Does claiming SS early affect survivor benefits if I apply after my FRA?

Great question about survivor benefits! The good news is that your reduced retirement benefit (from claiming 5 months early) does NOT affect your survivor benefit amount. Survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits are calculated separately. Since you applied for survivor benefits AFTER your FRA, you should receive the higher of either your current benefit or 100% of your late husband's benefit amount. The reduction only applies to your own retirement benefit, not to the survivor benefit you're now claiming after FRA.

I just went through this exact situation last year. The survivor benefit isn't affected by when you took your own benefit. They're separate calculations. Since you waited until after your FRA to claim survivor benefits, you'll get the maximum possible - 100% of your husband's benefit if that's higher than your current payment. When I called SSA, I waited 3 hours and got disconnected twice before finally getting through! So frustrating!

My mom just went thru this and they messed it up!!! She had to call back like 5 times to get it fixed. Make sure u check ur payment amounts carefully. The computer sometimes doesnt calculate right and the ppl don't always know what there doing.

The whole survivor benefit system is DESIGNED to be confusing!! I spent months figuring this out when my wife passed. Here's the TRUTH they don't tell you: if you take your own benefits early, those are permanently reduced. BUT survivor benefits are a completely different calculation. Since you waited until AFTER your FRA to claim survivors, you get the FULL amount your husband would've received. Don't let them tell you different! They tried to shortchange me too until I quoted their own rules to them!

I think you might be getting the widow(er) stuff mixed up with spousal benefits. Those work different. My sister gets spousal benefits and those DID get reduced because she took her own SS early.

When my husband died three years ago, I was so confused about all this. Social Security sent me a letter saying I'd get the higher of the two benefits - either my own or the survivor benefit based on his record. Since I waited until after my FRA to claim the survivor benefit (like you did), I got his full amount because it was higher than mine. The nice thing is that they'll automatically give you whichever is higher. But definitely double-check their calculations. When I first applied, they didn't include some of his most recent earnings in his benefit calculation, and I had to point that out to them. It made about a $175 difference in my monthly payment!

To clarify what others have said, here's the official rule: If you take your own retirement benefits early, they're reduced permanently. However, survivor benefits are completely separate. Since you waited until after your Full Retirement Age to claim survivor benefits, you're eligible for 100% of your deceased husband's benefit amount (or what he would have received at his FRA if he hadn't claimed yet). The SSA will compare: 1. Your reduced retirement benefit 2. Your husband's full benefit (or what he was receiving) You'll receive the higher of these two amounts. So if his benefit is higher, you'll switch to that full amount. If yours is somehow higher even with the reduction, you'll just keep your current benefit. This is why filing strategies for widows/widowers can be complex - sometimes it makes sense to take the reduced retirement benefit early and then switch to survivor benefits at FRA (which is what you did).

One more thing - make sure you ask about any potential retroactive benefits. Since you applied a year after your FRA, you might be eligible for up to 6 months of retroactive survivor benefits (assuming your husband passed away more than 6 months ago). The SSA doesn't always tell you about this automatically.

my aunt had same thing happen and got a big backpay check! def ask about it

I went through a similar situation when my spouse passed away two years ago. The key thing to remember is that survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits are completely separate calculations. Since you waited until after your FRA to apply for survivor benefits, you should receive the full 100% of your husband's benefit amount if it's higher than your current reduced benefit. The fact that you took your own retirement 5 months early doesn't impact the survivor benefit calculation at all - they're independent of each other. I'd recommend getting everything in writing from SSA when they process your claim, and don't hesitate to ask them to explain exactly how they calculated your new benefit amount. Sometimes the representatives aren't fully clear on these rules, so persistence helps. My condolences on your loss, and I hope this gets resolved smoothly for you.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Connor. I went through something very similar about 18 months ago when my husband passed. The confusion you're experiencing is completely understandable - even some SSA representatives don't fully grasp how survivor benefits work independently from your own retirement benefits. The short answer is: your early filing for your own retirement benefits does NOT reduce your survivor benefit amount. Since you waited until after your FRA to apply for survivor benefits, you're entitled to 100% of what your husband was receiving (or would have received at his FRA). Here's what helped me: I kept detailed notes of every conversation with SSA, including the representative's name and ID number. When I got conflicting information, I was able to reference previous calls. Also, don't be afraid to hang up and call back if you get a rep who seems unsure - I learned this the hard way after getting incorrect information twice. One thing that really caught my attention in your post - you mentioned applying for survivor benefits "about a year after reaching your FRA." Make sure to ask specifically about retroactive payments. You might be eligible for up to 6 months of back payments, which could be substantial depending on the benefit amounts. The waiting and uncertainty is stressful, but you should end up with whichever benefit is higher - either your current reduced amount or your husband's full benefit amount. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Connor. This is definitely one of the more confusing aspects of Social Security, and you're not alone in getting mixed messages from different representatives. The good news is that everyone here is giving you correct information - your early filing for your own retirement benefits absolutely does NOT affect your survivor benefit amount. These are calculated completely separately. Since you wisely waited until after your FRA to apply for survivor benefits, you're entitled to receive the full 100% of your husband's benefit if it's higher than your current reduced benefit. I'd strongly recommend calling back and specifically asking them to explain in detail how they calculated your new benefit amount. Ask them to confirm that they're giving you the higher of: (1) your current reduced retirement benefit, or (2) 100% of your husband's benefit amount. If the representative seems uncertain about this, don't hesitate to ask to speak with a supervisor or call back for a second opinion. Also, definitely ask about retroactive payments since your husband passed away over a year ago and you're just now applying for survivor benefits. You could be entitled to several months of back pay. Document everything - names, dates, what was said. The rules are clear on this, but sometimes it takes persistence to get them applied correctly. You should end up in a much better financial position once this gets sorted out properly.