Survivor benefits at 63 while delaying my own SS until FRA - spouse terminally ill with reduced benefits
I'm facing a really difficult situation and need some clarity on survivor benefits. My spouse is terminally ill (doctors say probably less than 9 months) and is currently 67. He started collecting Social Security at 65, so he's receiving a reduced benefit of about $2200/month after the Medicare Part B deduction. I'm 63 and haven't claimed any SS benefits yet. I was actually the higher earner in our marriage, but I stopped working about 4 years ago to become his full-time caregiver. My original plan was to wait until my full retirement age to maximize my benefits. My question is: When my husband passes, can I apply for survivor benefits based on his record WITHOUT having to file for my own retirement benefits? I'd really like to wait until my FRA to claim my own benefits if that's financially possible. But I'm confused about whether claiming survivor benefits would force me to take my retirement benefits early. Sorry if this has been discussed before - I tried searching but got overwhelmed with all the technical terms and different situations.
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Miguel Ortiz
Yes, you absolutely can claim survivor benefits without touching your own retirement benefits. This is one of the few remaining ways to receive two different types of benefits sequentially. You can take the survivor benefit at 60+ (reduced) or FRA (100% of his benefit), and then switch to your own retirement benefit later if it's higher. Since your husband claimed early at 65 (before his FRA), your survivor benefit would be limited by something called the RIB-LIM rule, which basically means you'd get roughly what he was receiving. But even with that limitation, it's still often a good strategy to claim survivor benefits and let your own benefit grow until 70. I'd recommend getting an appointment with SSA to discuss the specifics of your situation when the time comes. I'm very sorry about what you're going through.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you so much for this information. I had no idea what RIB-LIM meant when I was researching. So if I understand correctly, I could take survivor benefits based on his reduced amount when he passes, then switch to my own (hopefully larger) benefit at my FRA or even age 70?
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Zainab Omar
my condolences on your situation. I went thru something similar with my wife. Jst want to mention that when you claim the survivor benefits make sure you bring the death certificate AND marriage certificate to the appointment. they need both and they dont tell you ahead of time.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you for the tip about the certificates. I wouldn't have thought about bringing the marriage certificate. Did you find it hard to get an appointment when you needed one?
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Connor Murphy
Just to clarify a couple points from the first response: 1. The survivor benefit at your FRA would be 100% of what your husband would have received at HIS FRA (not what he's currently getting). Since he claimed early, there's a reduction. 2. However, the RIB-LIM rule they mentioned limits your survivor benefit to the higher of: (a) what your husband was actually receiving, or (b) 82.5% of what he would have received at his FRA. 3. You can absolutely claim survivor benefits and then switch to your own retirement benefit later - this is a strategy that still works under current rules. Given your age (63) and the fact you were the higher earner, this plan makes financial sense. You'd get some income from survivor benefits while letting your own benefit grow. Each year you delay your own benefit past your FRA, it grows by 8% until age 70. I'm sorry about your husband's condition, and I hope this information helps with your planning.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you for breaking this down so clearly. That 82.5% rule is something I hadn't seen explained before. So basically, I'll get either what he was actually receiving or 82.5% of his FRA amount, whichever is higher? And then I can switch to my own benefit when it makes sense financially?
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Yara Sayegh
so sorry about ur husband. The SSA makes everything SO COMPLICATED!!! when my dad died my mom waited til 66 for surviovr benefits and they gave her a hard time even then!! good luck getting through to anyone there for help, the lines are always busy busy busy
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NebulaNova
•This is why I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to SSA when my spouse passed. I was calling for days and couldn't get through, but their service connected me to an agent in about 10 minutes. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Death benefits and survivor claims are time-sensitive, so waiting on hold for hours or being disconnected was making everything more stressful. It was worth it to actually speak with someone who could help with my specific situation.
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Keisha Williams
THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS!! My friend lost her husband last year and SSA told her different things every time she called. One agent said she could get survivor benefits, another said she couldn't because she had her own work record! NO CONSISTENCY AT ALL. And they keep people on hold for HOURS just to tell them wrong information. Your best bet is to document EVERYTHING, record the names of who you talk to, and be prepared to FIGHT for what you deserve. They'll try to shortchange you at every turn.
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Miguel Ortiz
•While there can definitely be confusion when talking to different SSA reps, the rules about survivor benefits are actually pretty clear. Someone eligible for both their own retirement and survivor benefits CAN choose which to take and when to switch. Your friend may have been dealing with representatives who were confused or poorly trained, which unfortunately does happen.
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Paolo Conti
I think somebody mentioned it already but make sure you know what the RIB-LIM rule is before you go in. It's really important and most people don't know about it. My friend got less than she expected because her husband took his benefits early and nobody told her about this rule until it was too late.
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Connor Murphy
•Great point. For clarity: RIB-LIM (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation) affects survivor benefits when the deceased spouse took reduced retirement benefits. It essentially means that as a survivor, you generally won't get more than what your deceased spouse was actually receiving (with some adjustments). The exact calculation gets pretty complex, but the key is that when someone claims SS early and then passes away, it permanently affects what their survivor can receive.
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Zainab Omar
One thing nobody mentioned is you should apply for the one-time death benefit of $255 when he passes. Its not much but its something. And start the survivor application process right away becuz it can take months to process.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you - I had no idea about the $255 payment. It's not much, but everything helps. I'm trying to gather all the information I can now so I'm prepared when the time comes.
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Yara Sayegh
when my husband got sick i went to the ssa office in person. the wait was like 3 hours but i got better answers than on the phone. try that if u can. bring ALL ur papers
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NebulaNova
•I tried going in person too but my local office had a 2-month wait for appointments! When I needed help with survivor benefits, I couldn't wait that long. I ended up using claimyr.com to get through on the phone - they connected me to an agent in minutes instead of hours of redial and hold. The video on their site (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows exactly how it works. For something this important, it was worth it to actually speak with someone who could help me.
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Miguel Ortiz
To answer your follow-up question about getting more information on the RIB-LIM rule: The SSA's "POMS" (Program Operations Manual System) section GN 00615.320 covers this, but it's extremely technical. A more readable explanation is on the website "Social Security Intelligence" - they have several articles about survivor benefits and the RIB-LIM rule specifically. Also, when you do apply for survivor benefits, be very clear with the representative that you are ONLY applying for survivor benefits and NOT your retirement benefit. Get their name and notes from the conversation. Some representatives mistakenly try to process both simultaneously, which isn't what you want.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you for the resource suggestion. I'll look up that site. And that's excellent advice about being very clear about ONLY applying for survivor benefits. I would have assumed they understood, but now I'll make sure to be explicit and get everything documented.
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Zainab Omar
If ur still caring for ur husband u might want to look into hospice if u haven't already. They helped us so much and medicare covers it. Not SS related but just wanted to mention it.
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Ava Martinez
•Thank you for mentioning hospice. We've actually just started working with them last month, and you're right - they've been incredibly helpful. It's made such a difference already, both for him and for me as his caregiver.
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