Social Security survivor benefits vs retirement benefits with Federal Workers' Comp offset - what happens at 62?

survivor benefits dont change to retiremnt! they r completely diffrent things. u have to apply for retirment at 62 if u want it but why would u? survivor benefits r usually higher $$$ than early retirement

This is a complex situation with Federal Workers' Compensation and Social Security survivor benefits. To clarify: survivor benefits do NOT automatically convert to retirement benefits at age 62. They are different benefits with different rules. What the WC representative likely meant is that the offset calculation changes at retirement age. There's a complicated interplay between FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System), Workers' Compensation, and Social Security benefits. At 62, you have options: 1. Continue receiving survivor benefits (which can be collected for life) 2. Apply for your OWN retirement benefits if they would be higher 3. Potentially apply for retirement benefits on your husband's record The offset amount is typically calculated based on what you're eligible to receive, even if you don't apply. I recommend contacting SSA directly for clarification on how the offset will change at age 62 in your specific situation.

My husband was also a federal employee who died on the job and I dealt with similar WC offset issues. The terminology they use is SO CONFUSING!!! What they're talking about is the calculation method changes when you reach minimum retirement age. It doesn't mean your survivor benefits automatically convert to anything else. The FERS offset is calculated differently once you're eligible for retirement benefits, even if you don't take them. You should definitely request a DETAILED EXPLANATION IN WRITING from OWCP about how your offset will be calculated after 62. They hate putting things in writing but INSIST ON IT!!

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an actual SSA representative? It saved me hours of frustration when dealing with a similar benefits question. I was getting disconnected constantly, but with Claimyr they connected me to a Social Security agent in under 10 minutes. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was the only way I could get clear answers about my survivor benefits and potential retirement options. The agent was able to look at my specific record and give me personalized advice about maximization strategies.

To answer your specific question: No, survivor benefits do NOT automatically change to retirement benefits at age 62 - or at any age. They are completely separate benefit types. What gets confusing is that at FRA (Full Retirement Age), survivor benefits reach 100% of what your deceased spouse would receive. Before FRA, they're reduced. At 62, you become eligible to apply for your OWN retirement benefits. You have choices: 1. Continue survivor benefits only 2. Switch to your own retirement (if higher) 3. Take reduced retirement at 62, then switch to full survivor benefits at your FRA Regarding the Workers' Comp offset: OWCP (Office of Workers' Compensation Programs) has to reduce benefits when combined with certain Social Security benefits due to federal law preventing "double-dipping." The calculation method changes at minimum retirement age, which might be what they were referring to. I recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to review all options and getting a written explanation from OWCP about the offset changes at 62.

For the previous question: Yes, there are special considerations for federal employees. FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System) and WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) do affect benefits, but they work differently than the offset calculation being discussed here. The original poster is dealing with an OWCP/SSA offset because her deceased husband was receiving workers' compensation. This is governed by different rules than regular FERS retirement or the WEP. To the original poster: I highly recommend requesting a detailed benefits analysis from SSA. They can provide personalized calculations showing: 1. Your current survivor benefit amount 2. What your own retirement benefit would be at 62, FRA, and 70 3. How the OWCP offset might change at different ages This allows you to make an informed decision about when/if to switch benefits.

Jusy FYI dont trust everything workers comp tells you!!!!! I got told 3 DIFFERENT THINGS by 3 different people there about my offset. The only way I finally got it straight was talking to someone in the policy division AND getting it in writing. My offset did change when I hit 62 but not how they originally told me it would. Make sure you talk to a supervisor at OWCP not just the regular claims examiners.

I had similar trouble reaching SSA when dealing with my husband's survivor benefits. After using Claimyr to get through to SSA (claimyr.com), I discovered I was eligible for both survivor benefits AND my own retirement, but could only receive the higher of the two. The SSA agent explained that at 62, I could choose to take my own reduced retirement benefit if it was higher than my survivor benefit, or I could wait until FRA for a higher amount. They ran different scenarios so I could see which would provide more lifetime benefits. Definitely worth getting that personalized analysis.

My aunt went thru something similar with federal workers comp after my uncle died. The WC people kept talking about "retirement age" but what they really meant was that the CALCULATION for the offset changes, not that your benefits automatically switch to something else. Its super confusing and the WC people dont explain it very well!!! Your survivor benefits keep going as long as you dont remarry (at least that was true for my aunt).