How does SSDI affect Social Security survivor benefits if spouse died before reaching FRA?

Sry for your loss. My wife also passed b4 FRA. The survivors benefit is based on what your husband would have received at his FRA, not what he was getting on SSDI. But the SSA will do whats called a recomputation when they calculate it. i think they use 100% if youre at your FRA. if ur takin it early its reduced. Call them to run the numbers

I'm sorry for your loss. Let me help clear up how survivor benefits work when a spouse was on SSDI: 1. Your survivor benefit will be based on 100% of what your husband was entitled to - which is his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). For SSDI recipients, this is essentially what they would have received at their FRA. 2. If you take survivor benefits before your FRA (67), they will be reduced based on your exact age. At 63, you'd receive approximately 79.6% of the full survivor benefit. 3. Yes, you can absolutely employ a strategy where you take one benefit type now and switch to another later. In your case, you could take your own reduced retirement benefit at 63 and then switch to the full survivor benefit at your FRA. 4. Since you're working, be aware of the earnings test if you claim any benefits before your FRA. For 2025, you can earn up to $22,320 without reduction, but $1 in benefits is withheld for every $2 you earn above that limit. I recommend getting a benefit verification letter from SSA that shows exactly what your husband's PIA was - this will tell you the base amount for your survivor benefit calculations.

My mom went thru this exact thing!!! The SSA makes everything SO COMPLICATED on purpose I swear. She ended up taking her own benefit at 62 (even tho it was lower) and then switched to the survivor benefit when she hit her FRA. Worked out way better for her in the long run. But everyone's situation is different i guess

The strategy of claiming your own reduced benefit now and switching to the full survivor benefit at your FRA is often optimal. However, since your own benefit at 63 is already $1,800, you need to carefully calculate the break-even point. Survivor benefits are NOT adjusted upward if you wait beyond your FRA (unlike retirement benefits which grow until 70). So there's no advantage to waiting past your FRA to claim the survivor benefit. I've been trying to reach SSA for weeks about my own situation and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I actually spoke with an agent, they ran calculations showing my different options which was incredibly helpful for making a decision.

THE SSA IS A NIGHTMARE TO DEAL WITH!!!! My husband died in 2019 and I'm STILL fighting with them about his back payments they owe me!!! Be prepared for them to make "mistakes" in THEIR favor and having to appeal EVERYTHING. They initially calculated my survivors benefit completely wrong and I had to get my congressman involved!!!!! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and get all calculations IN WRITING!!!!!

Social Security survivor benefits have some unique rules when the deceased was on SSDI: 1. The survivor benefit is based on 100% of the deceased's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit amount they would receive at their full retirement age. Since your husband was receiving SSDI, his benefit was already calculated at the PIA rate. 2. If you claim before your FRA (67), the survivor benefit is reduced by a percentage for each month early. At 63, you'd receive approximately 79.6% of his PIA. 3. The years your husband was on SSDI before his death are not counted as zeros in his earnings record. SSA has special rules for disability cases that protect the benefit amount. 4. Your survivor benefit will receive cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) over time, just like regular Social Security benefits. 5. Yes, you can claim your own reduced retirement benefit now and then switch to the unreduced survivor benefit at your FRA. This strategy often maximizes lifetime benefits for many widows/widowers. I suggest getting a detailed benefit calculation from SSA before making your decision. Every case is unique based on earnings histories.

my dad died when i was 16 and my mom got survivors benefits for me until i graduated high school but she never took any for herself because she was working. now shes 61 and still working but struggling with bills. can she still claim his survivors benefits even tho its been 10 years since he died?? anyone know??

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much more confident now about my options. Based on your advice, I think my best strategy is to: 1. Take my own reduced retirement benefit at 63 (next month) 2. Continue working part-time, knowing some benefits might be withheld due to the earnings test 3. Switch to the full survivor benefit when I reach my FRA at 67 4. Make sure to contact SSA a few months before my FRA to initiate the switch I'm going to try to reach SSA this week to confirm the exact amount of my husband's PIA so I can better calculate what my survivor benefit will be at FRA. I'll also ask them to run different scenarios to make sure this is truly the best approach for my situation. This has been so confusing but you've all been extremely helpful. I really appreciate it!