Social Security survivor benefits if husband dies before claiming - what amount would I receive at 67?

I'm so sorry about your husband's diagnosis. To answer your question: If your husband passes away before claiming benefits, you would be eligible for survivor benefits based on his record. Since you're already past your full retirement age at 67, you would receive 100% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - which is what he would receive at his full retirement age. The fact that he hasn't claimed benefits yet and is only 62 doesn't reduce what you would receive as a survivor. Your benefit would be based on his full PIA, not a reduced amount.

my sister went thru something similar. her husband passed before filing and she got his full amount not reduced. but u have to actually apply for the survivor benfit it doesn't happen automatic. sorry about ur husbands diagnosis

The previous responses are correct. Since you're above your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you would receive 100% of your husband's PIA if he passes away before claiming. The important thing to understand is that you would only switch to survivor benefits if they are higher than your current retirement benefit. The SSA doesn't automatically give you both - you would receive the higher of the two amounts. Also worth noting: If your husband's benefit would be significantly higher if he waited until age 70 to claim, you might want to discuss with a financial advisor whether it makes sense for him to file for benefits now, depending on his prognosis. This is a complex decision that depends on many factors including life expectancy and your current financial situation.

Sorry to hear about your situation. Just want to add that when my mom became a widow, she had to bring marriage certificate, death certificate, and both their SS cards to the appointment. Start gathering these documents now so you don't have to search for them during a difficult time. Wishing you and your husband the best.

When my husband passed I had THE WORST time trying to reach SSA!! Called for WEEKS and either got busy signals or was on hold for hours only to get disconnected. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 20 minutes. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was honestly such a relief during an already stressful time. I was able to get my survivor benefits application started right away instead of waiting months for an appointment. Just wanted to share in case others face the same frustration with reaching SSA.

I just want to point out that the SSA can be VERY STRICT about survivor benefits applications! They require an actual death certificate and won't accept obituaries or funeral notices as proof. And if you don't apply within the first month after death, they might not give you retroactive payments!!! My friend's mom lost out on thousands because she waited too long to apply after her husband died. The system is heartless!!

My wife had to deal with this when I had a health scare last year. Something important no one mentioned yet - if you're getting your own SS retirement benefit already, you would only switch to survivors if his benefit amount is HIGHER than what you're currently receiving. The SSA will pay the higher of the two amounts, not both. Make sure to compare the benefit amounts when making your plans.

Does anyone know if there's a waiting period after death before survivor benefits start? My grandma had to wait 3 months which seemed really long.