefit from your husband. With the repeal of GPO, this is actually a great time for government pensioners. You'll likely be able to receive the full survivor benefit (or reduced if taking early) ON TOP OF your pension. This is a significant change that benefits people in your exact situation.

One more important point: You might want to consider claiming ONLY survivor benefits at age 60 (or 62 with less reduction) and then switching to your own retirement benefit at age 70 if it would be higher with delayed retirement credits. OR claim your reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to full survivor benefits at your FRA. This strategy of claiming different benefits at different times can maximize your lifetime payout. I'd strongly recommend making an appointment with SSA to discuss your specific situation. With the GPO repeal, your claiming strategy options have significantly improved, and the best choice depends on your specific benefit amounts.

The SSA website is TERRIBLE abt explaining this stuff clearly!! No wonder ppl get confused when it talks abt "earnings" limits but doesnt clearly say it means WORK income not pensions! Glad u asked and got good answers here!