Taking ex-spouse survivor benefits before FRA - March birthday percentages & application timing questions

Listen, survivor benefits are COMPLETELY different from regular retirement benefits!!!! I spent 8 months going back and forth with SSA after my husband passed. If your ex is deceased (which I assume since you mentioned survivor benefits), the reduction percentages depend on YOUR age when you apply, not your ex's work record. The whole system is a NIGHTMARE to navigate. And YES bring ALL your documents to ANY appointment!!! Marriage cert, divorce decree, death certificate, birth certificate - EVERYTHING. I went 3 times and each time they asked for something different. Don't trust what they tell you on the phone either.

For survivor benefits (which apply when your ex-spouse is deceased), the reduction percentages are: - At your FRA (which is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later): 100% of your ex-spouse's benefit - At age 66: approximately 95.3% of the full survivor benefit Regarding your start date question, Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month they're due. So if you list March as your start date (the month of your birthday), your first payment would arrive in April. About the appointment - yes, they can print out benefit estimates, and you should absolutely bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and proof the marriage lasted at least 10 years. They'll need these documents to verify your eligibility for ex-spouse survivor benefits. Hope this helps!

Just to clarify a bit further on the percentage reductions for survivor benefits: - At FRA (67 for those born 1960 or later): 100% of deceased ex-spouse's benefit - At age 66: 95.3% of the full amount - Each month before FRA reduces the benefit by a small percentage For the start date, you're correct that you should apply about 3 months before you want benefits to begin. If your birthday is March 30th and you want benefits to start that month, you would indicate March as your start month on the application. Benefits are paid the following month, so your first payment would arrive in April. Regarding your appointment: SSA can generate benefit estimates at different claiming ages. Definitely bring your marriage certificate, divorce decree showing the marriage lasted at least 10 years, your birth certificate, and your ex-spouse's death certificate. Having all documentation ready will make the process much smoother. One more thing - make sure you understand that survivor benefits are separate from retirement benefits. You might be eligible for both, and there could be strategies to maximize your total lifetime benefits by claiming one type before the other.

After struggling to reach someone at Social Security for weeks about a similar survivor benefits situation, I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to SSA in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. When I finally spoke with an agent, they explained that for survivor benefits, the reduction is approximately 0.396% for each month before your full retirement age. So at 66 when your FRA is 67, that's 12 months early or about a 4.7% reduction like others mentioned. The agent also confirmed that bringing all documentation to your in-person appointment is essential - especially proof the marriage lasted 10+ years and the death certificate. They can absolutely print out estimates for different claiming ages during that appointment.

my sister went thru this last year when her ex died. dont forget you can earn as much as you want when receiving survivor benefits! not like regular SS where they take money back if you earn too much. this was huge for her since shes still working part time

Just sharing my experience - I had a birthday timing similar to yours (end of month) and chose my birthday month as the start date. First payment came the following month as others said. One thing I wish I'd known though - make copies of EVERYTHING before you go. My local office said they could scan my documents, but their system was down that day and I had to come back. Such a hassle.

One more important point about your situation: if you're also eligible for retirement benefits on your own record, you should know that you can take one benefit type first and switch to the other later if it would result in a higher amount. For example, you could take your reduced survivor benefit at 66 and then switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 if your retirement benefit with delayed credits would be higher than the survivor benefit. Or vice versa. This is one of the few remaining claiming strategies that can help maximize lifetime benefits. The SSA representatives can show you the numbers for both benefit types during your appointment to help you make this decision.

Just a WARNING about those appointments - don't assume the first person you talk to knows everything!! I got completely wrong info at my first appointment and made a HUGE mistake with my claiming strategy. Make sure you talk to a TECHNICAL EXPERT not just a regular service rep. Ask specifically for someone who specializes in survivor benefits!! And take notes of EVERYTHING they say.