Social Security withdrawal timeframe after becoming widow - 12 month rule confusion

I had a similar situation last year when my husband passed. The 12-month withdrawal period does start from when you first received benefits (April in your case). So yes, you have until next April to file Form SSA-521 to withdraw your retirement claim. You'll need to repay all benefits received. As a widow, you might get higher survivor benefits than your own retirement, especially if your husband was the higher earner. The BEST option depends on your age and benefit amounts, but many widows find taking survivor benefits and letting their own retirement benefit grow until 70 is optimal. Local offices are overworked - they often don't explain all options!

sorry for your loss. the ssa reps dont always tell u everything. my mom had same problem when dad died. she didnt know she had options either

Just to add some clarity - withdrawal (Form SSA-521) is completely different from switching between benefit types. You don't necessarily need to withdraw your retirement claim to get survivor benefits. If your survivor benefit would be higher than your current retirement benefit, SSA should automatically give you the difference as a widow. You should immediately call SSA to discuss your widow benefits regardless of what you decide about the withdrawal option. Also worth noting: if you were already at your Full Retirement Age when you filed in April, withdrawal might not help much since you weren't taking a reduced benefit anyway.

The Social Security rules for widows are RIDICULOUS!!! I spent MONTHS trying to get a straight answer about my options after my husband died. Every rep told me something different and nobody seemed to know the actual rules. I ended up losing thousands because I applied at the wrong time. Make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing!

I work with a lot of widows in my retirement planning practice, and this is a very common situation. Here's what you need to know: 1. Yes, the 12-month window for withdrawal starts from when you first received benefits (April 2024) 2. As a widow, you have unique claiming options that other beneficiaries don't have. You can actually receive one benefit type first and switch to the other later. 3. The optimal strategy usually depends on the difference between your own retirement benefit and your survivor benefit amount. If your survivor benefit would be significantly higher, withdrawing your retirement application and switching to survivor benefits now might make sense. 4. If your own retirement benefit would be higher at age 70 than your survivor benefit, you might consider taking the survivor benefit now and switching to your own later. 5. You need to schedule a specific appointment to discuss survivor benefits - tell them exactly what you're calling about. I'd recommend getting an appointment with SSA specifically to review ALL your options as a widow before making any decisions about withdrawal.

I tried for WEEKS to get through to SSA on the phone about my widow benefits last year. Constant busy signals, disconnections, and hours on hold. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Honestly saved my sanity during an already difficult time. Once I actually got through to a knowledgeable agent, I found out I had been getting incorrect information about my options all along.

One more important thing - if you do decide to withdraw your retirement claim, remember you can only do this ONCE in your lifetime. So make absolutely sure it's the right move before proceeding. The form is SSA-521 and you'll need to explicitly state you understand you're repaying all benefits received.

my aunt got more money switching to survivor benefits but everyone's situation is different

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to try to get an appointment specifically about widow benefits, and I'll look into that phone service if I can't get through on the regular line. It helps knowing I still have time before April to make a decision about withdrawal. I'll update once I know more!