Social Security survivor benefits denied because sister (63) still working - is this correct?
My sister (63) just lost her husband last month and is devastated to learn she might not qualify for any of his Social Security survivor benefits. Her husband was 76 when he passed and was receiving about $2,700/month in SS retirement. When she contacted SSA about survivor benefits, they basically told her she gets NOTHING because she's still working full-time. This doesn't seem right to me! She earns about $61,000 annually at her job, but she was counting on at least some portion of his benefits to help with the mortgage and medical bills he left behind. The SSA rep wasn't very helpful and just kept saying "earnings test" without explaining properly. Can someone help me understand the actual rules here? Is she really not entitled to ANY of his benefits just because she works? Does she need to wait until her full retirement age? The whole situation is making her grief even worse.
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Jacob Lewis
The SSA rep was partially correct but didn't explain well. Your sister CAN qualify for survivor benefits at 60-FRA, but they're reduced for both age and earnings. The earnings test for 2025 means benefits are reduced $1 for every $2 earned above $23,160 (annual limit). With $61,000 income, that's $37,840 over the limit, resulting in a $18,920 reduction. If her potential survivor benefit was less than this reduction amount, it would be reduced to zero until her earnings decrease or she reaches Full Retirement Age. At FRA, the earnings test no longer applies. Also important: she should still file a survivor benefit application ASAP to establish eligibility, even if the current payment would be $0.
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Mia Rodriguez
•Thank you for explaining this! This makes much more sense than what the SSA told her. So if I understand correctly, she DOES qualify for survivor benefits, but her earnings are too high right now for her to actually receive payments? And once she reaches her FRA (which is 67 for her, I think), then she would get the full survivor benefit regardless of working?
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Amelia Martinez
SSA reps get this wrong all the time!!! My sister went through the EXACT same thing last year. She was 62 and working and they just told her "sorry nothing for you" when her husband died. She had to call back THREE TIMES before she got someone who knew what they were talking about. The earnings limit is ridiculous but its definitely not a complete disqualification!!! Tell her to apply anyway!!
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Mia Rodriguez
•Thanks for sharing your sister's experience. It's frustrating that even the SSA reps don't seem to understand their own rules sometimes. I'll definitely encourage my sister to apply anyway and maybe try calling again to speak with someone different.
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Ethan Clark
There's a lot of confusion around survivor benefits. Your sister should still file for survivors even if she'll get $0 now due to working. Here's why: 1. It establishes her eligibility as a widow 2. Once she reduces work hours or stops working, benefits can start immediately 3. At her FRA, the earnings test goes away completely 4. If she waits until FRA, she'd get 100% of his benefit (not reduced) 5. She can switch between her own retirement and survivor benefit to maximize lifetime amount The SSA should have explained this rather than just saying "nothing for you." If she earned less or worked part-time, she could receive partial benefits even now. Make sure she actually files - many widows lose out by not establishing eligibility early.
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Mila Walker
•Exactly right. I've helped dozens of widows navigate this confusing system. One critical point to add: if your sister plans to claim her OWN retirement benefits, she might want to take the survivor benefit at FRA (unreduced) and delay her own retirement benefit until age 70 to maximize it. Or if her husband's benefit is higher than her own will ever be, taking the survivor benefit is the better option. She needs to run both calculations.
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Logan Scott
wait so does this mean if im 61 and my husband dies i get nothing from ssa until im retired??? thats crazy what am i supposed to live on???? system is so broken
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Jacob Lewis
•Not exactly - you'd be eligible for reduced survivor benefits at 60, but if you're working and earning above the annual limit ($23,160 in 2025), your benefits would be reduced or potentially eliminated until you either reduce work hours, stop working, or reach your Full Retirement Age when the earnings test no longer applies.
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Chloe Green
Try using Claimyr to get through to a knowledgeable SSA representative. I had a similar issue with survivor benefits last year and kept getting different answers from different reps. After weeks of frustration, I used claimyr.com to get a callback from SSA within 2 hours instead of waiting on hold forever. Got connected to a senior rep who actually knew the survivor rules for working widows. Their video shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - Made a huge difference in getting accurate information.
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Mia Rodriguez
•Thanks for the suggestion! My sister has been trying to get through to SSA for days with no luck. I'll definitely pass this along to her - anything that helps her get accurate information from a knowledgeable person would be worth it at this point.
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Ethan Clark
One more important thing - if your sister's own retirement benefit at FRA would be higher than 82.5% of her husband's PIA, she should consider a different strategy. She could take reduced survivor benefits now (even if reduced to $0 by work), then switch to her own retirement benefit at age 70 when it would be maxed out with delayed retirement credits. This is known as the widow(er)'s maximization strategy. The SSA won't typically suggest this - you have to ask specifically.
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Lucas Adams
•Excellent point about the maximization strategy. Let me add that the Retirement Insurance Benefit (RIB-LIM) rule can complicate things further for widows. Under this rule, a widow's survivor benefit is limited to the larger of: (1) the reduced benefit the deceased spouse was receiving, or (2) 82.5% of the deceased's PIA. Your sister should specifically ask about this calculation when she speaks with SSA.
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Amelia Martinez
just wondering - did your sister check if she qualifies for the one-time death payment of $255? its not much but at least its somthing while she figures out the survivor benefits
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Mia Rodriguez
•No, I don't think she knows about that! Thanks for mentioning it - I'll definitely tell her to ask about that when she contacts SSA.
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Jacob Lewis
To summarize what your sister should do now: 1. File for survivor benefits immediately (even if she'll receive $0 now) 2. Request detailed calculations showing how the earnings test applies to her specific case 3. Consider reducing work hours if financially feasible 4. Plan ahead for whether to take full survivor benefits at FRA or switch between benefits 5. Apply for the $255 death payment if she hasn't already The most important thing is getting an application on file. Benefits can be retroactive for up to six months for survivors, but only if the application is filed.
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Mia Rodriguez
•This is incredibly helpful - thank you! I'm going to help my sister put together a list of questions and make sure she gets that application filed right away. I really appreciate everyone's advice and explanations.
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