A Social Security Question on Survivor Benefits

[cyber888]

This year's Social security statement says if I pass away this year (2023), my DW at full retirement age gets $3,156 as a survivor benefit (she is full retirement age). I'm 59 this year.

What if I take Social Security at the early age of 62, I'll probably get $2,300.
Now, if I pass away at 63, will surviving wife get only $2,300 or will she still get the full $3,156 ?

So, I'm certain between 59 - 62, she gets around $3,156 when I have not claimed SS yet.
But if I take SS early at 62, will she only get $2,300 ?
Thanks.

 

[Jerry1]

My understanding is that it depends on when your spouse takes SS relative to their full retirement age. So if she takes SS at her full retirement age, she will get your full retirement amount even if you start SS early. I could be wrong, but that’s my understanding.

That understanding also is that if the spouse takes SS early, the benefit from the other spouse’s benefit will be reduced. I’m not sure if it will be higher if that spouse waits until say 70.

 

[ivinsfan]

Have you thought of calling SS..you had an almost identical thread here last Fall..I don't think we are giving you the info you want

 

[cyber888]

Have you thought of calling SS..you had an almost identical thread here last Fall..I don't think we are giving you the info you want

The difference is getting bigger in my current statement, so I'm not sure.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Or check with Open socialsecurity or SSA tools.

 

[VanWinkle]

Your answer is likely in the following link:


https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html#h6



VW

 

[Chuckanut]

This might help:

https://www.creators.com/read/your-social-security/01/21/more-questions-about-widows-benefits

The author has written dozens, probably hundreds of ariticles on SS benefits regarding who gets what and when.

 

[cyber888]

Wow, this is great. It does say SS has a rule that the spouse gets a minimum of 82.5% of full retirement age benefit. Never heard of this "Widows Limit" but now I have. Thanks.

I did a search about this 82.5%, and also found this link.

https://www.socialsecurityintellige... filed for,the deceased's full retirement age

This might help:

https://www.creators.com/read/your-social-security/01/21/more-questions-about-widows-benefits

The author has written dozens, probably hundreds of ariticles on SS benefits regarding who gets what and when.

 

[Sunset]

Wow, this is great. It does say SS has a rule that the spouse gets a minimum of 82.5% of full retirement age benefit. Never heard of this "Widows Limit" but now I have. Thanks.

I did a search about this 82.5%, and also found this link.

https://www.socialsecurityintellige... filed for,the deceased's full retirement age

Interesting, so the 82.5% is to protect a little bit, the widow (widower) from an early claiming spouse.

 

[cyber888]

Interesting, so the 82.5% is to protect a little bit, the widow (widower) from an early claiming spouse.

That seems to be the case

 

[Born2Fish]

I am glad you opened this thread. I have been wrestling with the same question. The links provided are helpful.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

What if DW took her SS early at 62, and DH takes theirs after FTA? Say DH get $3,200 at say 70. DW has been receiving $1,500 since she was 62 and is now at her FTA, then DH dies.

Does she get ALL $3,200 or a percentage of it? It is a little confusing.

According to the link above, it does not matter when she takes hers (At least it is not mentioned in any examples) as long as she is at or past her FTA she should get all $3,200.

 

[MissMolly]

What if DW took her SS early at 62, and DH takes theirs after FTA? Say DH get $3,200 at say 70. DW has been receiving $1,500 since she was 62 and is now at her FTA, then DH dies.

Does she get ALL $3,200 or a percentage of it? It is a little confusing.

According to the link above, it does not matter when she takes hers (At least it is not mentioned in any examples) as long as she it at or past her FTA she should get all $3,200.

You are correct. Survivor benefits have their own separate set of rules.

 

[Born2Fish]

What if DW took her SS early at 62, and DH takes theirs after FTA? Say DH get $3,200 at say 70. DW has been receiving $1,500 since she was 62 and is now at her FTA, then DH dies.

Does she get ALL $3,200 or a percentage of it? It is a little confusing.

According to the link above, it does not matter when she takes hers (At least it is not mentioned in any examples) as long as she is at or past her FTA she should get all $3,200.

What is "FTA"?

 

[ShokWaveRider]

What is "FTA"?

OOPs it is a typo, (Or AutoFill who knows) I meant FRA.

 

[Rianne]

opensocialsecurity.com seems to be outdated or incorrect. I input my SS, which I took at 65, and my FRA is 66+6 months. Also entered DH FRA amount. It said I should take my SS at 66 + 2 months (I entered that I started it on 9/1/2022).

The benefit was all wrong. My current benefit is $13644/yr. (that's taking it a year and 1/2 early). Open SS said it was 12,280. Is anyone else having these issues?

 

[oldtimer]

opensocialsecurity.com seems to be outdated or incorrect. I input my SS, which I took at 65, and my FRA is 66+6 months. Also entered DH FRA amount. It said I should take my SS at 66 + 2 months (I entered that I started it on 9/1/2022).

The benefit was all wrong. My current benefit is $13644/yr. (that's taking it a year and 1/2 early). Open SS said it was 12,280. Is anyone else having these issues?

Did you select Yes to the question Have you already filed for retirement benefits? and enter the actual date started? When I put tied, it did not give a suggested date to begin SS for the one already receiving it.

 

[cyber888]

I am glad you opened this thread. I have been wrestling with the same question. The links provided are helpful.

I found another article about this 82.5% RULE.

https://articles.opensocialsecurity.com/survivor-benefit-calculation/

f your spouse had filed for his/her own retirement benefit by the time he/she died, then your benefit as a surviving spouse will be the greater of:

The amount your deceased spouse was receiving at the time of his/her death, or 82.5% of your deceased spouse’s PIA. (In other words, if your spouse filed so early that they were receiving less than 82.5% of their PIA, you would get 82.5% of their PIA.)

 

[badatmath]

What is "FTA"?

I thought it was Failure to Appear. . . you know when the bonds enforcement people coming looking. . . I read too much.

 

[Venturer]

Well now I need to look further. I am 70 now, March birthday. DW is 69 June birthday.We both took SS at our FRA, but because she took off outside work for 10 years while a stay at home mom her SS is approx. $1200 less per month than mine. If I kick off before her she will be able to get my amount instead of hers or in addition to hers? We both have our pensions set up so that who ever goes 1st. the other will continue to get the others pension amount.

 

[MissMolly]

Well now I need to look further. I am 70 now, March birthday. DW is 69 June birthday.We both took SS at our FRA, but because she took off outside work for 10 years while a stay at home mom her SS is approx. $1200 less per month than mine. If I kick off before her she will be able to get my amount instead of hers or in addition to hers? We both have our pensions set up so that who ever goes 1st. the other will continue to get the others pension amount.

She will get yours instead of hers.

 

[Chuckanut]

She will get yours instead of hers.

+1

She will get a benefit that is overall equal to yours

IIRC, technically, she will get her benefit, and then enough of your benefit to equal 100% of your benefit. Hers + part of yours = your full benefit.

 

[Venturer]

Thanks to both of you! ^^^^^^

 

[finnski1]

Well now I need to look further. I am 70 now, March birthday. DW is 69 June birthday.We both took SS at our FRA, but because she took off outside work for 10 years while a stay at home mom her SS is approx. $1200 less per month than mine. If I kick off before her she will be able to get my amount instead of hers or in addition to hers? We both have our pensions set up so that who ever goes 1st. the other will continue to get the others pension amount.

She will get yours but not both.

 

[imnontrad]

If you have filed before your death -
The Surviving Spouse benefit will be what your benefit is with the exception if you filed really early (age 62), the benefit would be ~82% of your FRA amount (higher than your benefit).

If you have not filed before your death -
If before FRA, the Surviving Spouse benefit is the FRA amount
If after FRA, the Surviving Spouse benefit is whatever your benefit was on the date of your death.

If she files for the benefit before her FRA, the benefit will be reduced (and at age 60, reduced a lot). Plus before FRA, there will also be an income cap before the benefit is reduced further.

If you died and she had not filed already for her own benefit, there are two strategies for filing for benefits to ensure she has the highest possible benefit throughout her life -

Go to ssa.gov and establish her "my SS' page. She will see a record of her earnings reported to SS plus an estimate of her benefit based on that record from age 62 (or current age) up to age 70. However, these estimates assume that she keeps working at your current income level or above until she files for SS. So the actual amount may be lower if she leaves the workforce early.

If her benefit at age 70 is LESS than the "surviving spouse" benefit -
She would file between age 62 and the Survivor's Full Retirement Age ( https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/survivorchartred.html) for her own benefit. The benefit will be reduced and she will have an income cap until she reaches her FRA. But when she reaches her FRA, she will then apply for the higher "surviving spouse" benefit to continue for the rest of her life.

If her benefit at age 70 is MORE than the "surviving spouse" benefit -
She would file between ages 60 and her FRA a "restricted application" for the surviving spouse benefit (and make sure it is filed as a "restricted application"). The benefit will be reduced and she will have an income cap until she reaches her FRA. But by filing a "restricted application", her own benefit will continue to grow (just make sure it will be higher than the SS benefit by age 70). But when she reaches 70, she will then apply for her own benefit at the higher rate. Make sure that it is filed as a "restricted application" and NOT a "dual enrollment" - filing for her own/surviving spouse benefit at the same time.