Social Security survivor benefits while still working at 63 - can I collect on deceased ex-spouse now?

Yes, you CAN claim survivor benefits now at 63 based on your ex-spouse's record, even while still working. BUT there's a catch - the earnings test. For 2025, if you earn more than $21,840 (annual limit for people below FRA), Social Security will deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. Here's what I'd recommend based on my experience helping my sister through this exact situation: 1. Calculate if your current salary would cause significant reductions to your survivor benefit 2. Remember that survivor benefits max out at your FRA (unlike retirement benefits that grow until 70) 3. Consider taking reduced survivor benefits now and switching to your own retirement benefit at 70 if yours will be higher The strategy of taking survivor benefits early while letting your own retirement benefit grow is often the most financially advantageous.

I just went through this exact situation! Was working county job and husband passed at 60. SSA is TERRIBLE at explaining this stuff. At your income ($68k) you'd lose a big chunk of survivor benefits to the earnings test before FRA. But heres the important part everyone misses - those reductions are TEMPORARY! Once you reach FRA, SSA recalculates and gives you credit for months they withheld benefits. I decided to wait til my FRA (66+8mo) because the math worked better with my pension situation. But DONT wait til 70 for survivor beneftis - they DONT grow after FRA!!!! Only your own retirement benefits grow with delayed credits.

I work for a financial planner who specializes in Social Security strategies, and I want to clear up a few things: 1. Yes, survivor benefits on an ex-spouse are available if you were married 10+ years and didn't remarry before age 60 (you qualify) 2. Earnings test for 2025: For every $2 you earn above $21,840, $1 is withheld 3. IMPORTANT: As the previous commenter mentioned, these reductions are *temporary* - at FRA, your benefit is recalculated to credit months benefits were withheld 4. Survivor benefits reach maximum at your FRA (don't grow after that) You should contact SSA to get estimates for both your retirement benefit at 70 and your survivor benefit at FRA. Then you can make an informed decision. The optimal strategy depends on the specific benefit amounts. If your own benefit at 70 will be higher than your survivor benefit at FRA, consider taking survivor benefits at FRA (to avoid earnings test) then switching to your own at 70.

the govt is so dang complicated with this stuff on purpose i swear! my cousin tried to figure out all this stuff for months and just kept getting different answers from every ssa person she talked to. finally she just gave up and took whatever they gave her. its frustrating bc they make it impossible to know ur best option!!!!

Have you tried calling Social Security directly? I spent SIX MONTHS trying to talk to someone about my survivor benefits last year. Would call and be on hold for 2+ hours, then get disconnected. Or they'd tell me I needed to come to the office, but appointments were 3 months out!! I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that someone here recommended, and they got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I actually talked to someone knowledgeable, I found out I was eligible for benefits I didn't even know about. Definitely worth getting the right info directly from SSA for your specific situation.

my mom is in almost exact situation and she just decided to wait til 67 (her FRA) to claim the survivor benefits. she didn't want to deal with the restrictions and reporting requirements of the earnings test. every year she'd have to tell SSA how much she was gonna make, then if she made more they'd want money back, if less they'd owe her... just a hassle! if your planning to work til 70 anyway maybe just wait til FRA for less headaches?

I'm so confused about all this too. Can someone explain in simple terms - if she takes survivor benefits early but is still working, does she get ANY money or does it all get withheld?

your FRA is not 67!! if your 63 now your FRA is probably 66 and 6 months or something close to that. everyone thats telling you 67 is wrong unless your younger than your saying. google "social security full retirement age chart" to see your exact FRA based on birth year.

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! Based on your advice, I'm leaning toward waiting until my survivor benefit FRA (66 and 8 months) to avoid dealing with the earnings test complications. I'll definitely call SSA to get specific benefit estimates for my situation before making a final decision. It's frustrating how complicated they make this system, but I feel much better informed now. Will update once I make my decision!