Social Security Disabled Widow benefits change at age 62? Need clarity on work limits

This is a complicated situation with disabled widow benefits. Here's what you need to know: 1. At age 60-65, widow benefits are reduced based on how early you take them before your FRA (full retirement age). 2. Since you took disabled widow benefits at 51, you're getting a special rate. When you reach FRA (probably 67 for you), you'll get 100% of your deceased husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). 3. For earnings limits: Until FRA, there's an earnings test. For 2025, you can earn about $22,750 without penalty. After FRA, NO earnings limit applies. 4. You'll automatically convert from disabled widow to regular widow benefits, but the amount typically stays the same. I'd recommend getting an appointment with a Technical Expert at your local office who specializes in survivor benefits - regular claims reps often get this wrong.

I lost my husbend when i was 53 and got the widows disability to. Im 64 now and they switched me to regular widows benefits at 60. My payment didnt change AT ALL. But now I can work more and the limit is different. DONT let them tell you different stuff! Get it in writing!!!

Hi there - let me try to provide some clarity on your disabled widow's benefit questions: 1. Benefits percentage: Your disabled widow benefit will convert to a regular widow benefit, but your payment amount typically remains the same. However, at your Full Retirement Age (likely 67), you'll receive 100% of your husband's benefit amount. 2. Unlimited earnings: After you reach your Full Retirement Age, you can earn unlimited income without affecting your Social Security benefits. Until then, the 2025 earnings limit applies (approximately $22,750/year). 3. Increased payment: If your disabled widow benefit was reduced because you claimed early, you'll get an increase when you reach your FRA. 4. Type of benefit: The system automatically converts you from disabled widow to regular widow benefits, but this is primarily an administrative change - your payment typically continues seamlessly. I strongly recommend requesting a written explanation of your specific situation from SSA. The rules for widow benefits are complex, and many representatives don't deal with them often enough to be experts.

Trying to contact SSA to get these questions answered can be SO frustrating! I had a similar issue with confusing answers about my widows benefits. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual SSA agent in under 5 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through to a knowledgeable person, I learned that at Full Retirement Age, the earnings test no longer applies regardless of which benefit you're receiving. The rep explained my widow transition clearly and even sent me a follow-up letter confirming everything. Worth considering if you're still getting nowhere with regular calls.

my mom went thru this!!! she was on widow disability then turned 60 and got regular widow benefits. she still couldnt earn much $ until she hit full retirement age (66 for her). Benefits stayed about the same $ amount til FRA when she got more. SSA is the WORST with giving different answers evrytime u call!!!

One additional point since you mentioned being self-employed: self-employment income is counted differently for the earnings test than regular W-2 income. For self-employed people, SSA looks at both your income AND your work activity. Even if you keep your earnings under the limit, if you're working significant hours in self-employment, they might still apply deductions. After FRA though, this all becomes irrelevant since there's no earnings test at all. You can earn any amount without reduction to your benefits.

I think most people here are missing something CRUCIAL. When you reach FRA (Full Retirement Age), you should contact SSA to see if you qualify for a HIGHER benefit based on your OWN work record! Even with limited self-employment, you've been earning credits all these years. It's POSSIBLE (not guaranteed) that your own retirement benefit might be higher than your widow's benefit at FRA. SSA is SUPPOSED to automatically give you whichever is higher, but MANY times they miss this! You should request a benefit calculation based on BOTH scenarios when you approach FRA. And YES, after FRA you can earn UNLIMITED income with no benefit reduction. This is true for ALL types of Social Security benefits.

My sister went thru the disabled widow to regular benefits transition. She said everything stayed the same payment-wise, but the rules about working changed. I think each case is different though based on when you started receiving benefits and your age.

I'm so sorry for your loss and the confusion you've been dealing with! This is exactly why I joined this community - navigating SSA can be incredibly frustrating when you're already dealing with so much. From what I understand as someone new to all this, it sounds like you're in a unique situation with disabled widow benefits that automatically convert at certain ages. The consensus here seems to be that at your FRA (likely 67), you'll get 100% of your husband's benefit amount and can work unlimited hours without penalty. One thing that really stood out to me from everyone's responses is the importance of getting everything in writing from SSA. It seems like phone reps give inconsistent information, but having documentation protects you. Also, the suggestion about checking if your own work record might qualify you for higher benefits at FRA is brilliant - I wouldn't have thought of that either! Thank you for sharing your story. It's helping me understand what to expect if I ever face a similar situation. I hope you get the clear answers you deserve soon!

I'm really sorry for your loss and the frustrating experience you've had with getting consistent information from SSA. Reading through everyone's responses here, it's clear that disabled widow benefits transitioning to regular benefits is a complex area that even SSA representatives sometimes struggle with. What strikes me most is how many people have shared similar experiences of getting contradictory information from different reps. It seems like the key takeaways for your situation are: 1. At FRA (likely 67 for you), you should receive 100% of your husband's benefit amount 2. After FRA, you can earn unlimited income without any benefit reduction 3. The transition from disabled widow to regular widow benefits is mostly administrative - your payment typically continues seamlessly 4. You should definitely request both a written explanation of your specific situation AND have them calculate whether your own work record might qualify you for higher benefits The suggestion about Claimyr to get through to knowledgeable SSA agents faster sounds promising if you continue having trouble reaching someone who understands these rules. And I think everyone's advice about getting everything in writing is crucial - it protects you from conflicting information down the road. Your situation is helping me understand how important it is to advocate for yourself when dealing with government benefits. Thank you for sharing your experience with the community!

I'm new to this community and still learning about Social Security benefits, but your situation really highlights how confusing the system can be, especially for complex cases like disabled widow benefits. Reading through all the responses here, it seems like the key points everyone agrees on are: 1. At your Full Retirement Age (likely 67), you'll receive 100% of your husband's benefit amount 2. After FRA, there's no earnings limit - you can work and earn as much as you want 3. The transition from disabled widow to regular widow benefits is mostly administrative 4. Getting everything in writing from SSA is crucial given how inconsistent phone representatives can be What really stands out to me is the suggestion from @Zainab Ibrahim about having SSA calculate benefits based on BOTH your widow's benefits AND your own work record when you reach FRA. Even with limited self-employment income over 11+ years, you might have accumulated enough credits to potentially qualify for a higher benefit on your own record. I think the advice about requesting an appointment with a Technical Expert who specializes in survivor benefits is spot-on. It sounds like regular claims reps often don't have the expertise for these complex situations. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's really educational for those of us trying to understand how these benefits work. I hope you get the clear, consistent answers you deserve soon!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how helpful this entire discussion has been! As someone who's still learning about Social Security benefits, your situation really illustrates how complex these transitions can be. What's most striking to me is how many experienced community members have shared similar stories about getting inconsistent information from SSA representatives. It seems like this is unfortunately a common experience, especially with more complex benefit scenarios like yours. From everything I've read here, the key takeaways seem to be: - At your FRA (likely 67), you should receive 100% of your husband's benefit - After FRA, you can earn unlimited income without penalties - Getting everything documented in writing is absolutely crucial - Having them calculate both your widow's benefits AND your own work record at FRA could potentially reveal higher benefits you're entitled to I'm particularly grateful for the practical advice shared here, like requesting appointments with Technical Experts who specialize in survivor benefits rather than general representatives, and the service mentioned for getting through to knowledgeable SSA agents more quickly. Your persistence in seeking clear answers, despite months of confusion, is really admirable. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's helping people like me understand what to expect and how important it is to be our own advocates when navigating these systems. I hope you get the definitive, written guidance you deserve very soon!