Survivor benefits after ex-spouse's death - will my SS payments increase if I was already collecting on his record?

Yes, your benefits should increase. When you're already receiving divorced spouse benefits and your ex passes away, you become eligible for surviving divorced spouse benefits which are higher - up to 100% of what your ex-husband was receiving (instead of the 50% maximum for divorced spouse benefits). Since you started benefits early at 62, you'll receive a reduced amount, but it should still be more than you're getting now. The SSA won't automatically switch you - you need to call and apply for the survivor benefits. Bring his death certificate when you go to the office.

my mom went through this last year. they DONT automatically switch u over!! u gotta call them and tell them he died. bring death certificate. she got like 60% more $ after they changed it to survivor benefits but she waited 3 months to tell them and they wouldnt backdate it!!!

Sorry for your loss. I was in a similar situation and yes, you should see an increase. The survivor benefit is based on 100% of what he was receiving rather than the spousal benefit which is only 50%. But since you took benefits early at 62, you'll get a reduced amount - I think around 71.5% of his full benefit. Still more than what you're getting now though!

The Social Security Administration doesn't automatically know when your ex passes away, so you DEFINITELY need to contact them. When I tried calling the national 800 number last month about my own benefits, I was on hold for over 2 HOURS and then got disconnected!!! TWICE!!! So frustrating. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me so much time and frustration. For something important like survivor benefits, you really need to talk to someone quickly.

I went through exactly this when my ex died in 2023. You WON'T get 100% of his benefit because you took benefits early at 62. The reduction is permanent. But you WILL get more than your current divorced spouse benefit. When my ex died, my payment went from $1,380 to $2,150 per month, which was life-changing! Call them ASAP because they won't pay retroactively beyond 6 months, so any delay means losing money you deserve.

There's a lot of misinformation here. Let me clarify: As a surviving divorced spouse, you're eligible for the same survivor benefits as a widow if you were married for at least 10 years (you were married 22 years, so you qualify). Since you're already receiving benefits on his record, the SSA should be notified of his death to convert your benefit to a survivor benefit. Important: The survivor benefit can be up to 100% of what he was receiving, but since you claimed at 62, you'll receive a reduced amount. The reduction for survivor benefits is about 28.5% if claimed at 62, so you'd get about 71.5% of his full benefit. However, since you're now 66, the reduction may be less severe depending on your exact age. I strongly recommend scheduling an appointment with your local SSA office. Bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and his death certificate. They'll calculate the exact amount based on your specific situation.

I had to deal with this last year and wish someone had told me this: RECORD THE DATE YOU FIRST REPORT THE DEATH!!! SSA backdate payments to when you first report, not when they process the claim. I lost 2 months of higher payments because I couldn't prove when I first called. And yes, your payment will go up substantially.

wait i just realized something does anybody know if she has to pay back the benefits she already got this month??? my cousin said something about how they make u pay back the month someone dies but im not sure if thats true for ex spouses???

Has anyone mentioned that you need to apply within 60 days? My sister waited too long and had issues. And don't forget there's a one-time death benefit of $255 you might be eligible for too!

I'm sorry for your loss, Selena. I went through something very similar when my ex-husband passed away in 2022. You absolutely need to contact SSA immediately - they don't automatically know about the death or switch your benefits. When I called, my monthly payment increased from around $1,100 to $1,850, which was a huge help during a difficult time. Make sure you have his death certificate, your marriage certificate, and divorce decree ready when you call. The process took about 5-6 weeks for me, but the increased payment was retroactive to the month I reported his death. Don't wait - every month you delay could mean losing money you're entitled to. The survivor benefit should be significantly higher than your current divorced spouse benefit, even with the early filing reduction.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Selena. I just went through this exact situation 8 months ago when my ex-husband passed away. You definitely need to contact SSA right away - they won't automatically switch your benefits. I was also receiving divorced spouse benefits (about $1,200/month) and when I applied for survivor benefits, my payment jumped to $1,940/month. The key things: 1) Call SSA immediately with his death certificate, your marriage certificate, and divorce decree ready, 2) Document the date you first report his death - they'll backdate to that date, not when they finish processing, 3) Be persistent if you can't get through on the phone - I had to call multiple times but it's worth it for the significant increase you'll receive. My benefits were processed in about 6 weeks. Don't let anyone tell you that you needed to be his current spouse - surviving divorced spouses have the same rights to survivor benefits as widows. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Selena. This is definitely a situation where you need to be proactive with SSA. I worked as a benefits counselor for several years and can confirm what others have said - you absolutely must contact them yourself to report the death and apply for survivor benefits. They don't have an automatic system that switches divorced spouse benefits to survivor benefits when an ex-spouse dies. The good news is that your monthly payment should increase substantially - survivor benefits can be much higher than the 50% maximum you get with divorced spouse benefits. Since you started benefits at 62, you'll still have some reduction, but it should be a significant improvement over your current $1,275. Make sure to call as soon as possible and have all your documents ready (death certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree). Document the date you first report his death, as they can backdate payments to that date. Don't let them tell you the process will take months - while processing can take 4-6 weeks, they should be able to give you a timeline and keep you updated.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Selena. I went through this exact situation 3 years ago when my ex-husband passed away. You absolutely need to contact SSA immediately - they will NOT automatically switch your benefits, even though you're already in their system as his ex-spouse. I was receiving about $1,100/month in divorced spouse benefits, and after applying for survivor benefits, it increased to $1,750/month. The process took about 5 weeks once I submitted all the paperwork. Make sure you have his death certificate, your marriage certificate, and divorce decree ready when you call. Most importantly, document the exact date you first report his death to SSA - they backdate the increased payments to that date, not when they finish processing your application. Don't delay on this - every month you wait potentially means losing money you're entitled to. The 22-year marriage definitely qualifies you, and the survivor benefit should be significantly higher than your current payment even with the early filing reduction.