Will I receive 100% of my husband's reduced Social Security benefit or his PIA amount as a survivor?

Thank you for explaining! So to be clear, I would just receive his current $1,850 payment and NOT some higher amount based on his PIA? I thought maybe there was some adjustment for the fact that he took reduced benefits early.

This is exactly the type of conflicting information that's been confusing me! So there IS potentially a higher amount I could receive based on his PIA, not just his reduced benefit? I'll definitely ask about this "widow's limit" when I talk to SSA.

Thanks for sharing your mom's experience. Did she have to go into an office or was she able to handle everything over the phone?

i was gonna suggest going to the local office in person but your Claimyr suggestion sounds way better than sitting in that waiting room for 5 hours! might try that myself for my disability appeal

Thank you. It's hard to plan for these things, but I want to be prepared financially. I'm going to try to find out what his PIA is so I can calculate both scenarios.

Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! This RIB-LIM rule is exactly what I needed to understand. I'll definitely need to find out his exact PIA to see which amount would apply in my case.

Good question. Yes, if you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, they're reduced. But the original poster is already 66, which means she's at or past her FRA (depending on her birth year). So she would receive the full survivor benefit without reduction.

Your friend likely got that result because her husband's current benefit was higher than the 82.5% of PIA calculation. The SSA automatically gives you the highest amount you're entitled to, but they don't always explain the calculations unless you specifically ask. That's why it seemed straightforward to her.

That's a really good reminder - I should probably locate those documents now and keep them somewhere accessible. Thank you!

Thank you for that clarification about switching benefits rather than receiving both! That's really helpful to understand. I was wondering if I'd somehow get both payments, but it makes sense that it would be one or the other. Since you're a benefits specialist, do you know if there's any advantage to timing when I apply for survivor benefits, or should I just apply as soon as possible after his passing? I want to make sure I don't miss out on any payments or make any mistakes in the process.

As a fellow community member who went through this process, I'd recommend applying within 1-2 months after his passing. While you have up to 12 months to apply and receive retroactive payments, there are a few practical reasons to apply sooner rather than later: 1. It takes SSA 4-8 weeks to process survivor benefit applications, so applying early ensures you don't have a gap in income 2. Your monthly payment will automatically switch to the higher survivor benefit amount once approved 3. Any delays in processing won't affect your retroactive entitlement, but they could create temporary financial strain One timing consideration: if your husband passes away early in a month, you might want to wait until the following month to apply, as survivor benefits can't be paid for the month of death. But beyond that, there's really no advantage to waiting. The sooner you apply, the sooner you'll have the peace of mind of knowing your new benefit amount and having the process complete. @636c4a2971ed might have additional professional insights on optimal timing strategies.

This is really helpful information from a professional perspective! I have a quick follow-up question about the timing - you mentioned that survivor benefits can't be paid for the month of death. Does this mean if my husband were to pass away on, say, March 3rd, I wouldn't receive any survivor benefit payment for the entire month of March? And would his regular Social Security payment for March need to be returned to SSA? I want to understand the financial implications so I can plan accordingly.

That's exactly right - Social Security benefits can't be paid for the month of death. If your husband passes away on March 3rd, no Social Security payment would be made for March, and if he had already received his March payment, it would need to be returned to SSA. This is true regardless of when in the month death occurs. As for survivor benefits, you would potentially be eligible starting in April (the month after death). The timing works like this: if he passes in March, his March benefit stops, and you could begin receiving survivor benefits as early as April, assuming you apply promptly. This creates a potential gap where neither of you receives a Social Security payment for that month of death, which is why it's important to have some emergency savings set aside. The good news is that once your survivor benefits are approved, they'll be retroactive to the month after his death, so you won't lose any money in the long run - but there could be a temporary cash flow issue while waiting for processing. I'd recommend keeping track of any payments received in the month of death and being prepared to return them to SSA if requested.

This is such great advice about getting the calculations done in advance! I never thought about creating an account to see his PIA or visiting SSA while we're both still here. You're absolutely right that it would be much easier to handle this planning now rather than during a stressful time. I'm going to set up that online account this week and see if I can get his Social Security Statement. Do you know if both spouses can access each other's information online, or would he need to create his own account to get his PIA details?

Each spouse needs to create their own individual my Social Security account - you can't access your husband's information through your account due to privacy protections. He would need to set up his own account at ssa.gov/myaccount to view his Social Security Statement and PIA details. However, when you visit the local SSA office together, they can discuss both of your records and run the survivor benefit calculations with both of you present. That might actually be the easier route since they can pull up all the information needed and walk you through the exact numbers in one visit. Just make sure to bring both of your Social Security cards and photo IDs when you go.

Thank you so much for sharing your real experience with this! It's reassuring to hear that SSA automatically calculated both amounts and gave you the higher one - that takes some of the stress out of worrying whether I'll need to advocate for the right calculation. The fact that the 82.5% of PIA was actually higher in your case gives me hope that it might work out similarly for us. I'm definitely going to take your advice and call SSA to get these numbers calculated in advance. Even if it's difficult emotionally to plan for this, knowing the exact financial situation ahead of time will be so much better than trying to figure it out while grieving. Did you find the SSA representatives helpful when you called, or did you have to go through multiple people to get someone who understood the calculation?

I had mixed experiences with SSA representatives - some were really knowledgeable about survivor benefits and could walk me through the calculations immediately, while others seemed unsure and had to put me on hold to consult with supervisors. My advice is to be persistent and don't be afraid to call back if you get someone who doesn't seem confident about the RIB-LIM rule or the 82.5% calculation. When you do find a knowledgeable rep, ask them to note in your file that they've provided you with the advance calculation - this can help speed up the actual application process later. Also, if possible, try calling mid-week around 10am when they tend to be less busy. The wait times were brutal (sometimes 2+ hours), but having those numbers ahead of time was absolutely worth it for peace of mind.