Social Security survivor benefits calculation - does 'one check rule' exist for disability to FRA conversion?

First, I'm very sorry for your loss. To answer your question directly: No, there isn't a special "one check rule" for survivor benefits calculation when the deceased received only one disability payment. Once your father was entitled to and received disability benefits, your mother's survivor benefit will be based on that disability benefit amount. The confusion might stem from a different rule: If a person dies before applying for benefits or before being approved, then survivors may receive benefits based on the deceased's PIA at FRA. But since your father had already been approved and received a payment, his disability benefit amount becomes the basis for survivor calculations. Your mother should ask specifically about the Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation (RIB-LIM) which can sometimes affect these calculations, but it wouldn't create a "go back to FRA PIA" situation in your case.

OMG the SSA reps tell you so many different things!! When my husband passed we got THREE different answers from THREE different people about my kids benefits. Its INSANE how they dont know their own rules!!!! I'd suggest calling again and again until you get someone who ACTUALLY knows what they're talking about. Don't trust just one answer.

To add some clarity here - the rule about benefit calculation for survivors depends on whether the deceased was receiving disability benefits at time of death, which your father was. In cases where someone received even one SSDI payment, the survivor benefit is based on that disability amount. The rule some confuse this with is the "deemed filing" rule that can apply in other situations, but not this one. Your mother does have options though. At age 60, she can claim reduced survivor benefits and then switch to her own retirement benefit later if it would be higher. Or she could claim her own reduced retirement benefit now and switch to survivor benefits at her FRA for the maximum survivor amount. This decision should be carefully thought through based on both benefit amounts. She should request a detailed explanation of her options in writing from SSA.

My condolences on your loss. when my wife died i had the hardest time getting straight answers from ssa. kept getting different information every call. finally figured out that its because different rules apply to different situations and the reps don't always understand YOUR specific case.

Something important to clarify - there's confusion here about two different rules. First, there's the actual calculation of the disability benefit (what your father received). This is based on his earnings record and is approximately what he would have received at FRA. Second, there's how survivor benefits are calculated based on that amount. Since he was already receiving disability benefits, your mother's survivor benefit will be based on that same amount (potentially with reductions if she claims before her FRA). What the rep may have been referring to is not a "one check rule" but possibly the Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation (RIB-LIM) or the Widow(er)'s Insurance Benefit Limitation (WIB-LIM), which are complex provisions that can affect benefit amounts in certain situations. However, these don't create an exception that would revert to using the FRA PIA in your situation.

So sorry about your dad. When my mom passed, I tried for WEEKS to reach someone at Social Security who could explain survivor benefits to me. Constant busy signals, disconnects, and hours on hold only to be transferred and disconnected again. Total nightmare when you're already grieving.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I had a similar situation but slightly different - my husband had been approved for disability but died before receiving his first payment. In that case, they did use his PIA at FRA for my survivor benefits. It sounds like because your dad received that one payment, different rules apply. The whole system is unnecessarily complex.

One practical suggestion: Have your mother request an appointment with a Technical Expert at her local Social Security office, not just a regular claims representative. Technical Experts have more advanced training on these complex benefit calculation scenarios and can provide detailed explanations of how her specific benefit was calculated. Make sure she brings documentation of your father's disability approval, death certificate, and any correspondence about benefits. Ask specifically for a written explanation of how her survivor benefit was calculated and have them document any questions about alternative calculations in her file. If she believes there's been a mistake, she can request a reconsideration, but be aware these are rarely successful without clear evidence of a calculation error.

Just want to add my two cents that whatever amount they calculate, your mom should double-check it. When I got survivor benefits they miscalculated the first time and it was almost $300 less than it should have been! I had to fight with them for 3 months to get it fixed and get backpay.