She Thought She'd Get Half Her Husband's $3,200 Social Security — But SSA Only Approved $1,000

[susieq]

When they say count your blessings.......Trying to remain positive each day for a few reasons. I will complain here and there......can't help it.

I am so sorry for your loss, actually all of them. Absolutely count your blessings............

 

[Rolltydr]

DW just got the notification that her application has been approved! Woohoo!! No money yet and this notice didn’t have the amount included but gave her a formula to use; 1/2 of my current monthly benefit. That will be nice, if indeed, that is what she gets. The lump sum back payment should go back to January 2024 from what we understand.

 

[Timeshare Von]

The one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that her benefits will increase to $3200 if/when her husband passes. Now, since she started taking SS at 62, I believe that factors into the situation. I suspect that she would get 70% of $3200. At least that is what I remember from about 10 years ago, as we were deciding when to start taking SS.

I do agree that the rules and strategies for taking SS are complicated and have changed over time.

That's the way I understand it as well. If I predecease my hubby, he will get my full amount. In the meantime, however, our plan is for him to take the reduced benefit based on my SS when he turns 65. (Yes I did wait until my FRA to start collecting a year ago.)

 

[Timeshare Von]

I lost out with SS since my husband passed a month before his 65th birthday and I am not full retirement age. Between mine and his, I don't get his full amount. I had no clue with this. Thought I would automatically get his full after seeing my mom, in-law and others get the husbands. Never thought he would pass when he did/unexpected and things we can't plan.

I also lost out with his pension since he was one month away from turning 65. Two months prior he had chosen for me to receive 3/4 of his pension.

Lost over $800 with the two above. A nice chunk of change that was very unexpected. We plan, plan - but we have no way of knowing when we pass. We think and hope in our later years.

I also lost out somewhere else....it is what it is. $$

Lost medical also after three months of his passing. More $$

When they say count your blessings.......Trying to remain positive each day for a few reasons. I will complain here and there......can't help it.

That's really unfortunate . . . and sad to hear he died so young.

 

[Panina]

I lost out with SS since my husband passed a month before his 65th birthday and I am not full retirement age. Between mine and his, I don't get his full amount. I had no clue with this. Thought I would automatically get his full after seeing my mom, in-law and others get the husbands. Never thought he would pass when he did/unexpected and things we can't plan.

I also lost out with his pension since he was one month away from turning 65. Two months prior he had chosen for me to receive 3/4 of his pension.

Lost over $800 with the two above. A nice chunk of change that was very unexpected. We plan, plan - but we have no way of knowing when we pass. We think and hope in our later years.

I also lost out somewhere else....it is what it is. $$

Lost medical also after three months of his passing. More $$

When they say count your blessings.......Trying to remain positive each day for a few reasons. I will complain here and there......can't help it.

My husband passed away at 56. I was able to collect his social security at a reduced rate when I turned 60. At 70 I will be able to switch to my social security at a higher amount.

 

[Panina]

The one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that her benefits will increase to $3200 if/when her husband passes. Now, since she started taking SS at 62, I believe that factors into the situation. I suspect that she would get 70% of $3200. At least that is what I remember from about 10 years ago, as we were deciding when to start taking SS.

I do agree that the rules and strategies for taking SS are complicated and have changed over time.

If she started hers at 62, at her full retirement age she can switch to survivor benefits from her husband and get the full $3200..

 

[VacationForever]

I lost out with SS since my husband passed a month before his 65th birthday and I am not full retirement age. Between mine and his, I don't get his full amount. I had no clue with this. Thought I would automatically get his full after seeing my mom, in-law and others get the husbands. Never thought he would pass when he did/unexpected and things we can't plan.

I also lost out with his pension since he was one month away from turning 65. Two months prior he had chosen for me to receive 3/4 of his pension.

Lost over $800 with the two above. A nice chunk of change that was very unexpected. We plan, plan - but we have no way of knowing when we pass. We think and hope in our later years.

I also lost out somewhere else....it is what it is. $$

Lost medical also after three months of his passing. More $$

When they say count your blessings.......Trying to remain positive each day for a few reasons. I will complain here and there......can't help it.

Since he had not started on claiming SS when he passed, as long as you wait until your FRA to file for survivor benefit, you will get his full SS at his FRA (PIA).

 

[SusanRN]

I believe this is only true if they are not currently married again. I don’t know how this works if they are widowed or divorced from second spouse.

Until a few years ago, as I recall, the Social Security mantra was that you lost your prior spouse's benefit if you remarried. I believed it.
My first husband had died at 27. I remarried -- and divorced -- twice.
When I applied for my own SS at 66, I was shocked to learn that I qualified for a benefit from my first husband, who had been dead over 40 years! -- *and that I could have been collecting since I turned 60!* . As the SS claim rep said, "Well, you're not married now, right?" It wasn't a huge amount, because his earnings were modest so early in his career, but with that unexpected cash I was able to wait until 70 to take my own benefit.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Social Security Full Retirement Age Went Up This Month — Why It May Continue To Rise​

Social Security Full Retirement Age Went Up This Month — Why It May Continue To Rise

Full retirement age for those born in 1960 or later is 67.

www.gobankingrates.com

Richard

 

[AnnaS]

Since he had not started on claiming SS when he passed, as long as you wait until your FRA to file for survivor benefit, you will get his full SS at his FRA (PIA).

He was collecting full social security. He was on disability for a number of years. I would have had to wait almost 5 years for my FRA.

 

[AnnaS]

My husband passed away at 56. I was able to collect his social security at a reduced rate when I turned 60. At 70 I will be able to switch to my social security at a higher amount.

I am collecting his at a reduced rate. I had started collecting mine at 62 but did not even collect a year and he passed. So I get a few dollars on my own record plus his at the reduced rate (slightly more than half). Since I am clueless, I just thought I would have received his full amount total and mine would have stopped or both combined would have equaled to his full amount. I was fine and understood getting mine at a reduced rate.

 

[AnnaS]

That's really unfortunate . . . and sad to hear he died so young.

Thank you.

I tried to do the multi-quote. (Apologies it did not work. A bit technically challenged here).

 

[b2bailey]

I believe this is only true if they are not currently married again. I don’t know how this works if they are widowed or divorced from second spouse.

Actually, when I filed to collect my social security benefits (in person) they checked my current husband's as well as prior husband's.

 

[Tia]

I am collecting his at a reduced rate. I had started collecting mine at 62 but did not even collect a year and he passed. So I get a few dollars on my own record plus his at the reduced rate (slightly more than half). Since I am clueless, I just thought I would have received his full amount total and mine would have stopped or both combined would have equaled to his full amount. I was fine and understood getting mine at a reduced rate.

I think since you started collecting early at 62 there is a penalty that is figured into what you get even using your spouses figures

 

[Panina]

I think since you started collecting early at 62 there is a penalty that is figured into what you get even using your spouses figures

From social security.....

• If you claim survivor benefits between the age of 60 and your full retirement age, you will receive between 71.5 percent and 99 percent of the deceased’s benefit. The percentage gets higher the older you are when you claim.

So she should get at least 71.5%. I think the problem was she claimed survivor benefits before she reached full retirement age.

 

[VacationForever]

From social security.....

• If you claim survivor benefits between the age of 60 and your full retirement age, you will receive between 71.5 percent and 99 percent of the deceased’s benefit. The percentage gets higher the older you are when you claim.

So she should get at least 71.5%. I think the problem was she claimed survivor benefits before she reached full retirement age.

Agree. The problem is not that he passed early / young, but it is that OP claimed her survivor benefits before reaching her FRA.

 

[amycurl]

I hope y’all enjoy the SS dollars I’ve been paying into the system for the past 40 years, as I doubt I will see any of it. I fully expect the program to be canceled by the time I get anywhere close to retirement age.


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[Brett]

I hope y’all enjoy the SS dollars I’ve been paying into the system for the past 40 years, as I doubt I will see any of it. I fully expect the program to be canceled by the time I get anywhere close to retirement age.


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I've enjoyed your SS dollars but I think Social Security will still be around for a few more decades -- (with reduced benefits )

 

[Tia]

From social security.....

• If you claim survivor benefits between the age of 60 and your full retirement age, you will receive between 71.5 percent and 99 percent of the deceased’s benefit. The percentage gets higher the older you are when you claim.

So she should get at least 71.5%. I think the problem was she claimed survivor benefits before she reached full retirement age.

It is complicated and new SS employees don't even know all the regulations.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Well I am divorced, and not remarried, but I always made more than my ex-husband so not picking up any $$ from his SS that would make sense.

 

[Panina]

For those who have lost a spouse, I want to clarify some important points discussed in this thread.

If you are collecting Social Security early and your spouse passes away, you can only receive their full Social Security benefits under survivor benefits if you wait until your full retirement age. If you claim it before reaching full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced based on when you started receiving your early Social Security payments. (As a side note there are exceptions if you have minor children which was not the point of this discussion).

If you are collecting Social Security benefits, and you waited until full retirement age, and your husband passes away after you started collecting, if his Social Security was higher, you are eligible to receive the higher amount under survivor's benefits

If you have not yet reached early retirement age and your spouse passes away, it is advisable to request estimates from Social Security. Compare your own potential benefits at ages 62 to 70, as well as your survivor benefits at age 60 versus your full retirement age.

For example, I was 48 when my husband passed away, no children. I opted for survivor benefits at a reduced rate when I turned 60. At age 70, I will switch to my own Social Security benefit, which will be approximately one-third higher

I had the option to wait until age 62 to collect my benefit early at a reduced rate and then switch to survivor benefits at my full retirement age or later. After reviewing the numbers, I found that taking my husband’s benefits first would provide me with slightly less but not significant. At that time in my life, I needed the money and appreciated the ability to collect for two years earlier.

Interesting and I only found this out recently, if you were married at least 10 years and are divorced and your ex-spouse passes away, and his benefit was higher than yours, you can apply for survivors benefit.

It is essential to do your research and understand the system, and if you need assistance, consider hiring someone knowledgeable.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

I advocate for a disabled relative. I find ChatGPT as a great way to cut through the clutter of rules. I always ask ChatGPT to look at and provide references to the Social Security POMS manuals which are the agent's bible on how to process claims.

You can also ask ChatGPT to calculate the benefit for a specific situation and whether you are leaving benefits on the table.

YMMV. Check the POMS references to ensure Chat GPT did not make it up. However this should laser focus your search on what is relevant and how Social Security will approach.