Will I get my deceased husband's full Social Security amount or only a percentage based on birth year?
My husband and I are planning our retirement finances, and we've realized we don't fully understand survivor benefits. He's 63 and I'm 58, and his Social Security benefit will be significantly higher than mine (about $2,800 vs my $1,650). If he passes away before me, would I receive his full $2,800 monthly benefit amount as a survivor? Someone told me that I might only get a percentage of his benefit based on our birth years, but I can't find clear information about this. Does the year either of us was born affect how much I'd receive as a survivor benefit? We're trying to plan accordingly since we're getting closer to retirement age.
15 comments
Join the conversation
Zara Rashid
As a survivor, you would receive up to 100% of your husband's benefit, but the exact amount depends on WHEN you claim the survivor benefits. Your own birth year doesn't change the percentage you're eligible for, but it affects your Full Retirement Age (FRA) for survivor benefits, which might be different from your regular FRA. If you wait until your survivor FRA to claim, you get 100% of his benefit. If you claim earlier (as early as age 60), you'll receive reduced benefits - anywhere from 71.5% to 99% of his benefit depending on how many months before your FRA you claim. Also important - what your husband was receiving matters too. If he claimed early, your survivor benefit would be based on his reduced amount, not his full FRA amount.
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•Thank you for explaining! So if I understand correctly, the key isn't our birth years directly, but rather when I would claim survivor benefits in relation to MY full retirement age? And if my husband claims his benefits early, I'd only get the reduced amount he was receiving when he passed?
0 coins
Luca Romano
Dont think its about birth yr, its about when u claim. my mom only got like 80% of my dads SS cause she took it at 61 after he died. wish she waited!!! Couldve gotten a lot more $$!
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•Thanks for sharing your mom's experience. That's exactly the kind of situation we're trying to avoid. Did she have the option to take her own benefit and then switch to the survivor benefit later, or does it not work that way?
0 coins
Nia Jackson
The rules for survivor benefits are different from regular retirement benefits. Here's what you need to know: 1. Your benefit amount depends on WHEN you claim, not what year you were born (though birth year determines your Full Retirement Age) 2. For survivors, you can claim as early as age 60 (50 if disabled) 3. If you claim before your survivor FRA (which is likely around 67 for you), your benefit will be reduced by a certain percentage for each month early 4. If your husband claimed his benefits early and received reduced payments, your survivor benefit would be based on that reduced amount 5. SPECIAL RULE: Unlike regular benefits, with survivor benefits you can actually switch between your own benefit and the survivor benefit. You could take reduced survivor benefits at 60, then switch to your own higher retirement benefit at 70, OR take your own reduced retirement at 62 and later switch to full survivor benefits at your FRA. Strategic planning around this can make a big difference in lifetime benefits.
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•This is incredibly helpful information, especially the point about being able to switch between benefits! I had no idea that was possible. Is there a calculator on the SSA website where I can run different scenarios based on our specific birth dates and benefit amounts?
0 coins
Mateo Hernandez
SSA completely SCREWED me on my survivor benefits!!! My husband passed in 2023 and when I applied they said I'd get 82.5% of his benefit because I was 63. NOBODY told me I could wait until my full retirement age to get 100%!!! The SSA rep just processed it immediately. I'm out almost $500 every month FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE because they didnt explain my options!!!
0 coins
CosmicCruiser
•That's awful! I had similar issues with SSA not explaining options clearly. Have you tried calling them back to see if there's any way to withdraw your application? I think there's a 12-month window where you can withdraw and reapply, but I'm not 100% sure for survivor benefits. I actually got through to them quickly using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that gets you through to a live SSA agent without the hours of waiting on hold. They show how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Might be worth trying to see if there's any way to fix your situation. My dad used it for his retirement application issues and said it saved him hours of frustration.
0 coins
Nia Jackson
For everyone following this thread, there's another important survivor benefit detail: the "deemed filing" rules that normally force you to take all available benefits at once DON'T apply to survivor benefits. This creates unique claiming strategies for widows/widowers that don't exist for other retirees. For example: - You could claim your OWN reduced retirement at 62, then switch to FULL survivor benefits at your survivor FRA - OR claim reduced survivor benefits at 60, then switch to your OWN maximized benefit at 70 (if your own would be higher with delayed credits) The optimal strategy depends on the relative benefit amounts and your life expectancy. This is one area where good planning can potentially mean tens of thousands in additional lifetime benefits.
0 coins
Aisha Khan
•Wait I'm confused, I thought once you pick which benefit you want that's it forever? My neighbor got widowed and she just took her husbands cause it was higher. Never heard about this switching thing
0 coins
Nia Jackson
•The ability to switch between your own retirement benefit and a survivor benefit is a special exception to the normal Social Security rules. For retirement and spousal benefits, you generally can't switch, but survivor benefits are treated differently. Many people don't know this, and unfortunately, some SSA representatives don't explain it clearly. It's one of the most valuable claiming strategies available to surviving spouses.
0 coins
Ethan Taylor
Everyone's giving complicated answers but it's simple: You get 100% of husband's benefit if you wait till your FRA You get less if you take it early Birth year only matters because it determines your FRA (Full Retirement Age) For people born in 1960s or later FRA is 67 For people born earlier it's a bit less You also need to know if husband took benefits early himself because that might reduce what you get
0 coins
Sean Doyle
•Thank you for the straightforward explanation. I appreciate everyone's help. We still have time to plan, but it sounds like I need to be very careful about WHEN I claim any survivor benefits if that unfortunate situation arises. I'll definitely look into the strategy of potentially claiming one benefit type earlier and switching later.
0 coins
Luca Romano
my aunt had to deal with this last year and she said the local SS office gave her different info than the phone ppl!!! make sure u get everything in writing when u talk to them
0 coins
Zara Rashid
•This is excellent advice. I always recommend that people request and keep a detailed Benefits Statement from SSA that shows their benefit amounts under different scenarios. Local offices and phone representatives sometimes provide conflicting information, so having documentation is important. The SSA's website has been improving, and you can now get personalized benefit estimates through your my Social Security account, but for complex situations involving survivor benefits, it's worth getting a written benefit analysis.
0 coins