Social Security survivor benefits at FRA vs. full retirement age - earnings limit confusion

I'm so sorry for your loss. For survivor benefits, the earnings test is based on YOUR full retirement age for survivor benefits (66 and 6 months in your case), not your FRA for retirement benefits. So yes, once you reach 66 and 6 months, you can collect 100% survivor benefits and earn as much as you want without reduction. The earnings test goes away completely when you reach YOUR full retirement age for the benefit type you're receiving. Since survivor benefits have their own FRA (which is 66 and 6 months for you), that's when the earnings test stops applying for those benefits.

my condolences... ive been thru this too... its so confusing!!! i think you can earn whatever once your at your full age but maybe call them to check? SS gave me wrong info twice so be careful

FROM MY EXPERIENCE this is one of the TRICKIEST parts of survivor benefits!!! The SSA website is so confusing because they don't clearly explain the different rules. When I was collecting survivor's, I misunderstood and ended up with an overpayment notice because I thought my retirement FRA was the same as survivor FRA. Make sure to get this in WRITING from them before you make any decisions!!! Also, remember that at 66y 10m you could switch to your own retirement benefit if it's higher (or keep survivor if that's higher). They DON'T tell you this stuff unless you specifically ask!!!

Just to provide some technical clarity: With survivor benefits, the earnings test uses the survivor benefit Full Retirement Age (66 years and 6 months for people born in your timeframe). The annual earnings test does not apply beginning with the month you reach the FRA for that specific benefit type. This is detailed in SSA's POMS section RS 02501.021, which specifically addresses how the retirement earnings test applies to different types of benefits, including survivor benefits. So in your case, once you reach 66 years and 6 months, you can earn unlimited amounts without any benefit reduction - even though your own retirement benefit FRA is 66 years and 10 months.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year. My FRA for my own benefits was 66 and 8 months, but survivor FRA was 66 and 4 months. The earnings test applies based on the benefit type FRA. So once I hit 66 and 4 months, I could earn unlimited income with no reduction in my survivor benefits. BUT heads up - I tried for weeks to reach someone at SSA to confirm this and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I eventually used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent within 20 minutes. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. The agent confirmed exactly what others are saying here - once you reach the survivor benefit FRA, earnings limits don't apply anymore.

Different FRAs for different benefits is honestly the most confusing thing about Social Security. I think they do this on purpose to make us mess up! At my local office, even the workers get confused about this. Best advice I can give is document EVERYTHING when you talk to them.

Just to give you a bit more information on your options - since you'll qualify for 100% of your husband's benefit at 66 and 6 months, you might want to consider your long-term strategy. If your own retirement benefit would eventually be higher than the survivor benefit, you could: 1. Take survivor benefits at 66/6 months (at 100% with no earnings limit) 2. Work and continue earning (increasing your own retirement benefit amount) 3. Switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 (if it would be higher by then with delayed credits) This strategy sometimes allows you to maximize lifetime benefits by getting survivor benefits while building delayed retirement credits on your own record.

quick question - is anyone here sure if medicare affects this? i think i remember something about signing up for medicare at 65 changing some rules?

One more thing I forgot to mention - make sure you have your appointment SET UP with SSA *before* you reach 66/6 months! They don't automatically start sending you survivor benefits on your birthday! I learned this the hard way and lost a month of payments because I didn't apply in time. The SSA makes EVERYTHING more complicated than it needs to be!!!!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a similar situation and was also confused about the different FRAs. Just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble reaching SSA by phone, try calling right when they open at 7 AM local time. I had better luck getting through early in the morning rather than later in the day. Also, make sure to ask them to mail you a written summary of whatever they tell you over the phone - having that documentation has saved me from confusion later. The strategy Ava mentioned about taking survivor benefits now and potentially switching to your own at 70 is exactly what my financial advisor recommended for my situation too.

I'm also very sorry for your loss, Chloe. This is such a helpful discussion! I went through something similar a few years ago and wanted to add one more important point - when you do reach SSA, make sure to ask them to calculate what your survivor benefit amount will actually be at 66 and 6 months versus what your own retirement benefit would be at different ages (66y 10m, 67, 70, etc.). They can run these numbers for you and it really helps with the decision-making. In my case, my survivor benefit was higher than what my own retirement would be even at 70, so I just stayed on survivor benefits. But for others, the delayed retirement credits make their own benefit much higher by age 70. Also, if you do decide to work while collecting survivor benefits after 66y 6m, those earnings will still count toward increasing your own future retirement benefit - so you're building up both current income AND future benefit potential. It's one of the few "win-win" situations in the Social Security system!

My heart goes out to you during this difficult time, Chloe. I went through a very similar situation about three years ago and can definitely relate to the confusion around these different FRA dates. Just to reinforce what others have said - yes, once you reach 66 years and 6 months (your survivor benefit FRA), you can work and earn unlimited income without any reduction to your survivor benefits. This is completely separate from your own retirement FRA of 66 years and 10 months. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep detailed records of ALL your communications with SSA. I created a simple spreadsheet with dates, representative names, and what was discussed. This saved me when I got conflicting information from different agents. Also, when you do apply, consider asking for a "what-if" analysis. They can show you projected benefit amounts under different scenarios - survivor benefits now vs. your own retirement benefits at various ages. This really helped me understand the long-term financial impact of my decision. The fact that you're researching this thoroughly before your FRA shows great planning. Many people don't realize they have these strategic options until it's too late to optimize them.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This is such a comprehensive and helpful thread! As someone who works with families navigating Social Security benefits, I wanted to add one more important consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet. When you do start collecting survivor benefits at 66 and 6 months, make sure to understand how this might affect any other benefits you or family members might be receiving. For example, if you have minor children or disabled adult children, they may also be eligible for survivor benefits based on your husband's record. There are family maximum rules that could come into play. Also, if you're currently receiving any spousal benefits on your husband's record, those will stop when you switch to survivor benefits - but survivor benefits are typically much higher, so this is usually beneficial. The strategy others mentioned about taking survivor benefits now and potentially switching to your own retirement benefit later is excellent advice. Just remember that once you file for your own retirement benefits, you generally can't go back to survivor benefits, so timing that decision is crucial. One last tip - when you do apply, bring copies of all important documents (marriage certificate, death certificate, etc.) even if it's just a phone appointment. Having everything organized will make the process much smoother.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This has been such an incredibly informative thread - I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences! I'm not in this exact situation yet, but my husband is significantly older than me, so I know I may face similar decisions in the future. What really stands out to me from all these responses is how important it is to get personalized calculations from SSA rather than trying to figure it out from their confusing website. The strategy of taking survivor benefits at your FRA for survivor benefits (66y 6m) while continuing to work and build delayed retirement credits on your own record until 70 sounds really smart if your own benefit would end up being higher. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and taking notes on all the practical tips - especially calling at 7 AM, keeping detailed records of all conversations, getting everything in writing, and asking for "what-if" scenarios. The suggestion about using a service like Claimyr to actually get through to SSA is intriguing too, since so many people seem to have trouble reaching them. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here. It's clear that navigating Social Security survivor benefits requires careful planning, but with the right information and strategy, it's definitely manageable. Wishing you all the best as you work through this process, Chloe.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This thread has been incredibly enlightening! I just wanted to add one more practical tip that helped me when I was dealing with SSA a few years ago for my own benefits situation. If you're having trouble getting through by phone, try using their online "Contact Us" form on the SSA website. While it's not instant like a phone call, I found that I usually got a call back within 3-5 business days, and the representatives who called me back seemed to be more knowledgeable and had more time to thoroughly explain complex situations like yours. Also, when you do get your appointment scheduled (whether by phone or in person), ask them to send you a written summary of your conversation via mail. This has been invaluable for me when I've needed to reference what was discussed later. The consensus here is absolutely correct - at 66 years and 6 months (your survivor benefit FRA), you can work unlimited hours and earn unlimited income without any reduction in your survivor benefits. The earnings test is tied to the specific benefit type's FRA, not your retirement FRA. Best of luck navigating this process. You're asking all the right questions and clearly doing your homework, which will serve you well!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This has been such an incredibly helpful and comprehensive thread! As someone new to this community, I'm amazed by the depth of knowledge and support everyone has shared. I wanted to add one small tip that might help - when you do get your appointment with SSA, consider asking them about the "protective filing date." If you're close to your 66y 6m birthday, you can sometimes establish an earlier application date even if you haven't completed all the paperwork yet. This can help ensure you don't miss any benefits if there are processing delays. Also, I noticed several people mentioned keeping records of conversations. You might want to ask the SSA representative for their direct phone number or extension if possible. While they can't always provide this, some offices will give you a way to reach the same person for follow-up questions, which can be really helpful for continuity. The consensus here is crystal clear - once you reach your survivor benefit FRA at 66y 6m, you can work and earn unlimited income without any reduction to your benefits. The strategic planning advice about potentially switching to your own retirement benefit later is excellent too. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread. The practical tips about calling early, using the online contact form, and documenting everything will be valuable for anyone navigating the SSA system. Wishing you strength and clarity as you work through this process, Chloe.