Will my separated status affect Social Security survivor benefits? We weren't living together when he died

The answer is NO - being separated won't disqualify you from survivor benefits as long as you remained legally married. The SSA asks that question because in some cases, they need to determine if a marriage was valid or if there might be multiple potential survivor benefit claimants. I went through something similar when my wife passed - we were living apart temporarily for her cancer treatments in another state. The SSA representative explained they're just documenting circumstances, not using it as a way to deny benefits to legal spouses. Since you were legally married at the time of his death, you're entitled to survivor benefits regardless of physical living arrangement.

You should be fine regarding survivor benefits. The living together question is primarily for administrative purposes and to help determine certain benefit calculation details. Since you were legally married, separation without legal documentation doesn't impact your eligibility. However, it's smart to wait until your FRA to claim survivors and let your own benefit grow. You might consider getting a benefit estimate before then by scheduling an appointment. At 58, you could get widows benefits as early as 60 (or 50 if disabled), but with a permanent reduction.

I had a NIGHTMARE with SSA when my husband passed!! We were separated too (he was in Colorado, I stayed in Arizona) and the caseworker kept giving me trouble about it! Kept asking for more proof of marriage even though I had our certificate. Said something about needing to investigate our living situation. It took MONTHS to get approved when it should have been simple! I think a lot depends on which worker you get. Some are helpful, others make everything difficult!!! Be prepared for lots of questions and bring EVERY document you can think of!!!

I think the question is about household expenses and support. My cousin got survivors but they were living apart for work reasons for 2 years before he died. No problems with her claim.

When my wife passed we were technically separated (I moved out but no papers filed) and I still got survivors benefits no problem! But the real question you should be asking is about the timing. At 58 you've got some years before FRA. If you wait to claim survivors until 67 and your own at 70, you'll need other income for the next 9-12 years. Have you considered taking reduced survivors at 60 and switching to your own at 70? That's what my financial advisor suggested to me.

DONT TRUST WHAT PEOPLE SAY HERE!!! Every case is different! My sister-in-law was separated from her husband for 3 years (but still married) when he died and they DENIED her survivors benefits saying they were "estranged" and she couldn't prove financial dependence or something!!! She had to hire a lawyer to fight it!!! The rules are COMPLICATED!!

To add some clarity here - the living arrangement question serves several purposes: 1) It helps SSA determine if there might be multiple potential claimants, 2) It identifies if there might be issues with the validity of the marriage, and 3) It helps with determining household expenses for certain calculations. As long as you were legally married and there's no question about the validity of the marriage, separation without a legal separation agreement should not impact eligibility for survivor benefits. The key facts from your situation: legally married, no divorce filed, no legal separation agreement. These are what matter for your survivor benefits eligibility. Your strategy of waiting until FRA for survivors while letting your own benefit grow is generally sound, but you might want to run calculations for different scenarios once you get accurate benefit amounts.