Survivor Benefits after 10 years - Did I miss filing deadline at 2 years after death?

The 2-year filing deadline is not accurate for survivor benefits. There is NO time limit for applying for survivor benefits. The recording you heard likely referred to a different benefit or situation. You can still apply now at age 63, though your benefit will be reduced by approximately 0.396% for each month before your full retirement age (which is likely 67 for survivor benefits in your case). The earnings test you mentioned is correct - if you're under full retirement age and working, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the annual limit (which is $22,320 for 2025). But this isn't permanent - those benefits are recalculated and paid back to you once you reach full retirement age.

my mom had something like this she waited like 5 years after my dad died and still got survivors benefits so your probly ok

The SS people told me the SAME EXACT THING when my wife passed in 2018!!! Total misinformation!! I waited 3 years and got my benefits with NO PROBLEM. They mix up the lump sum death benefit ($255) which DOES have a 2-year limit with the ongoing monthly survivor benefits which have NO time limit. It's absolutely criminal how they confuse people about this!!! Call them again and IGNORE that recording. Make sure you have your husband's death certificate and marriage certificate ready when you apply.

I had to call SSA about 17 times before getting through last month for my own survivor benefits question. Every time I'd wait 2+ hours then get disconnected. So frustrating! Finally tried 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 - seriously saved me days of frustration. The SSA agent confirmed there's absolutely no deadline for applying for survivor benefits, so you haven't missed anything!

Since you're 63, here's what you should consider: 1. You can claim reduced survivor benefits now (about 71.5% of your husband's full benefit) 2. Wait until your Full Retirement Age (likely 67) for 100% of his benefit 3. Or you could take YOUR reduced retirement benefit now and switch to survivors later The best strategy depends on whether your own retirement benefit would eventually be higher than your survivor benefit. If so, you might want to take the reduced survivor benefit now and switch to your own at 70 when it reaches its maximum value.

The earning limit confused me so much when I was going through this. If your making too much they can reduce your benefit to ZERO. But you don't loose them forever!!! Once you stop working or earn less you can get the full amount. Just make sure you actually FILE for them even if you'll get $0 due to working. That way your in the system.

wait so can u get retroactive payments from when he died or just from when u apply?

Update: I called SSA again (had to try three times to get through) and finally spoke with someone helpful! You were all right - there is NO time limit for applying for survivor benefits. The 2-year limit only applies to the one-time $255 death payment. The rep told me that based on my husband's earnings, my survivor benefit would be about $2,450/month at my full retirement age of 67, or about $1,750 if I take it now at 63. My own benefit at FRA would be around $1,900. She recommended I take the reduced survivor benefit now and then switch to my own benefit at 70 when it would be about $2,350. Thank you all so much for your help! I was so worried I'd lost everything due to that misleading recording!

FYI - Since you're still working, remember the 2025 earnings limit is $22,320 if you're under full retirement age. They'll deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above that. So if you make $30,000, they'll deduct $3,840 from your annual benefit ($30,000-$22,320 = $7,680 ÷ 2 = $3,840). Make sure to factor this into your planning if you're continuing to work.