Would my early filing affect survivor benefits on husband's Social Security record?

when my wife died last yr i think they said my early filing didnt matter for survivor benefits just what she was getting when she died. but i could be wrong about that the ssa person wasnt very clear on phone

This is a common misunderstanding with Social Security survivor benefits. Since you filed for your own retirement benefits early (before your FRA), your survivor benefit WOULD be reduced if you claim it before your Full Retirement Age. However, at your current age (65), if your husband passed away now, you would have two options: 1. Take the reduced survivor benefit immediately (reduced because you're still under your FRA) 2. Wait until your FRA to receive 100% of your husband's benefit The reduction from your early filing of your OWN benefits doesn't affect survivor benefits. Those are calculated separately. But claiming survivor benefits before YOUR FRA would cause a reduction.

My mom got confused about this same issue!!! The SSA doesn't explain this stuff well at all!! When my dad passed, she was getting less than expected because she was still under FRA. The SSA office kept giving her different answers everytime she called! So frustrating!!

To clarify what others have said: 1. Your early filing for your OWN benefits doesn't affect the survivor benefit calculation 2. Your husband filing 1 year early (at 65) DOES affect the base amount of his benefit that you'd be eligible for as a survivor 3. If you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, there would be an additional reduction So the $2,150 your husband currently receives already includes his reduction for claiming early. As a survivor, you could get the full $2,150 if you wait until your FRA to claim survivor benefits. If you claim survivor benefits now at 65, you'd receive somewhat less than the $2,150 because you haven't reached your FRA yet. Note: When your husband passes, the SSA will automatically give you the higher of your own benefit or the survivor benefit you're eligible for at that time. They don't pay both.

I dealt with this exact situation last year after my husband passed. I had taken my benefits at 62, and he had filed at his FRA. The SSA told me I could switch to survivor benefits at my FRA and get his full amount, but when I tried to do that, they kept disconnecting me or putting me on hold for HOURS. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting hung up on. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Worth it to get this sorted out correctly - there's a lot of money at stake with survivor benefits.

The ENTIRE social security system is DESIGNED to be confusing!!! They WANT you to make mistakes so they can pay out LESS!! My sister-in-law had this EXACT SAME ISSUE and the SSA gave her the runaround for MONTHS before finally admitting she was entitled to my brother's full benefit. Don't trust what they tell you on the phone - get EVERYTHING in writing!!!

One other thing i forgot to mention... when you do become a widow you should call ssa right away cuz they dont automatically switch you to survivors benefits. i waited 2 months not knowing and lost those payments

I've been dealing with Social Security for my mom who just lost my dad. Her situation is different (she never worked) but we found out survivor benefits are only retroactive for 6 months. So definitely apply as soon as possible when the time comes. Hope your husband lives a good long life though! 💜

One final clarification that might help: If you're receiving your own reduced retirement benefit now and later become eligible for survivor benefits, you have options: 1. You can continue receiving your reduced retirement benefit and wait until your FRA to apply for unreduced survivor benefits ($2,150) 2. You can apply for reduced survivor benefits now (you'd get less than $2,150) and switch from your own benefit The optimal strategy depends on the difference between your current benefit and the survivor benefit you'd receive now vs. at FRA. SSA should be able to tell you the exact amounts to help you decide which option is best when the time comes.