Social Security survivor benefits still pending after submitting marriage certificate - FRA reached but no decision

Unfortunately, survivor benefit processing times can vary quite a bit. While some applications are processed quickly (like your neighbor's), others can take 4-6 weeks or even longer, especially if they needed additional documentation like your marriage certificate. The fact that you're at FRA is good though - once approved, you should receive the maximum survivor benefit you're entitled to. I'd recommend waiting until it's been at least 30 days since they confirmed receipt of your marriage certificate before getting too concerned. The SSA is dealing with significant backlogs right now.

my husband passed 2 years ago and mine took almost 2 months to process!! and i had EVERYTHING they asked for right away. its just how they work sometimes. hang in there

Have you tried checking the status online through your my Social Security account? Sometimes it updates there before anyone calls you.

SSA is notorious for these delays. After struggling with a similar situation when applying for my widow benefits, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual SSA agent in less than 5 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I got through, the agent was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my application and what I needed to do. It saved me weeks of anxiety and waiting. Might be worth checking out if you're worried.

THEY ARE ALWAYS MAKING US WAIT!!!! I had to wait 9 WEEKS for my survivors benefits and they didn't backpay me correctly. Then spent ANOTHER 2 weeks fixing that mistake. The system is broke on purpose if you ask me.

Since you've already confirmed they received your marriage certificate, here's what might be happening: 1. They're verifying your deceased spouse's earnings record to calculate your benefit amount 2. They're checking if you're eligible for a higher benefit on your own record 3. They're reviewing if any other benefits might affect your survivor benefit amount At FRA, you're entitled to 100% of your deceased spouse's benefit amount. Processing usually takes 3-4 weeks after they have all documentation, but can take longer during busy periods. If it's been more than 30 days since they confirmed receipt of all documents, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and request a status update. Ask specifically if they need any additional information from you.

Did u apply online or in person? I heard in person is faster

does anyone know if they backpay from when you apply or from when your spouse passed?

They'll backdate your payments to when you applied in February once they approve it, so at least you won't lose any money from the waiting period. Hang in there!

I went through something similar when I applied for survivor benefits last year. The waiting period after submitting additional documents is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you're depending on those payments. In my case, it took about 5 weeks after they received my marriage certificate, but once approved, I received all the back pay from my application date. One thing that helped me was calling exactly 30 days after they confirmed receipt of my documents. The representative was able to give me a more specific timeline and reassured me that everything was progressing normally. Since you're at FRA, you're in a good position to receive the full benefit amount once it's processed. The self-employment earnings record you mentioned shouldn't be a major issue - they have access to tax records that show his contributions. Try to hang in there just a bit longer!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - applied for survivor benefits in January and they requested additional documentation which I provided 3 weeks ago. Still showing "processing" online with no updates. It's so frustrating when you're counting on these payments and have no idea when they'll come through. From what I've learned lurking in this community, it seems like 4-6 weeks after they receive all documents is pretty typical, though some people get lucky with faster processing. The uncertainty is the worst part - I wish they'd at least give us a rough timeline when we call. Thanks for posting about this - it helps to know others are going through the same waiting game. Hopefully we'll both get good news soon!

I'm sorry you're going through this stressful waiting period - I can totally relate to the anxiety of not knowing when those much-needed payments will start. I went through survivor benefits processing about 18 months ago and it took 6 weeks from when they confirmed receiving my marriage certificate to final approval. What really helped me during the wait was keeping a detailed log of all my interactions with SSA (dates called, reference numbers, what they told me). When I finally got through to a helpful representative at the 5-week mark, she was able to see exactly where my application was in the process and assured me it was moving through normally. The good news is that once you're approved, you'll receive all the back pay from your February application date. Since you're already at FRA, you'll get 100% of your late husband's benefit amount. The self-employment earnings shouldn't cause delays - they have access to his tax records showing all his Social Security contributions. Try to hang in there just a little longer. I know it's easier said than done when bills are due, but your application sounds like it's progressing normally even though it feels painfully slow!