Starting Social Security survivor benefits at age 60 in December - partial month payment and earnings limit questions

For your first question, Social Security pays benefits for full months, so you'll get the full December payment even though you turn 60 early in the month. Benefits are paid the month after they're due, so your December benefit would arrive in January. Regarding the earnings test, unfortunately, all of your 2025 income will count toward the annual limit (around $22,320 for 2025 if you're under FRA). However, there is a monthly grace period available in your first year of benefits. If you stay under the monthly limit (about $1,860) for any month after you start receiving benefits, you'll receive your full payment for that month regardless of your annual total. So if you reduce your hours immediately in December when you turn 60, you could receive your December benefit even if you've earned well above the annual limit in the earlier months of 2025.

congrats on your planning! smart to take survivor at 60 and switch to your own at 70. wish i had done that instead of taking everything early. ss doesnt explain this stuff well!!

I went through EXACTLY the same situation 2 years ago!!! My husband passed in 2019 and I turnd 60 in November. Let me tell you, the earnings test is a NIGHTMARE to understand!!!! The SSA represntative I spoke with gave me THREE different answers on different calls. It was so frustrating I nearly gave up. Be warned that when you apply they'll want EVERTHING - death certificate, marriage license, tax returns, the works. And the wait times on the phone??? IMPOSSIBLE. I spent HOURS just trying to get anyone on the line.

The first commenter is right about how the monthly earnings test works in your first year of entitlement. This is called the "new monthly earnings test" or sometimes the "grace year rule." The key thing to remember: You need to stay below the monthly limit ($1,860 in 2025) in ANY month you want to receive full benefits. Your annual total doesn't matter for those specific months. But I should point out that your survivor benefit at age 60 will be reduced to 71.5% of what your husband would have received at his full retirement age. Every month you wait to claim between 60 and your FRA increases this percentage slightly. Also, make sure you understand the implications of the Retirement Earnings Test (RET). For every $2 you earn above the annual limit, SSA withholds $1 in benefits. They don't take a little from each check - they withhold full months of benefits until the penalty is satisfied.

wait im confused. i thought SSI was different from survivor benefits? are u getting SSDI or SSI or something else? the whole system is so complicated!!

Just want to add from my experience - when they calculate your earnings for the annual test, they count your GROSS wages before any deductions. That includes bonuses and vacation payouts too. When I took survivor benefits, I had received a large bonus in January and it pushed me over the limit for the whole year. But I was able to use the monthly rule for several months later in the year after I reduced my hours. Also, be prepared for some real confusion with the SSA reps themselves. I had one tell me I couldn't use the monthly exception rule at all because I had already worked earlier in the year. That was WRONG. I had to speak to a supervisor to get it straightened out.

Has anyone noticed how the SSA NEVER explains this properly on their website?!? I spent HOURS looking for clear info about the monthly earnings test and COULD NOT find a straight answer anywhere!!! Then when you call they put you on hold for 2 HOURS just to talk to someone who sounds like they're reading from a script and doesn't understand your question!!!

One more important point: The earnings limit for survivor benefits increases in the year you reach your full retirement age (FRA), and then disappears completely once you hit your FRA. For example, if your FRA is 67, in the year you turn 67, the earnings limit jumps to around $59,520 (for 2025), and they only count earnings before the month you reach FRA. Then after your FRA, you can earn any amount without reduction. Since you're planning to switch to your own benefit at 70, you'll still need to be mindful of the earnings test between 60-67, but after your FRA, you can work as much as you want without any impact on your survivor benefits.

my mom did something like this where she took my dads survivor benefit for a while then switched to her own later. worked out really well for her! good luck!