Social Security told me no survivor benefits with SSDI - is that right after my husband died?

Unfortunately, what the SSA told you is correct. Since your own SSDI benefit ($1,845) is already higher than your late husband's benefit ($1,420), you're not eligible for any additional amount as a survivor benefit. The survivor benefit would only apply if your husband's benefit was higher than your current SSDI payment. SSA pays the HIGHER of either your own benefit or the survivor benefit, not both added together. Since you're already receiving the higher amount through your own SSDI, there's no additional survivor benefit to be paid (except for the one-time $255 death payment). This is a common misunderstanding. Many people think they'll receive both benefits combined, but the rules only allow you to receive whichever single benefit amount is higher.

I went thru the EXACT same situation when my wife died!!! I was already on SSDI and they told me the same thing - only got that stupid $255 payment and nothing else. Been married 30 years and I thought that was RIDICULOUS! I tried to appeal it but got nowhere with SSA. Their system is totally messed up and they don't care about people who've worked their whole lives.

This is one of those situations where the rules work against dual-income couples. The survivor benefit rules were designed at a time when most households had only one worker. You're correct that you get the higher of the two benefits, but never both. One question - did your husband delay his retirement at all? If he took it at 62, his benefit was significantly reduced. If he had waited until Full Retirement Age (FRA) or even age 70, his benefit might have exceeded yours, and then you would've been eligible for the higher amount as a survivor. Also, while your SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits at your FRA, as a widow, you do have options regarding WHEN to take survivor benefits versus your own benefits. But this only helps if the survivor benefit would be higher than your current SSDI.

If u haven't already, you should double-check the calculation. Sometimes SSA makes mistakes. Ask them for a detailed breakdown of how your husband's benefit was calculated and how the survivor benefit was determined. They should be able to show you the exact numbers. My sister thought she wasn't eligible for anything when her husband died but it turned out the SSA made a mistake in their calculations!

I've been dealing with Social Security for YEARS trying to navigate this crazy system. When you called SSA, how long did you wait on hold? I've found that half the time I get different answers depending on which agent I talk to. Some of them barely know the rules themselves. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually get through to SSA without the crazy wait times. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. I'd recommend trying to call again and specifically ask to speak with a Technical Expert or someone who specializes in survivor benefits. Regular agents sometimes miss important details. Also, when you talk to them, ask specifically if there would be any advantage to switching from SSDI to survivor benefits when you reach Full Retirement Age. Sometimes the calculations change at that point.

This whole thread got me thinking about my own situation... My wife and I are both in our 60s and I never considered how our benefits would work if one of us passed. Seems like whoever has the lower benefit might actually get more after the other passes, but the higher-earning spouse wouldn't get anything additional? Is that right? Should we be planning differently?

I STILL think this is a TERRIBLE policy!!! Both spouses pay into SS their entire working lives but then one doesn't get squat when the other dies if they already have their own benefit?? How is that fair??? We should all be writing to our congress people about this!!! And don't even get me started on the WEP/GPO penalties that some of us face. The whole system needs to be overhauled!!!

One thing to clarify that might help others reading this thread: for retirement benefits, you can choose between your own benefit OR a spousal benefit (up to 50% of your spouse's FRA amount while they're alive). For survivor benefits after a spouse passes away, you can receive up to 100% of what your deceased spouse was receiving if you're at full retirement age (less if you take survivor benefits early). In both cases, you get the higher of either your own benefit OR the spousal/survivor benefit - never both combined. The OP's situation is unfortunately common - when both spouses have worked and earned their own benefits, sometimes the survivor rules don't provide additional amounts. The $255 death benefit hasn't been increased since the 1950s, which is why it seems so small compared to monthly benefit amounts.