Social Security divorced spouse benefits at 62 - will survivor benefits be reduced if ex dies before my FRA?
I divorced after 25 years of marriage and don't have enough work credits for my own Social Security. I'm turning 62 next month and considering taking ex-spousal benefits since my ex-husband just reached his full retirement age (67). I understand my spousal benefits will be permanently reduced because I'm claiming early. What's keeping me up at night - if my ex passes away before I reach my FRA (which is 67), what happens to my benefits? • Will I automatically be switched to survivor benefits? • If I'm receiving reduced spousal benefits and he dies when I'm 64, will my survivor benefits be permanently reduced too? • Is there any way to decline survivor benefits temporarily if he passes before my FRA, then claim the full amount at 67? • If I'm already getting reduced spousal benefits and he dies after I reach FRA, does the early spousal claim affect my survivor benefit amount? I've looked everywhere online but can't find answers specific to my situation. Thank you for any help!
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Savanna Franklin
Social Security survivr benefits can be confusing! I went through something similar. Basically, if youre getting divorced spouse benefits at 62 and your ex dies, you would switch to survivor benefits, but they WOULD be reduced because you're not at FRA. I think the reduction is about 28-30% if you claim at 62. The good news - you CAN stop receiving reduced benefits and restart them at FRA for the full amount. My friend did this when her ex died when she was 63. She stopped benefits and reapplied at her FRA for the full survivor amount.
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Sergio Neal
•Thank you for sharing this! So if I understand right, I have options if he passes before my FRA. I could either take the reduced survivor benefits immediately OR stop benefits completely and wait until 67 to get the full amount? That's a huge relief. Do you know if this requires a special application or if you just tell SSA you want to stop current benefits?
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Juan Moreno
My wife had to deal with this stuff last year. If your ex dies, ur automatically switched to survivor benefits if they're higher than what ur getting (which they almost always are). Reduction depends on YOUR age when he dies, not when u first claimed spousal.
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Amy Fleming
•This is incorrect information. The reduction for survivor benefits is based on YOUR age at the time you begin receiving survivor benefits, not when the ex-spouse dies. And it's not automatic - you must apply for survivor benefits even if you're already receiving spousal benefits. For divorced spouse survivor benefits, if you're already receiving reduced spousal benefits when your ex dies, you have options: 1. Continue receiving reduced spousal benefits and apply for reduced survivor benefits immediately 2. Withdraw from receiving benefits completely and wait until FRA to receive full survivor benefits 3. If you're working, you might be subject to earnings limits while receiving survivor benefits before FRA The reduction factors are different for survivor benefits than for spousal benefits. At 62, survivor benefits are reduced by about 29.5%, whereas spousal benefits would be reduced by 35%.
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Alice Pierce
A key detail to understand is that survivor benefits and spousal benefits are completely separate in the SSA system. If you're receiving reduced spousal benefits and your ex-husband passes away: 1. You would need to apply for survivor benefits (not automatic) 2. If you apply before your FRA, the survivor benefits will be reduced based on your age at application 3. You do have the option to stop benefits and restart at FRA for the full survivor amount 4. If he passes after you reach FRA, your early spousal claim won't affect survivor benefits One strategy to consider: Since you're 62 now, you could take reduced spousal benefits. If he passes away before your FRA, you could then decide whether to: a) Take reduced survivor benefits immediately if you need the income b) Stop all benefits and wait until FRA for full survivor benefits The calculations get complex, so I'd recommend calling SSA directly to discuss your specific situation.
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Esteban Tate
•This is super helpful! Question though - what's the difference in $$ between reduced survivor at 62 vs full at FRA? Like percentage-wise? Trying to figure out if waiting those extra years would be worth it financially for OP.
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Alice Pierce
To answer the question about the financial difference: If you claim survivor benefits at age 62, they're reduced by approximately 29.5% from the full amount you would receive at FRA. For example, if your ex-spouse's benefit was $2,500/month, the full survivor benefit at your FRA would be approximately $2,500. If you claim at 62, you'd receive about $1,763/month (a $737 monthly reduction). That's a difference of $8,844 per year, and it remains reduced for life. Waiting until FRA means losing out on those payments for 5 years, but receiving $8,844 more every year afterward. The breakeven point is typically around 12-15 years after FRA, depending on exact benefit amounts.
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Sergio Neal
•This makes the financial tradeoff much clearer, thank you! So if I live past 79-82, waiting until FRA for survivor benefits would be better financially. That's definitely something to consider since my family tends to be long-lived.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
I've been dealing with SS for YEARS and their phone system is AWFUL!!! I had a similar question about survivor vs. divorced spouse benefits and spent THREE DAYS trying to reach someone!!! When I finally got through, the person didn't even know the answer and had to transfer me, then I got disconnected!!!! ARGGGG!!! If you need to call them for specific questions (which you should), good luck getting through their horrible phone system. You'll need it!!!
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Elin Robinson
•I had the same awful experience trying to reach SSA by phone! After 5 attempts and being on hold for hours, I tried Claimyr.com and got through to an agent in 20 minutes. They connect you directly to an agent instead of waiting in the phone queue. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was so helpful for my survivor benefit questions where I really needed to speak to someone who could see my specific record. The agent I talked to explained exactly how the reduction would work in my case.
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Sergio Neal
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to take some time to think about my options. Sounds like I should: 1. Decide if I want to take reduced spousal benefits now at 62 2. Understand that if my ex passes before my FRA, I'd need to actively apply for survivor benefits 3. Know that I'd have the choice to either take reduced survivor benefits immediately OR stop all benefits and wait until FRA for the full amount 4. Consider my health/family history to determine if waiting until FRA would be financially beneficial I definitely need to talk to SSA directly about my specific situation. Really appreciate all the explanations!
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Amy Fleming
•That's a good summary of your options. One additional point: if you're working or planning to work while receiving benefits before FRA, be aware of the earnings limit ($22,320 for 2025). If you earn above that amount, $1 in benefits is withheld for every $2 you earn above the limit. This applies to both spousal and survivor benefits before FRA, so factor that into your decision if you're working. The earnings limit disappears once you reach FRA.
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Savanna Franklin
I just thought of something important! When you apply, make sure to bring your marriage certificate AND divorce decree to prove you were married at least 10 years. They're super strict about this. My friend almost got denied because she couldn't find her divorce papers right away.
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Juan Moreno
•Also bring ur birth certificate. They made my wife go back home to get hers even tho she had her drivers license and passport! SS office is crazy about original documents.
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Esteban Tate
isnt it crazy how complicated they make this?? my mom was in a similar situation and ended up just taking whatever they offered because it was too confusing to figure out the best option. i hope u get this sorted out!
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