When do Social Security survivor benefits get reduced? Confused about disability vs. age rules

I'm sorry for your loss. Survivor benefits work differently based on your situation: 1. If you claim survivor benefits before your full retirement age (FRA), they ARE reduced - generally about 0.396% reduction for each month before FRA 2. If you're disabled, you can receive unreduced survivor benefits as early as age 50 3. Even with a disability, you must go through the SSDI application process first 4. If approved for SSDI, you can then file for survivor benefits without the early claiming reduction The key difference: claiming as a disabled widow means no reduction, claiming as a non-disabled widow before FRA means permanent reduction. If your health issues are severe enough to qualify for disability, that route would maximize your benefits.

when my wife died i went thru this whole thing and its SUPER confusing!! the people at ssa gave me different answers every time i called them. i think theres a 7 year thing where if your disabled within 7 years of your spouse dying you get something different but im not sure exactly how it works. one person told me i should apply for both at the same time but another said do disability first. its a mess!!

Let me clarify how survivor benefits work in your situation: 1. At age 58 (non-disabled), if you claim survivor benefits now, they would be reduced to about 71.5% of your husband's full benefit amount, and this reduction is permanent. 2. If you wait until your Full Retirement Age (probably 67), you would receive 100% of your husband's benefit amount. 3. If you qualify for disability (SSDI), you could receive disabled widow benefits as early as age 50 without reduction. For disabled widow benefits, you must: - Be at least 50 years old - Be disabled according to SSA's definition - Have become disabled within 7 years of your spouse's death - Not be entitled to a higher benefit on your own record If your health issues are severe enough to meet SSA's disability definition, applying for SSDI first would be financially advantageous.

my mom went thru this last year. she got disabled widow benefits at 55. they made her apply for regular disability first and then once that was approved they switched her to the widow benefit because it was higher. took like 9 months start to finish though so be prepared to wait

yes she got backpay to when she first applied not when dad died. but they paid it all at once which messed up her medicaid for like 2 months because it looked like she had too much money

I see lots of good advice here but nobody mentioned that you should think about your OWN retirement benefit too. If your own benefit would eventually be higher than the survivor benefit, you might want to take the reduced survivor benefit now and then switch to your own at 70. You can switch between the two. I did this - took survivor at 60 (reduced) and am now waiting to switch to my own at 70 when it'll be higher.

I was in a similar situation last year after my husband passed. I tried calling SSA for weeks and kept getting disconnected or sitting on hold for hours. I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke to someone, they told me I should apply for both disability and survivor benefits simultaneously. They set up both applications during the same call. The agent explained that they would process the disability claim first, and if approved, would then process the survivor claim without reduction. Worth checking out claimyr.com if you're having trouble reaching someone.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you get the one-time death payment of $255 if you were living with your husband when he passed. It's not much but it's something. Also be aware that if you do get approved for disability, there's a 5-month waiting period before benefits start, but survivor benefits can start right away if you're eligible.

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've decided to apply for both SSDI and survivor benefits. Based on what everyone's said, it seems like the smartest approach is to try for disability first. If approved, I can get the full survivor benefit even at my age (58). If not approved for disability, I'll need to decide whether to take reduced survivor benefits now or wait until my FRA. I've scheduled a doctor appointment to get more documentation for my disability case. I'll update once I hear something from SSA (which sounds like it might be months from now...).

Good luck with your applications, Tami! One more tip that might help - when you meet with your doctor, ask them to specifically document how your health issues limit your ability to work (like how many hours you can stand, lift, concentrate, etc.). SSA looks for very specific functional limitations, not just diagnoses. Also, if you have any mental health impacts from your conditions or grief, make sure those are documented too since they can be just as limiting as physical issues. The disability process is tough but having a complete medical picture really helps your case.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Tami. I went through something similar when my spouse passed two years ago. One thing I learned that might help you - if you do apply for SSDI, make sure to also file a "protective filing" for survivor benefits at the same time, even if you're planning to wait for the disability decision first. This essentially holds your place in line and preserves your filing date for survivor benefits. If your disability claim gets denied or takes too long, you can still fall back on the survivor benefits without losing months of potential payments. The SSA agent should be able to help you with this when you call, but it's good to know about it going in. The whole system is incredibly complex, but you're asking all the right questions!

I'm sorry for your loss, Tami. This is such a difficult time to be navigating all these complex benefit rules. From what I've learned through my own research (thankfully haven't had to use it yet), the timing strategy really matters here. Since you mentioned having health issues, I'd definitely recommend getting a thorough evaluation from your doctor about whether your conditions might meet SSA's disability criteria. The difference between getting reduced survivor benefits (around 71.5% at age 58) versus full unreduced benefits through the disabled widow pathway is substantial over time. Also, keep in mind that even if you don't think your health issues are "that bad," SSA's definition of disability is pretty specific and sometimes includes conditions people don't realize qualify. It's worth exploring since you have that 7-year window from your husband's passing. The worst they can say is no, but if approved, you'd be much better off financially.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Tami. This whole situation is incredibly overwhelming when you're already dealing with grief. From everything shared here, it sounds like pursuing the disability route first is definitely worth exploring given your health issues. The potential to get unreduced survivor benefits at 58 versus waiting until 67 for full benefits (or taking the reduced 71.5% now) is a huge financial difference over the long term. One thing I'd add that might help - when you do get through to SSA (whether through that Claimyr service mentioned or eventually on your own), ask them to walk you through a benefits estimate for both scenarios. They can show you what your reduced survivor benefit would be if you claimed it now versus what you might get through the disabled widow pathway. Having those actual dollar amounts can help you make the best decision for your situation. Also, don't underestimate how grief itself can impact your ability to work - depression, anxiety, concentration issues, and sleep problems are all real symptoms that can contribute to a disability claim. Make sure your doctors are documenting everything, including the mental health impacts of losing your husband. Wishing you strength through this difficult process.