Social Security survivor to retirement benefits switch - confused about retroactive lump sum calculation

SSA will pay you the DIFFERENCE between your retirement benefit and the survivor benefit you already received for those 6 months. So if your retirement is $2,100 and your survivor was $1,800, you'd get $300 x 6 months = $1,800 lump sum. To access your account go to ssa.gov and click on Sign In/Sign Up. If you forgot your password, use the 'Forgot Password' link. They'll send you a reset code by email or text depending on how you set it up. Have your SSN ready.

MY WIFE went thru similar thing. just be carefull because sometimes the SSA peple themselfs don't know there own rules!!!! we had to talk to 3 different agents before one knew the right answer. the first 2 gave completely wrong info and almost cost us $!!!

If you're struggling to get through to SSA on the phone, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that gets you through to a real SSA agent much faster than waiting on hold yourself. I used them when I was switching from disability to retirement benefits and it saved me hours of frustration. They have a video demo here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU As for your question about taxation - yes, the retroactive payment will be counted as income in the year you receive it, not spread across the months it covers. This can sometimes push you into a higher tax bracket for that year, so it's something to plan for.

I worked for SSA for 15 years. Here's what you need to know: 1. For retroactive retirement benefits, they will pay you the DIFFERENCE between what you would have received in retirement and what you already received in survivor benefits. 2. This is because you can't receive both benefits simultaneously - you get the higher of the two. 3. If your retirement benefit is $100 more per month than your survivor benefit, your 6-month retroactive payment would be $600 (minus any applicable tax withholding). 4. To access your account: Go to ssa.gov, click Sign In. If you can't remember your credentials, use the "Forgot Username" or "Forgot Password" options. They've added extra security recently, so you might need to verify your identity through your email or phone. 5. Consider carefully if filing retroactively is worth it. If you're trying to maximize lifetime benefits, sometimes it's better to keep the survivor benefits longer and switch later when your own benefit has grown more.

Just wanting to chime in that I had a NIGHTMARE time trying to do something similar last year. The online account was completely useless for my situation and I ended up having to go to my local office IN PERSON after failing to get through on the phone for weeks. Bring ALL your documents if you go that route!!

i think they just take your full retirement amount for 6 months and subtract what survivor benefits you already got for those 6 months. that's what happened with my uncle last year when he did this exact same thing.

I'm in a similar situation and meeting with an SSA representative next week. One thing I've been told is that you can request a benefit verification letter through your online account once you get back in. This will show your current survivor benefit amount which helps when making comparisons. Also worth noting - when you switch from survivor to retirement, your Medicare premium payment method might change. I was told to watch out for this to avoid any gaps in coverage.