Social Security widow's benefit at 65 vs waiting until FRA - confused about SSDI 82.5% widow's cap

There's often confusion around widow's benefits when the deceased spouse was on SSDI. Here's what you need to know: When your husband was receiving SSDI, he was receiving his full PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) - it wasn't reduced. The 82.5% widow's cap applies to widow's benefits when the deceased was on disability. This means if you take widow's benefits before your FRA, the maximum you can receive is 82.5% of your husband's benefit amount at the time of his death. If you wait until your FRA, you can receive 100% of what he was receiving. At 65, you'd receive approximately 85-90% of his benefit (depending on exact birth month), but capped at 82.5% due to the disability rule. Waiting until your FRA would give you the full 100% of his $2,450.

My husband was also on disabilty when he passed and i had similar confusion. The 82.5% is because of something called the RIB-LIM rule they dont explain well. SSA messed up my benfit calculation twice before getting it right so make sure u double check what they tell u!!! Theyres a reason they call it "Retirement Insurance Benefit LIMitation" because it LIMITS what we get lol

Listen, I've been through EXACTLY this! The 82.5% widow's cap is real and it's specifically for when your spouse was on disability. It's called the RIB-LIM (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation) and it's one of SSA's most confusing policies. Here's my advice: WAIT until your FRA if you can financially. At FRA, you'll get 100% of what your husband was receiving at death. The 82.5% cap ONLY applies if you take it early. I took mine early at 63 and regret it every month when I see that smaller payment. Also, make an appointment with SSA and specifically ask for someone who understands the RIB-LIM rule for widow's benefits - not all reps understand it correctly!

I had such a nightmare trying to get proper widow's benefits! Called SSA for weeks and couldn't get through. Wait times were 2+ hours and then would get disconnected. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with actually understood the RIB-LIM rule and explained exactly how my benefits would be calculated. Worth every penny to not spend weeks trying to get through.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CONFUSE US!!! My sister lost THOUSANDS because she didn't understand this 82.5% cap thing and took her widow's benefits at 60!!! No one at SSA explained it to her properly. They WANT us to take benefits early so they pay out LESS overall. DON'T TRUST what the first rep tells you - ask for a supervisor who specializes in survivor benefits!

To clarify some of the information here: The 82.5% cap is part of what's called the RIB-LIM rule (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation). This rule comes into play specifically because your husband was receiving disability benefits. Under normal circumstances (if your husband had not been on disability), the reduction for taking widow's benefits early would be calculated differently. At your current age (65), with an FRA of 67 and 2 months, you would receive about 89.3% of your husband's benefit if the RIB-LIM didn't apply. However, because of this special rule, you're limited to 82.5%. If you wait until your FRA, you'll receive 100% of his benefit amount ($2,450). This is a difference of $429 per month, or over $5,100 per year, which is significant. If you don't urgently need the income now, waiting until your FRA would be financially advantageous in the long run.

my condolences on your husband. i went thru the same thing last yr. one thing nobody mentioned is you should check if ur OWN retirement benefit might be higher than the widows benefit. my husband had a low ssdi payment and my own benefit was actually higher! the ssa people never told me to check this, i just figured it out myself!

One more important thing to consider: If you wait until your FRA to claim widow's benefits, you could potentially file for your OWN retirement benefits at 62 (at a reduced rate), then switch to the full widow's benefit at your FRA. Or alternatively, take the widow's benefit now at the reduced amount, then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 if your benefit plus delayed retirement credits would be higher. This is one of the few remaining opportunities to use a "switching strategy" since most other filing options were eliminated with the 2015 law changes. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss these options based on your specific earnings record.

dont forget about taxes!!!! if ur still working and take ss early u might hit the earnings limit and have to pay some back. happened to my friend and it was a huge mess. also they tax up to 85% of ss benefits if ur other income is high enough. just something else to think about

Thank you all for such helpful responses! I think I've decided to wait until my FRA to claim the widow's benefit. The 82.5% cap vs. 100% at FRA makes a big difference financially. I'm going to schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss that switching strategy too - taking my own benefit early and then switching to widow's benefits at FRA. I hadn't even considered that possibility! I'm also going to request someone who specifically understands the RIB-LIM rule. I'll try using that Claimyr service to get through since many of you mentioned how hard it is to reach someone. I truly appreciate everyone taking the time to share your knowledge and personal experiences - it's made a confusing situation much clearer!

I'm so glad you've found all this helpful information from everyone here! Your decision to wait until FRA sounds very wise given the significant financial difference. Just wanted to add one more consideration: when you do make that SSA appointment, bring copies of your husband's death certificate, his final SSDI award letter showing the $2,450 amount, and your own earnings record if you have it. Having all the documentation ready can help ensure they calculate everything correctly the first time. Also, don't be afraid to ask them to walk through the calculation step by step and even ask for it in writing if possible. Best of luck with your appointment, and I hope the process goes smoothly for you!

As someone who went through this exact situation two years ago, I can't stress enough how important it is to get multiple opinions from SSA representatives. The RIB-LIM rule is so poorly understood that I got three different benefit calculations from three different reps! What finally helped me was requesting to speak with a Claims Specialist who deals specifically with survivor benefits rather than a general customer service rep. Also, if you do decide to wait until FRA (which sounds like the right choice given the numbers), make sure to file your application about 3 months before you want benefits to start. The processing can take longer than expected, and you don't want any delays in receiving your first payment. One last tip - keep detailed notes of every conversation you have with SSA, including the rep's name and employee ID if they'll give it. This saved me when I had to escalate an issue later on.

I went through a very similar situation when my husband passed after being on SSDI. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to compare all my options side by side - widow's benefits at different ages vs. my own retirement benefits at different ages vs. the switching strategies people have mentioned. It made it so much easier to visualize the long-term financial impact of each choice. Also, I wanted to mention that if you're considering the switching strategy (taking your own reduced benefit first, then switching to widow's benefits at FRA), make sure you understand how your own benefit gets permanently reduced if you take it early. Sometimes people focus so much on maximizing the widow's benefit that they don't realize the trade-offs. But based on what you've shared about your husband's $2,450 SSDI payment, waiting for the full widow's benefit at FRA definitely seems like the smart move financially. The community here has given you such solid advice - I wish I had found a resource like this when I was going through it!

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I can definitely understand the confusion around these widow's benefit rules - they're incredibly complex! From reading through all the excellent advice here, it sounds like you've gotten some really solid guidance. I just wanted to add one thing that helped me when I was navigating a similar situation with my late father's benefits: when you do schedule that SSA appointment, consider asking them to provide you with a written estimate showing the exact dollar amounts for each scenario (claiming now vs. waiting until FRA). Having those specific numbers in writing can be really helpful for making your final decision and also serves as documentation if there are any discrepancies later. Also, if you end up using that Claimyr service that Miguel mentioned, I'd love to hear how it works out - I've been trying to get through to SSA about my own situation for weeks! The community here really is amazing for sharing real-world experiences with these complicated benefits. Wishing you the best as you work through this decision!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Fatima. What a difficult situation to navigate during an already challenging time. I've been reading through all the excellent advice you've received here, and it really sounds like this community has helped clarify what is genuinely one of the most confusing aspects of Social Security benefits. The RIB-LIM rule is something that even many SSA representatives don't fully understand, which is why you're getting such varied information. Based on everything shared here, your decision to wait until FRA seems very sound financially. That $429 monthly difference ($2,450 vs $2,021) really adds up over time - we're talking about potentially tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. I also think the advice about requesting a Claims Specialist who deals specifically with survivor benefits is crucial. When I had to help my mother with her benefits, we found that the specialists were much more knowledgeable about these complex rules than the general customer service reps. One additional thought: since you're planning to wait anyway, you might want to use this time to also research whether you're eligible for any other benefits or assistance programs for widows. Sometimes there are state-specific programs or other federal benefits that people don't know about. Your local Area Agency on Aging might be a good resource for that information. Best of luck with your SSA appointment, and please do update us on how the Claimyr service works if you try it. This kind of real-world feedback helps everyone in the community!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Fatima. Navigating Social Security benefits as a widow is overwhelming enough without dealing with these confusing special rules like RIB-LIM. I'm fairly new to understanding these benefits myself, but after reading through all the excellent advice you've received here, I'm learning so much! It sounds like everyone is in agreement that waiting until your FRA makes the most financial sense given that $429 monthly difference. That's such a significant amount over time. I'm also really impressed by all the practical tips people have shared - like bringing specific documentation, asking for a Claims Specialist, and keeping detailed notes of conversations. As someone who's just starting to learn about Social Security, I find it concerning how many people mentioned getting incorrect calculations or conflicting information from different representatives. It really emphasizes the importance of getting multiple opinions and being prepared with documentation. Thank you for sharing your situation - even though I'm not in the same position, I'm learning so much from your question and everyone's responses. This community is such a valuable resource for understanding these complex benefits. I hope your appointment goes smoothly and you get the clear answers you need!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Fatima. What you're going through with trying to understand these widow's benefit rules is exactly what so many of us face - the system is incredibly complicated and SSA representatives often give conflicting information. Reading through all the amazing advice you've received here, I'm struck by how much this community knows about these complex rules that even SSA staff sometimes get wrong. Your decision to wait until FRA really does seem like the financially sound choice based on what everyone has shared. That difference between 82.5% now versus 100% at FRA is substantial - we're talking about a permanent reduction that affects every single monthly payment for the rest of your life. I wanted to add one thing that helped me when dealing with SSA: if you do end up speaking with multiple representatives (which seems wise given all the calculation errors people have mentioned), ask each one to explain specifically how they're applying the RIB-LIM rule to your situation. Sometimes asking them to walk through their calculation step-by-step can reveal if they truly understand this specialized rule or if they're just guessing. Also, consider bringing a trusted friend or family member to your appointment if possible. Having an extra set of ears can be really valuable when dealing with complex benefit calculations, especially when you're still grieving and processing a lot of information. Thank you for sharing your situation - your question and everyone's responses have created such a valuable resource for anyone facing similar circumstances. Best wishes as you navigate this process!