Social Security survivor benefits at 60 when I was higher earner than my deceased husband - how will this affect my own benefits at FRA?

I'm so sorry for your loss. Yes, you are eligible for survivor benefits at age 60, though they will be reduced since you're claiming before your FRA. The good news is that taking survivor benefits will NOT affect your own retirement benefit. You can actually employ a smart strategy here: 1. Take reduced survivor benefits now at age 60 based on your husband's record 2. Let your own benefits continue to grow until 70 if possible 3. Switch to your own record when it exceeds the survivor benefit amount And yes, you're also eligible for the one-time death payment of $255. Make sure to apply for this within 2 years of his passing. When you call SSA, ask specifically about the "restricted application" strategy for survivors.

PLEASE don't wait for your phone appointment! Call them NOW at 1-800-772-1213 and tell them it's to report a death. They've separated this from regular calls so you can get through faster. The death benefit is only $255 but you need to apply within 2 years. Also, bring your marriage certificate, his death certificate, both your SSNs, and his recent benefit statements if you have them. The entire SSA system is EXTREMELY backed up right now!

so sorry about your husband passing away. my mom did something like this when my dad died. she took the survivors at 60 and then switched to her own at 66 (her FRA was different). it worked out really well for her. the $255 death benefit is nothing but still worth getting.

I had the EXACT same situation last year when my husband died, except I was 61. SS survivor benefits are CONFUSING! If your own benefit will be higher at FRA, then yes, you should take the survivor now and switch later. But be careful because once you apply for your own retirement benefits you can't go back to survivors later. And that $255 death benefit is a joke - hasn't been increased since like the 1950s!

Good luck getting someone on the phone at SSA! I tried for 3 weeks after my spouse died and kept getting disconnected. The 800 number is useless nowadays. You'll probably need to just go to your local office in person.

I'm in my 60s and learned something new from this post! I thought if you took survivers it meant you couldn't get your own SS later. The whole system is designed to be complicated on purpose if you ask me. My SIL worked for SSA for 30 years and even she got confused sometimes lol.

One more important point: the survivor benefit you'll receive is actually based on what your husband was entitled to when he died. Since he had already filed early at 62, your survivor benefit will be limited to the larger of: 1) what he was receiving, or 2) 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This is known as the RIB-LIM rule. Make sure to ask the SSA representative about this specifically.

my neighbor got survivors benefits and worked part time and it reduced her check because she was under FRA. theres an earnings limit around $19000 i think? just something to know if you're still working

Just a tip - when you apply for survivor benefits, they'll ask about your marriage date since it had to be at least 9 months to qualify (with some exceptions). You said you're just short of 32 years, so that's WAY more than enough, but be prepared with the exact date. They're STICKLERS for documentation so bring extra copies of everything!