SS survivor benefits after ex-spouse death - WEP/GPO confusion and post-repeal questions

Sorry about ur ex passing. I went thru same thing kinda. The letter is telling u what u COULD get as survivor but GPO is stopping it. With the repeal happening soon they're probably waiting for that to kick in? My agent told me survivor benefits r different than spousal so the FRA timing matters but its complicated with the GPO stuff. Did u try the SSA calculater on the website?

The letter you received is standard procedure when SSA identifies potential eligibility for survivor benefits following an ex-spouse's death, even without an application. The "cannot pay you at this time" language typically relates to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) which can reduce or eliminate survivor benefits for those with government pensions. With the upcoming WEP/GPO repeal scheduled to be phased in, your situation is particularly complex. Here's what you should know: 1) The amount shown ($2,870) is likely the full survivor benefit before any reductions 2) If you claim survivor benefits before your FRA (66 and 8 months), they'll be permanently reduced 3) At FRA, you'd be eligible for 100% of your ex's benefit amount I'd recommend requesting a detailed benefits calculation by scheduling an in-person appointment at your local SSA office. Specifically ask for an "ANYPIA" calculation that shows different filing age scenarios. Make it clear you're inquiring about future options, not applying yet. The difference between filing now versus FRA could be substantial - approximately 15-20% more if you wait until FRA.

I'm going to tell you something that might help you get accurate information faster. Go to claimyr.com and use their service to get through to SSA quickly. They help you skip those awful phone wait times so you can talk to a knowledgeable agent. Check out their video demo here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When you get through, specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" who specializes in survivor benefits with WEP/GPO complications. Regular agents often don't fully understand these complex scenarios. My sister was in a similar situation last year (teacher's pension + ex-spouse death) and kept getting conflicting information until she specifically requested a Technical Expert. The difference was night and day - she got detailed projections for claiming now versus FRA.

STOP LISTENING TO THESE PEOPLE!!!! the letter is clearly telling you that you CANT get benefits because of GPO!!! i went thru this EXACT thing last year and wasted 4 MONTHS trying to figure it out. GPO will ELIMINATE your survivors benefits if you have a govt pension!!!! the repeal isnt even guaranteed to pass and even if it does its gonna be years before it helps ppl like us. call ur congressman if u want change but dont waste ur time with ssa

When my mom was dealing with survivor benefits after my dad died, she had a similar experience with confusing letters and representatives who didn't seem to understand her situation. What finally worked was bringing someone with her to the SSA office appointment (my brother who had researched everything thoroughly). I'd suggest writing down EXACTLY what you want to know before any conversation with SSA: 1) What would my survivor benefit be if I claim NOW (after GPO reduction)? 2) What would my survivor benefit be if I wait until my FRA (after GPO reduction)? 3) How will the GPO phase-out affect these amounts over the next few years? Don't let them change the subject or confuse you with other benefit types. Also, bring any paperwork you have about your pension and your current benefit. Sometimes seeing the actual numbers helps them understand your situation better.

I go thru this same headache every time I call SS!!! Half the time they just tell you stuff to get you off the phone. I'm also affected by WEP (worked for county school system) and my experience is you need to talk to a supervisor or technical expert because regular agents just read scripts. One thing nobody mentioned is that with survivor benefits, if you're already getting your own reduced benefit (which it sounds like you are since you started at 63), you might actually be eligible for a PARTIAL survivor benefit that makes up the difference. So if your own benefit after WEP is $690, and the full survivor would be $2,870, you might get a partial survivor benefit of $2,180 (the difference). But it all depends on the GPO calculation and when you claim. The system is DESIGNED to be confusing so people give up! Don't give up!!!

wait so if your on your own benefits now and your ex died do you have to switch to survivors or can you keep your own? i thought you had to take the bigger one not both?

btw I forgot to mention, I found out that when they say "cannot pay you at this time" it sometimes means they're waiting for some verification or something. My friend got a letter like that and it was because they were waiting for his death certificate to be officially recorded in their system. Maybe call and ask if they need anything from you to process it?

One additional point that might be helpful: Since you mentioned the WEP/GPO repeal, it's worth noting that the legislation includes a 5-year phase-out period. The offset reduction starts at 20% in the first year and increases by 20% each subsequent year until fully eliminated. This means if you decide to wait until your FRA to claim survivor benefits, you'll likely benefit from at least some reduction in the GPO offset, potentially increasing your benefit amount significantly beyond what you'd receive if claiming now. This is another reason why getting those detailed projections from a Technical Expert is so important - they can model how the phase-out might affect your specific benefit amounts over the next few years.