Social Security survivor benefits not showing up on my SSA account - should I call?

The SSA website doesn't typically show survivor benefit information even when everything is properly set up in their system. Your own retirement benefit information will be the only thing visible on your mySocialSecurity account. This is normal and doesn't indicate any problems with your eligibility for survivor benefits. When you're ready to apply for survivor benefits, you'll need to contact SSA directly anyway (can't do it online), and they'll calculate your benefit amount at that time based on your husband's earnings record. As long as they processed the death notification and $255 payment, they have the record of his passing connected to your record.

Same thing happened to me. Lost my wife last year and nothing about survivor stuff shows up on my account. Called and the ssa person said thats normal. Dont worry about it 👍

I think you SHOULD call just to make sure everything is properly set up!!! My sister went through this and when she finally went to apply for survivors they had NO RECORD that her husband was deceased even though she got the death benefit!!! She had to start all over with the death certificate and it delayed her benefits by THREE MONTHS!!! Don't risk it!!!!

When my husband passed I was told that the survivor benefits claim has to be done by phone or in-person—you can't do it online. So maybe that's why it doesn't show up in your online account? I don't think you need to do anything right now, just know that you'll need to make a phone appointment when you're ready to claim. But yeah getting through to them is IMPOSSIBLE these days... I tried for 2 weeks straight with busy signals and disconnects.

I actually just went through this whole process last year! The SSA website is totally useless for survivor benefits info. Here's what you need to know: 1. Since your husband never filed for benefits, you'll be eligible for his full PIA (primary insurance amount) at your FRA (full retirement age) 2. You can take reduced benefits as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled) 3. If you have higher lifetime earnings than your husband, you might be better off taking your own retirement benefit when you reach 70 4. When you're ready to file, you HAVE to call or visit in person - they don't allow online applications for survivors Also, if you'll be working while receiving survivor benefits before your FRA, be aware of the earnings limit ($22,320 in 2025 before they start reducing your benefit).

Government pension offset (GPO) can definitely impact your benefits. If your husband received a pension from work not covered by Social Security, the GPO might reduce your survivor benefits by 2/3 of the amount of his government pension. However, GPO applies to YOUR government pension, not his. WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) would have affected HIS own benefits had he lived to claim them, but doesn't directly impact survivor benefits in the same way. This is definitely a situation where you should consult with an SSA rep before making claiming decisions. These provisions get very complicated.

my condolences on your loss. i lost my wife 2 years ago and had the EXACT same confusion!! the ssa website is SO BAD lol. they really need to update it to show survivor info but they just dont have that feature at all. but dont worry about it! your entitled to survivor benifits regardless of what the website shows.

One more thing to keep in mind - it's generally advisable to speak with an SSA representative before you make any claiming decisions regarding survivor benefits. The optimal claiming strategy often involves taking survivor benefits at one age and your own retirement benefits at a different age, depending on your specific circumstances. For example, if your own retirement benefit at age 70 would be higher than your survivor benefit, you might take reduced survivor benefits at 60 and then switch to your own benefit at 70. Or if your survivor benefit would be higher, you might take your own reduced retirement benefit at 62 and switch to survivors at your FRA. The SSA representatives won't volunteer this information unless you specifically ask about these strategies.

I'm sorry for your loss. I went through something very similar when my father passed away last year. My mom had the exact same concern about not seeing survivor benefit information on her mySocialSecurity account, and like others have mentioned, this is completely normal. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - when you do eventually contact SSA to apply for survivor benefits, make sure you have your husband's Social Security number handy along with your marriage certificate. They'll need to verify the marriage duration since you need to have been married for at least 9 months (with some exceptions for accidental death). Also, since you're 54 now, you might want to keep in mind that if you remarry before age 60, it could affect your eligibility for survivor benefits from your late husband. But if you remarry at 60 or later, you can still collect survivor benefits. The SSA phone system is definitely a nightmare, but when you're ready to apply in a few years, calling first thing in the morning (right at 8 AM) or late in the week tends to have shorter wait times in my experience.

I'm so sorry for your loss. As someone who works in benefits administration, I can confirm what others have said - the mySocialSecurity portal simply doesn't display survivor benefit information, even when everything is properly set up in their system. This is a common source of confusion for widows and widowers. Since you already received the $255 lump-sum death payment, SSA has your husband's death properly recorded and linked to your account. You don't need to call them now just to verify this - save yourself the phone tree nightmare! When you're ready to apply for survivor benefits (earliest would be age 60, or 50 if you become disabled), you'll need to call or visit a field office anyway since these applications can't be done online. At that time, they'll have all the information they need to process your claim. One small correction to an earlier comment - the 2025 earnings limit for survivor benefits before full retirement age is actually $23,400, not $22,320. Just wanted to make sure you have the current figure when you're doing your planning.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation about 18 months ago when my husband passed at 61. Like you, I was confused when nothing showed up on my mySocialSecurity account about survivor benefits. What I learned is that the SSA system is set up in a way where survivor benefit eligibility isn't displayed on your personal account portal - it's only calculated and shown when you actually apply for those benefits. Think of it like this: your mySocialSecurity account shows YOUR work history and YOUR projected benefits, but survivor benefits are based on your spouse's work record, which is a separate calculation they do when you're ready to claim. The good news is that since you already received the $255 death benefit, everything is properly linked in their system. When you're ready to apply (whether that's at 60 for reduced benefits or later for full benefits), they'll have all the information they need. One piece of advice: start thinking about your claiming strategy now, even though you won't apply for years. Since you're only 54, you have time to plan whether it makes more sense to take survivor benefits first and delay your own retirement benefits until 70, or vice versa. A fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security can help you run the numbers when you're closer to decision time.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand your concern about not seeing survivor benefit information on your account, but everyone here is absolutely right - this is completely normal. The mySocialSecurity portal only shows your own earnings record and projected retirement benefits, not potential survivor benefits. I wanted to add one thing that might be helpful for your planning: when you do eventually apply for survivor benefits, you'll want to ask SSA about "deemed filing" rules. Basically, if you apply for survivor benefits before your full retirement age, they may automatically file you for your own retirement benefits too (and vice versa), so you'll receive whichever is higher. But there are strategies to avoid this if it makes sense to take one benefit first and the other later. Also, since your husband passed before claiming his benefits, your survivor benefit will be based on 100% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) when you reach your full retirement age, not the reduced amount he would have received if he had claimed early. This is actually advantageous compared to if he had already been receiving reduced benefits. You're smart to get organized now while you have time to plan. No need to stress about calling SSA until you're actually ready to apply.