How to tell if my Social Security survivors benefits were calculated using the Windexing method?

It's actually called the 'Windfall Elimination Provision' (WEP) or the 'Government Pension Offset' (GPO), not 'Windex method' 😊 These provisions can reduce Social Security benefits if you receive a pension from work where you didn't pay Social Security taxes - typically certain government jobs.Did your husband work for a state or local government, or was he a federal employee under the older CSRS system rather than FERS? If not, then WEP/GPO wouldn't apply to your survivors benefit calculation.The benefit amount is based on your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), your age when you apply, and whether you're receiving any other benefits. At 64, you'd get about 91.9% of his PIA since you're taking it before your Full Retirement Age.

Thank you so much for clarifying! My husband worked for a private company his whole career and paid into Social Security the whole time. I'm not receiving any other benefits right now. So it sounds like WEP/GPO wouldn't apply to me? Now I'm even more confused about why my benefit is lower than expected...

windexing is what u do to clean windows lol. i think ur neighbor got confused. ssa does complicated math tho so who knows what they did to ur money!

LOLOL I needed that laugh. I was trying to figure out how cleaning products related to Social Security! 😂😂

The benefit calculations can be really confusing! Did you use the benefit calculator on SSA.gov before applying? Those estimates can sometimes be off because they assume continuous maximum earnings until your FRA.Also, if your husband claimed his own benefits early (before his FRA), that would permanently reduce his PIA, which affects your survivors benefit amount too.One more thing - there's a family maximum limit that can come into play if there are multiple people (like children under 18) receiving benefits on your husband's record. Could that be affecting your amount?

Oh, that's interesting about him claiming early. Yes, he did take his retirement at 62 (he passed at 66). I didn't realize that would affect my survivors benefit too. We don't have any children under 18, so I don't think the family maximum is relevant. I just wish SSA would explain their calculations more clearly on the award letters!

I went through something very similar last year. The key is actually getting through to a knowledgeable SSA representative who can explain exactly how your benefit was calculated.After weeks of trying, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to SSA without the endless hold times. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUOnce I got through to an actual person, they explained that my husband's early retirement filing had reduced my survivors benefit by about 12% - something no one had ever mentioned to me before. It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but at least I understood why the number was lower than expected.

Thank you for the tip! I'll check out that service because I'm tired of getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. I really need to talk to someone who can walk me through the exact calculation they used.

I used that claimyr service too when I needed to sort out an overpayment notice. Saved me so much frustration. The SSA rep was able to explain everything and even helped me set up a payment plan.

the ssa is ALWAYS finding ways to give us less money!!!! my friend got widows benefits that were WAY LOWER than what her husband was getting when he was alive. she fought it for MONTHS and finally got the amount corrected retroactively. DON'T TRUST their calculations!!! demand an explanation!!!!

While I understand your frustration, there are legitimate reasons why a survivor's benefit might be lower than the deceased's benefit. The reduction isn't necessarily an error or the SSA trying to pay less. However, I absolutely agree that everyone should understand how their benefits are calculated and request explanations if something seems off.

Here's what may have happened in your case. Since your husband claimed at 62, his benefit was reduced to approximately 75% of what it would have been at his Full Retirement Age. When calculating survivors benefits, SSA typically uses a special rule called the

Thank you so much! This RIB-LIM explanation makes perfect sense with the numbers I'm seeing. I've never seen this clearly explained anywhere in the SSA materials they sent me. I'll definitely request that appointment to confirm this is what happened.

My own situation was similar but different - I took my retirement benefit at 62, then when my wife died, I was eligible for survivors benefits. But they wouldn't give me the full survivor amount because of something called \

It really is confusing! I'm actually doing the opposite - taking survivors benefits now and waiting to claim my own retirement. From what I understand, that's supposed to allow me to get the full amount of both at different times. This RIB-LIM thing was just never explained to me.

Based on your additional information, I'm confident what you're experiencing is the RIB-LIM rule (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation) that the other commenter mentioned. This isn't the WEP/GPO your neighbor referred to.The good news is your strategy of taking survivors benefits now and switching to your own retirement benefit at 70 is still a smart approach. Your own retirement benefit will continue growing with delayed retirement credits until 70, completely unaffected by your current survivors benefit.Once you reach 70, if your own benefit is higher than the survivors benefit, you'll automatically be switched to the higher amount.

Thank you for confirming! That makes me feel better about my strategy. I'll definitely keep my plan to switch at 70 since my own benefit should be higher by then with the delayed credits. Now I at least understand why the initial amount was lower than expected.

I'm sorry for your loss, Mei. It sounds like you've gotten some great explanations here about the RIB-LIM rule affecting your survivors benefits. One thing I'd add - when you do get through to SSA (whether using that Claimyr service or eventually getting through on your own), ask them to send you a detailed benefit computation notice. This document breaks down exactly how they calculated your benefit amount and will show if RIB-LIM was applied. Also, keep all your paperwork organized because when you switch to your own retirement benefit at 70, you'll want to compare the projected amounts. The SSA website has a retirement estimator that can help you see what your benefit will be at 70 with the delayed retirement credits. Your strategy of taking survivors benefits now while letting your own benefit grow is absolutely the right approach given your situation. Hang in there - dealing with SSA can be frustrating but you're on the right track!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Mei. What you're experiencing sounds exactly like the RIB-LIM (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation) rule that others have mentioned. This is a lesser-known Social Security rule that can significantly impact survivors benefits when the deceased spouse claimed their retirement benefit early. Since your husband took his retirement at 62 (reduced to about 75% of his full amount), the RIB-LIM rule limits your survivors benefit to what he was actually receiving, rather than his full Primary Insurance Amount. This is different from the standard survivors benefit calculation and isn't well-explained in SSA materials. I'd strongly recommend requesting an in-person appointment at your local SSA office rather than trying to get through by phone. In my experience, face-to-face meetings are much more productive for complex benefit questions. Bring your husband's Social Security statement and your award letter, and specifically ask them to explain if RIB-LIM was applied to your calculation. The silver lining is that your strategy of waiting until 70 for your own retirement benefit is still excellent - those delayed retirement credits will continue to grow your benefit by 8% per year until then, completely independent of your current survivors benefit amount.

I'm really glad you found this thread helpful, Mei! The RIB-LIM rule is definitely one of those "hidden" Social Security provisions that can catch people off guard. Your experience highlights why it's so important for SSA to be more transparent about these calculations in their award letters. Just to add to what others have said - when you do get that detailed benefit computation notice, it should show a line item specifically mentioning if RIB-LIM was applied. The document can look intimidating with all the numbers, but don't hesitate to ask the SSA representative to walk through each section with you. Also, since you're planning to switch to your own retirement benefit at 70, you might want to create a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. It will let you track your earnings record and get updated benefit estimates as you get closer to 70. This can help you confirm that switching will indeed give you the higher benefit amount you're expecting. Best of luck with your appointment, and I hope you get the clear answers you deserve!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Mei. This thread has been incredibly educational - I had no idea about the RIB-LIM rule either! It's frustrating that SSA doesn't explain these complex calculations more clearly upfront. One additional tip that helped me when dealing with SSA: if you do decide to use that Claimyr service or try calling again, ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" rather than just a general representative. Technical Experts are specially trained to handle complex benefit calculations and can provide much more detailed explanations of rules like RIB-LIM. Also, when you get your detailed benefit computation notice, you might want to consider having it reviewed by a Social Security expert or attorney who specializes in benefits. Many offer free consultations and can help verify that everything was calculated correctly. Sometimes there are errors, and it's worth having a professional set of eyes on it. Your strategy of taking survivors benefits now while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70 is absolutely the right approach. Even with the RIB-LIM reduction, you're still maximizing your overall lifetime benefits. Stay strong - you're handling a difficult situation very well!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Mei. This has been such an informative thread! I wanted to add one more resource that might help - the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (NOSSCR) has a directory of attorneys who specialize in Social Security benefits. Many offer free initial consultations and can review your case to ensure everything was calculated correctly. Also, when you do get through to SSA (whether by phone or in-person), don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor if the first representative can't clearly explain the RIB-LIM calculation. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find someone who really understands these complex rules. Your neighbor's confusion about "Windexing" is actually pretty common - there are so many acronyms and technical terms in Social Security that it's easy to mix them up! But this community has done an amazing job explaining what's really happening with your benefits. Keep us posted on how your appointment goes - I think a lot of people would benefit from hearing how SSA explains the RIB-LIM rule in their official documentation.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Mei. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm learning so much about Social Security rules I never knew existed! The RIB-LIM explanation finally makes sense of why your benefit amount was lower than expected. One thing I wanted to add that might help others in similar situations: when you do speak with SSA, ask them to mail you a copy of the "Notice of Award" that shows the step-by-step calculation. This is different from your regular award letter and breaks down each component of how they arrived at your benefit amount. It should clearly show if RIB-LIM was applied. Also, I've found that calling SSA first thing in the morning (right when they open at 7 AM) often results in shorter wait times than calling later in the day. If you're still having trouble getting through by phone, that timing might help before you try the Claimyr service or schedule an in-person appointment. Your strategy to wait until 70 for your own retirement benefit is really smart - those delayed retirement credits are valuable! Even though this initial amount was confusing, it sounds like you're making all the right financial decisions during a very difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Mei. This has been such an educational thread about the RIB-LIM rule! As someone who's also navigating Social Security benefits as a widow, I wanted to share another tip that helped me. When you do get through to SSA, ask them to explain the "deemed filing" rules too. Since you're 64 and taking survivors benefits, you want to make sure they didn't accidentally deem you to have filed for your own retirement benefit as well (which would prevent it from growing until 70). This is a separate issue from RIB-LIM, but it's another one of those complex rules that can trip people up. Also, if you have any of your husband's old Social Security statements, bring those to your appointment. They can help verify that his earnings history was recorded correctly, which affects the PIA calculation that RIB-LIM is applied to. You're doing everything right by taking survivors benefits now and planning to switch at 70. Even with the RIB-LIM reduction, this strategy will maximize your lifetime benefits. Hang in there - dealing with SSA is frustrating under the best of circumstances, but you're asking all the right questions!