Social Security survivor benefits amount question - will I get my late husband's full benefit?

The amount you'll receive as a survivor depends on several factors. Since you're past your own Full Retirement Age (which would be 66 for someone your age), you're eligible for 100% of your late husband's benefit amount. However, since he claimed early at 62, what you'll receive is the reduced amount he was getting at death, not what he would have received had he waited until his FRA. One exception: if you're receiving your own retirement benefit and it's less than his, you'll get your own benefit plus the difference to bring you up to his benefit level. If your own benefit is higher, you'll just keep receiving that instead. Applying now versus right after he passed mainly affects back payments - SSA generally only provides up to 6 months of retroactive benefits for survivors.

When I lost my wife 3 years ago, I was in a similar situation. You WILL receive your husband's actual benefit amount at time of death (with yearly COLA increases since 2022), but only if it's higher than your own. Based on the numbers you shared, you should get his $1,880 (plus whatever COLA increases have been added since 2022). Unfortunately, by waiting to apply, you probably lost some payments - SSA only goes back 6 months for retroactive benefits on survivor claims. Calling the SSA is absolutely FRUSTRATING. I spent 4 hours on hold last month just to fix a simple address change. If you need to speak with them again, try Claimyr.com - it got me through to an agent in under 15 minutes when I needed to sort out some issues with my survivor benefits. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Made the whole process much less stressful.

Yes, it absolutely worked for me. I was skeptical too, but after wasting an entire morning on hold, I gave it a shot. Had an actual SSA person on the phone within 15 minutes. Totally worth it when you need answers quickly, especially for something important like survivor benefits or disability applications.

Why would SS only give you 6 months of back payments????!!!! That seems like they're stealing YOUR money that you're entitled to!!!!! I bet if they owed YOU money they'd make you pay ALL of it back!!! My cousin had an overpayment and they wanted EVERY PENNY back from 3 years ago!!! The system is so UNFAIR to seniors!!!!!

Actually, one thing to consider is the widow's limit income (WLI) provision. If your husband had delayed claiming until his FRA instead of taking benefits at 62, you might be eligible for a higher benefit. The reduction for his early filing shouldn't fully carry over to you in some cases. It's complicated, but SSA should calculate your benefit including any applicable widow's limit provision. You might want to specifically ask about this when you speak with them.

They should automatically consider it when processing your claim, but with complex provisions like this, it doesn't hurt to specifically mention it. The Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation (RIB-LIM) or Widow's Limit Income provision can potentially increase your survivor benefit if your spouse claimed early. Make sure they've properly applied this calculation to your case. If you have any concerns after receiving your benefit determination, you have 60 days to appeal the decision and request a reconsideration.

my aunt went thru this last year. she got more than what my uncle was getting when he died but i dont know why exactly. something about her being over full retirement age when she applied. just make sure u ask SSA directly about it and dont trust what people tell u online (even me lol). every situation is different with SS.

This stuff is so confusing! I'm 58 and my husband is 64. I'm trying to understand what happens if he passes away before I reach retirement age. Would I have to wait until my full retirement age to get his full amount? Or can I take reduced survivor benefits early? Sorry to hijack your thread but this all seems related.

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I've learned a lot, especially about the widow's limit provision that I need to specifically ask about. I'm going to try to reach SSA again with these specific questions. And if I have trouble getting through, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'll update here if I find out anything that might help others in my situation.

I'm glad you found the information helpful! The widow's limit provision is definitely something worth asking about specifically - it's one of those complex rules that can make a real difference in your benefit amount but isn't always clearly explained. When you call SSA, I'd suggest having a list of specific questions ready: 1) Ask about the RIB-LIM/widow's limit provision and whether it applies to your case, 2) Get the exact monthly amount you'll receive including any COLA adjustments since 2022, and 3) Confirm whether you'll receive any retroactive payments and for what time period. It's frustrating how confusing the system can be, especially when you're dealing with the loss of a spouse. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification if anything doesn't make sense - you deserve clear answers about your benefits. Good luck with your call, and please do update us with what you learn!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Omar. Navigating Social Security benefits while grieving is incredibly difficult, and the system doesn't make it any easier with all these complex rules. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you should receive your husband's $1,880 monthly benefit (plus the COLA increases since 2022) since it's higher than your own $1,450. The fact that he took early retirement at 62 does mean you'll get his reduced amount rather than what he would have received at full retirement age - but that widow's limit provision that Zara mentioned could potentially help you. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: when you do get through to SSA, ask them to mail you a written breakdown of how they calculated your benefit amount. Having it in writing can be really helpful if you need to reference it later or if there are any discrepancies. Sometimes the phone representatives make calculation errors, and having that documentation protects you. The 6-month retroactive limit is unfortunately standard policy, but don't let that discourage you from following up on the widow's limit provision - that could make a meaningful difference in your monthly payment going forward. Wishing you the best as you work through this process.