Social Security survivor benefits and RIB LIM rule - will I get full benefit when spouse claimed early?

The RIB LIM rule (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation) does restrict survivor benefits based on early claiming by the deceased. Since your husband claimed at 62, your maximum survivor benefit would generally be limited to what he was actually receiving at death ($2200), not what he would have received at his full retirement age. However, there's an exception - if you're receiving your own retirement benefit that's less than the survivor benefit, there can be some adjustments. The limit specifically applies when you're claiming survivor benefits before your own full retirement age.

When I was dealing with this after my wife passed, I was so frustrated trying to understand all the rules. I ended up spending WEEKS trying to reach someone at Social Security who could explain it. After getting disconnected multiple times and waiting on hold for hours, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in under 5 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with explained my RIB LIM situation clearly and it was worth every penny to not waste days trying to get through.

Unfortunately, RIB LIM is confusing because SS doesn't explain it well. Here's the bottom line: When a person claims retirement benefits early (before FRA) and later dies, their survivor's benefit amount is generally limited to the higher of: 1. 82.5% of the deceased's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) 2. The actual amount the deceased was receiving Since your husband started at 62, he was likely receiving about 75% of his PIA (the reduction for claiming 48 months early). So in your case, the 82.5% limit would likely be higher than what he was actually receiving, meaning you'd get slightly more than the $2200 he was getting.

my husband did the same thing took ss at 62 died last year and the ssa gave me less then he was gettin!!! they said because i'm only 60 i get reduced amount. so confusing and the ppl at the office dont explain anything right. its all TERRIBLE

I went through this EXACT situation last year. The RIB LIM is the most ridiculous rule nobody knows about until it's too late! My husband collected early at 62 and passed away at 75. When I applied for survivor benefits, I discovered I was permanently limited because of HIS decision years ago! The SSA representative told me I could've gotten almost $800 more per month if he had just waited until his full retirement age. It's completely unfair that we're penalized for decisions our spouses made decades ago when nobody explained this to them.

Wait so if I'm reading this right, even if you wait until your full retirement age, you still don't get what he would've gotten at his FRA? That doesn't seem right...I thought survivors always got 100% of the benefit amount if they wait until their FRA?

I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to get my specific numbers. Seems like I might get slightly more than the $2200 he was receiving based on that 82.5% rule someone mentioned. This whole system is so confusing - I wish they would explain these things more clearly on their website!

Just be sure to ask specifically about the RIB LIM calculation when you talk to them. Many SSA reps automatically calculate it in their system but don't explain it well. Ask them to tell you what your husband's PIA was (that's the amount he would have received at his full retirement age), then what 82.5% of that figure is, and compare that to the $2200 he was receiving. You're entitled to the higher amount.