Social Security survivor benefits questions - can I claim husband's SS while working at 63?

Yes, as a widow you would be eligible for your husband's full benefit amount as long as you're at least 60 years old (which you are). However, there are a few important things to understand: 1. If you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, they will be reduced. At 63, you'd get about 79.6% of his full amount. 2. The earnings test DOES apply to survivor benefits claimed before FRA. For 2025, the limit is around $22,320 (they adjust it annually). For every $2 you earn above that limit, they'll deduct $1 from your benefits. 3. After you reach FRA, there's no earnings limit at all - you can work and earn as much as you want with no reduction. You might want to consider a strategy where you take reduced survivor benefits now (even with the earnings limit) and then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 when it will be maximized.

my mom was in almost the same situation!!! she was working when my dad passed and she was only 62. she ended getting hit HARD by that earnings limit thing - she made like $35k at her job and they took away almost half of the survivor benefits!!!!! so frustrating!!!

You've gotten some good information, but let me clarify a key point: Survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits are separate. You can choose one or the other, not both simultaneously. The ideal strategy often looks like this: 1. Take reduced survivor benefits early (accepting the earnings limit reduction) 2. Let your own benefit grow until age 70 (it increases 8% per year from FRA to 70) 3. At 70, switch to your own benefit if it's higher than the survivor benefit This strategy works well because survivor benefits don't grow after your FRA, but your own benefit does. With your estimated benefit amount, waiting until 70 could increase it from $1,225 to approximately $1,810 per month. I recommend speaking directly with an SSA representative to run calculations specific to your situation. They can provide personalized projections.

Just to add one thing - if u already have 13 years of marriage ur fine, but for anyone else reading this the minimum is 9 months of marriage to qualify for survivor benefits (unless it was an accident then there's exceptions).

I went through this exact situation last year when my husband passed. Trying to reach Social Security was IMPOSSIBLE - I spent days on hold and never got through. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke with someone, I learned that I could take reduced survivor benefits at 61 (with the earnings limit) OR wait until my FRA for the full amount. I decided to keep working and wait until FRA since my earnings would have reduced the benefit too much. The agent ran all the numbers for my specific situation, which was super helpful.

THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US!!! They DELIBERATELY make these rules complicated so people don't get what they're entitled to!! My sister-in-law lost out on THOUSANDS because no one at SSA told her she could take survivor benefits at 60 and switch to her own later!!! They just AUTOMATICALLY gave her survivor benefits when they were LOWER than what she could have gotten on her own record at 70!!! ALWAYS QUESTION WHAT THEY TELL YOU!!!

just want 2 mention that if ur planning 4 the future (which is smart) remember that survivor benefits r only available after he passes away not while hes still alive. if u wanted benefits while he's still alive that would be spousal benefits which r different (max 50% of his) but u cant get those til FRA without reduction + earnings test. lots of people get those confused!

Since you're trying to plan ahead, here's another important consideration: If you're still working and have access to retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs, maximizing those contributions during your remaining working years can provide additional security. Regarding your specific situation, with a current salary of $48k and potential survivor benefit of $2,975, here's how the earnings test would affect you if you claimed at 63: 1. 2025 earnings limit: approximately $22,320 2. Amount over the limit: $25,680 3. Benefit reduction: $12,840 (half of the amount over) So instead of receiving $2,975 monthly ($35,700 annually), you'd receive about $1,905 monthly ($22,860 annually) after the earnings test reduction. This changes once you reach FRA - no more earnings test at that point.