Is survivor FRA 66 years and 8 months for 1959 birthdate? Confused about earnings limit rules

You're correct about your FRA for survivor benefits being 66 and 8 months since you were born in 1959. And yes, once you reach your FRA, there is NO earnings limit - you can earn as much as you want without any reduction in your survivor benefits.However, if you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, the 2025 earnings limit is $22,320 per year (or $59,520 in the year you reach FRA, counting only earnings before the month you reach FRA). Exceeding these limits means $1 in benefits withheld for every $2 earned above the limit.And yes, your FRA for your own retirement benefits is different - it's 66 and 10 months for people born in 1959. This dual FRA system confuses many people!

Thank you so much for clarifying! So if I wait until 66 and 8 months to claim survivor benefits, I can keep working at my current salary without any benefit reduction. That's a huge relief. Is there any advantage to taking survivor benefits before my own retirement benefits? I've heard this strategy mentioned but don't fully understand it.

my wife went thru this last yr after my brother passed. its super confusng!!! she thought fra was same for everything but its NOT. she lost 3 months of payments bcuz ssa gave her wrong info!!!

Oh no, that's terrible! Did she ever get those 3 months of payments back? I'm worried about getting incorrect information since I can never seem to reach anyone at SSA by phone.

To add to what others have said, there's a potentially valuable strategy available to you. Since survivor benefits and retirement benefits have different FRAs, you can actually claim one benefit type first and then switch to the other later.For example, you could claim reduced survivor benefits at 60 (accepting the earnings limit until FRA), then switch to your own retirement benefit at age 70 if it would be higher due to delayed retirement credits. Or claim survivors at FRA (avoiding the earnings test) and switch to your own benefit later.Your best strategy depends on the relative amounts of both benefit types and your life expectancy. This is one of the few remaining

I tried doing this and the lady at SSA told me I COULDN'T do this!!! She said once I choose either survivor or retirement I'm STUCK with that choice forever!!! Who's right here??? This is why I HATE dealing with Social Security!!!

The SSA rep was 100% WRONG! You absolutely CAN switch between benefit types - I did exactly this after my husband died. Started survivor benefits at 60 (had to keep my income below the limit), then switched to my own retirement at 70 which gave me a much higher monthly amount.The frustrating part is how impossible it is to get accurate information from SSA. I spent WEEKS trying to get through on the phone last year. After 15+ attempts and being disconnected every time, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUIt was such a relief to finally talk to someone who could verify my options. Worth every penny to not deal with the constant busy signals and disconnections.

Thank you for sharing this! I've been trying to get through to SSA for weeks. I'll definitely check out that service - at this point I just need to speak to someone who can give me accurate information about my specific situation.

my condolences on your loss. this stuff is so hard to figure out when your grieving. when my wife passed i just took whatever they gave me didnt even know there were options

Thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry for your loss as well. It is incredibly difficult to make these decisions while grieving, which is why I'm trying to understand everything now before making any permanent decisions.

Be very careful about the tax implications too! I was shocked when I had to pay taxes on 85% of my SS survivor benefits because my other income pushed me over the threshold. No one at SSA bothered to mention this when I applied.If you're making $68k, you'll definitely have a significant portion of your benefits taxed. Might want to consider increasing your withholding or making quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid a surprise tax bill.

Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about the tax implications. That's a really good point. I'll definitely need to factor that into my financial planning. Do you know if there's a calculator on the SSA website that can help estimate how much of my benefits would be taxable?

I was born in 1959 too and JUST went through figuring all this out!!! The 66 and 8 months is RIGHT for survivors FRA but here's what NOBODY tells you - if you're working, they count it as MONTHLY earnings before FRA not yearly!!! So in the months before you hit FRA in the year you reach it, you're allowed $4,960 per month (for 2025). They don't care if you made $30k in January and $0 the rest of the year - they count it MONTHLY when you're in that gap year!!!This system is CRAZY complicated and the rules change every time I call!!! 😡😡😡

This isn't entirely accurate. In the year you reach FRA, the earnings test only counts earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA. But it's still an annual limit of $59,520 for 2025, not monthly. Once you reach your FRA month, earnings don't count at all regardless of amount.For years before the year you reach FRA, it's an annual limit of $22,320 with $1 withheld for every $2 over the limit. SSA does adjust which months they withhold benefits based on your pattern of earnings, but the test itself is annual until the year you reach FRA.

To address your question about the advantage of taking survivor benefits before your own retirement benefits: The key advantage is that your own retirement benefits earn delayed retirement credits (8% per year) if you wait past your FRA up to age 70, but survivor benefits DON'T increase after survivor FRA.So if your own retirement benefit at age 70 would be higher than your survivor benefit, it often makes sense to take the survivor benefit at its FRA (66+8mo in your case), then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70.Conversely, if your survivor benefit is higher than your retirement benefit would ever be, you might take a reduced retirement benefit early and switch to survivors at its FRA.This is one of the most complex claiming decisions in Social Security and often benefits from professional analysis specific to your situation.

That makes so much sense now! My survivor benefit would be about $2,400/month at FRA, while my own benefit at FRA would be around $2,200. So it sounds like taking the survivor benefit at 66+8mo and then switching to my own benefit at 70 (when it would be higher due to delayed credits) could be my best option. I think I need to get an appointment with someone at SSA to review my specific numbers. Thank you for explaining this so clearly!

my neighbor said they always mess up payments. she got wrong amount for like 5 months before they fixed it. make sure u check everythng twice

This happened to me too! They underpaid me for 4 months before I noticed. The backpay was a hassle to get straightened out. Keep detailed records of EVERYTHING and check your bank account against the benefit verification letter they send you.

I'm so sorry for your loss and understand how overwhelming this can be. As someone who's been navigating the system for a while, I wanted to add a few practical tips based on what others have shared: 1. Document EVERYTHING - keep copies of all forms, letters, and notes from phone calls with dates and representative names 2. Consider getting your benefit estimates in writing before making any decisions - the my Social Security online account can show projected amounts 3. If you do use a service like Claimyr to get through to SSA, have all your questions written down beforehand since you'll want to maximize that conversation One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to consult with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security strategies. Given your income level and the complexity of survivor vs. retirement benefit timing, the few hundred dollars for professional analysis could potentially save you thousands over your lifetime. The strategy of taking survivor benefits at FRA and switching to your own at 70 sounds promising based on your numbers, but make sure to verify those projections and understand exactly when the switch would happen and how it affects your total lifetime benefits. Hang in there - this system is unnecessarily complex but you're asking all the right questions!

I'm really sorry for your loss, and I want to echo what others have said about how confusing this system can be during such a difficult time. I went through something similar when my father passed a few years ago. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given is to be prepared for the fact that even when you get through to SSA, different representatives may give you different answers to the same question. I literally had three different reps tell me three different things about my situation within the same week! What helped me was keeping a detailed log of every conversation - date, time, rep name (if they gave it), and exactly what they told me. When I finally got connected to a supervisor, having that documentation made a huge difference in getting accurate information. Also, if you're considering the strategy of taking survivor benefits at FRA and switching to your own at 70, make sure to ask about how Medicare enrollment timing works with that plan. The timing of when you start receiving benefits can affect when you need to enroll in Medicare Part B to avoid penalties - another layer of complexity they don't always explain clearly. You're being really smart by researching all this before making decisions. Take your time and don't let anyone pressure you into filing before you're confident in your strategy.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Going through this while grieving is incredibly difficult, and you're being very wise to research everything thoroughly before making decisions. I wanted to add something that hasn't been mentioned yet - when you do finally get through to SSA (whether through traditional phone lines or services like Claimyr that others mentioned), ask specifically about "protective filing." This allows you to establish an intent to file date while you're still gathering information and making your final decision. It can protect you from losing any potential back benefits if you decide to claim retroactively later. Also, since you mentioned making $68k annually and are concerned about the earnings test, consider whether your income varies significantly by month or if you have any control over the timing of bonuses, commissions, or other variable income. In the year you reach FRA, strategic timing of when you receive certain income could help you stay under the $59,520 limit for the months before your FRA. One more practical tip: if you have access to your late husband's Social Security statement or know his earnings history, you might be able to get a rough estimate of your survivor benefit amount using online calculators before speaking with SSA. This can help you verify whether the amounts they quote you are in the right ballpark. The strategy others outlined (survivor benefits at FRA, then switching to your own at 70) does sound promising based on your situation, but definitely get those exact numbers confirmed in writing before proceeding.