Social Security survivor benefits for young widow with 3 kids - income limits and future eligibility questions

I'm so sorry for your loss. To answer your questions: 1) Yes, there is an earnings limit if you're receiving mother's benefits (which it sounds like you are). For 2025, you can earn up to about $22,800 before your benefits are reduced. This is only for YOUR benefit though - your children's survivor benefits are not affected by your earnings. 2) After all children age out (turn 18 or 19 if still in high school), your mother's benefits will stop. Then you'd have a gap until you can claim widow's benefits at 60 (reduced) or wait until your Full Retirement Age (probably 67) for full widow's benefits based on your husband's record. You could alternatively claim your own retirement at 62 if that would be higher. 3) Look into whether you might qualify for the Lump Sum Death Payment if you haven't already received it. Also, consider meeting with a Social Security representative to create a long-term plan - your situation with different age children and potential benefit types needs personalized guidance.

Adding to what was said above, make sure you keep good records of all your earnings if you start working. SSA looks at annual earnings but they apply reductions monthly. They'll deduct $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. Also important - the year you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings limit jumps much higher and then disappears completely the month you reach FRA. So your long-term planning should definitely factor this in. I had to navigate this same situation when my spouse passed. The planning gets complicated with the gap years between when kids age out and when you can claim widow benefits.

@profile6 - Good question! The Full Retirement Age for widow(er)s is different than for retirement benefits. For someone who is 41 now, their regular FRA would be 67, but for widow benefits it's likely around 66 and 10 months (depends on birth year). So yes, widow benefits reach full amount earlier than regular retirement benefits.

my husband died when i was 39 with 3 kids too. the thing nobody told me is that u should KEEP RECORDS OF EVERYTHING. social security made mistakes twice with my benefits and i had no proof of what they told me on the phone. also dont forget you can get retroactive benefits sometimes too!!

I've been through exactly what you're experiencing! I lost my husband 5 years ago and had to navigate all this with my kids. It's SO FRUSTRATING trying to get accurate information. The worst part is trying to reach someone at SSA - I spent HOURS on hold only to get disconnected after waiting 2+ hours! Then when I finally got through, the person couldn't even answer my specific questions!!! My advice: don't count on mother's benefits for too long in your financial planning. Mine were reduced so much once I started working that it barely made a difference in my income. And yes, there's a huge gap period where you get NOTHING between when your youngest ages out and when you can claim widow benefits at 60. It's infuriating that the system works this way!!!

something else to think about - what kind of work are you planning to do? if you have the option, consider jobs that offer good retirement benefits to help fill that gap period between when the kids age out and when you can claim widow benefits. i did part-time consulting during that period and it really helped.

To address your question about retirement accounts - no, 401ks and other retirement accounts don't affect your Social Security benefits. They're completely separate systems. The only income that affects SS benefits while you're under FRA is earned income (wages, self-employment). Regarding getting information specific to your situation, I'd recommend creating an account at my.ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can see your estimated benefits there. For a more comprehensive analysis, you might want to schedule an appointment at your local SSA office - in-person appointments often provide better service than phone calls.

One more critical thing to understand - your survivor planning should include running calculations for BOTH scenarios: taking reduced widow benefits at 60 and your own retirement at FRA, OR taking your own reduced retirement at 62 and switching to survivor benefits at your FRA. Which one is better depends on your own work record versus your husband's. Also, while children are receiving benefits on your husband's record, the family maximum benefit (FMB) applies. This caps the total amount all beneficiaries on one record can receive. As children age out, the remaining children might see their benefits increase slightly as the FMB gets redistributed. SSA doesn't always explain these nuances unless you specifically ask.

i thought if you remarry before 60 you lose widow benefits? is that true or just another SS myth?

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to create my SSA account today and start documenting everything. I think I'll also look into that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get specific answers about my situation. It sounds like I need to plan for: 1) Working while staying under the earnings limit or accepting the reduction 2) Preparing financially for the gap years 3) Figuring out which claiming strategy will be best when I reach 60-67 I really appreciate all your help during this difficult time.