Social Security benefits transition at 66 - switching from survivor to retirement benefits

Your SSDI benefits will automatically convert to retirement benefits when you reach your full retirement age (FRA), but the amount stays exactly the same - it's just an internal SSA accounting change. Nothing you need to do. As for your survivor benefits, those are separate and won't automatically stop. However, at FRA you might want to evaluate if switching to your own retirement benefit (if it would be higher than your disability benefit) or maximizing your survivor benefit makes more financial sense. You should definitely contact SSA about 3 months before reaching FRA to review your options. I tried calling every day for two weeks before I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they helped me get through to a real person at SSA in under 30 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

Just be careful here - there's often confusion between different types of survivor benefits. If you're getting disabled widow's benefits, those DO change at FRA. Regular survivor benefits continue. Your local field office should be able to confirm exactly which type you're receiving. It's really important to know the difference!

When I hit FRA everything was COMPLETLY MESSED UP!!! My benefits stopped for 3 MONTHS while they "processed" my conversion. Had to borrow money from my kids to pay rent!!! Then when they finally fixed it, they didn't include backpay until I called SEVEN times. The SSA is BROKEN and nobody cares about us!

The previous responses aren't entirely accurate. Here's what happens in your situation: 1. Your SSDI will automatically convert to retirement benefits at FRA, with the same amount. 2. For survivor benefits, it depends on what you're currently receiving. It sounds like you're receiving a reduced survivor benefit alongside your SSDI. 3. At FRA, you have options - you can continue with what you have OR you can choose to take unreduced survivor benefits if that's higher than your current retirement. The key is that you need to APPLY for any changes - they won't automatically give you the highest benefit possible. Schedule an appointment a few months before FRA to review your specific options.

my brother in law had same thing happen he was on diasability and surviver benifits from his wife but when he turned 67 last year they made him pick one or the other cant get both anymore he lost about 300$ a month

I went through this last year. When you reach FRA, you should receive a letter from SSA explaining your options about 3 months before. Don't wait for it though - be proactive! The main thing to understand is that at FRA, you can take EITHER your own retirement (converted from SSDI) OR the FULL survivor benefit (not reduced), whichever is higher. You don't automatically lose the survivor benefit, but you might need to make an active choice. The rules can be confusing and even some SSA reps get them wrong.

One important clarification: Based on your description, you are currently receiving BOTH your SSDI benefit ($1,725) AND a reduced survivor benefit ($427). At FRA, you have a decision to make: 1. Continue receiving your own retirement benefit (converted from SSDI) of $1,725 plus possibly a reduced survivor benefit, OR 2. Switch to taking ONLY the full, unreduced survivor benefit if that would be higher than your own $1,725. You cannot receive your full retirement benefit AND your full survivor benefit simultaneously. The exact calculations depend on your deceased husband's primary insurance amount and your own earnings history.

To find out what your late husband's full benefit would be, you'll need to speak with an SSA representative. This information isn't readily available on your my Social Security account. When you call, ask specifically for what his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) was - that's the term for his full benefit amount. Then compare that to your own benefit to see which will be higher at your FRA.

I'm in a similar situation and have been researching this extensively. One thing I learned that might help you is that you can actually do a "restricted application" strategy in some cases. Since you're currently receiving both SSDI and survivor benefits, when you reach FRA you'll want to calculate which option gives you the most money overall. Sometimes it makes sense to take your full survivor benefit now and delay your own retirement benefit until age 70 to get delayed retirement credits (8% per year), but this depends on your specific numbers. Also, make sure to get everything in writing when you speak with SSA - I've heard too many stories of people getting different answers from different representatives. Document the date, time, and name of whoever you speak with.