Survivor Benefits

[teejay53]

appreciate all the help i receive here and i am back with another question.

if filing for spouses ss survivor benefit. are you supposed to wait and file on or after you reach 60 years of age or file before?

i asked a ss rep and she seemed not to know the answer.

already drawing on spouses survivor ss disability benefit and have abt a year til 60.

thank you for your help.

[jvretiredvet]

Some expansion please ....

Is your spouse deceased? Does SS consider you disabled?

If you are the widow or widower of a person who worked long enough under Social Security, you can:

• receive full benefits at full retirement age for survivors or reduced benefits as early as age 60.
  
• begin receiving benefits as early as age 50 if you are disabled AND the disability started before or within seven years of the worker's death.
  

http://www.ssa.gov/s...plan/ifyou2.htm

appreciate all the help i receive here and i am back with another question.

if filing for spouses ss survivor benefit. are you supposed to wait and file on or after you reach 60 years of age or file before?

i asked a ss rep and she seemed not to know the answer.

already drawing on spouses survivor ss disability benefit and have abt a year til 60.

thank you for your help.

[Philip Rogers]

If you are already receiving spouses benefit, why do you ask??? If you are 50 or over, and disabled, you can receive them now and if not disabled, you can receive at 60yo. If receiving disability now, SS will switch to retirement when the time is right.

pr

[john999]

Isn't there some SSA rule that says if both spouses are getting SSA the spouse with the least annuity will have their annuity increased to at least half of the spouse who gets more? My spouse will get SSA at age 62, but she will get just half of what I make now.

[Philip Rogers]

John - I believe she needs to wait until her full retirement age, to receive that amount. Here's the link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/yourspouse.htm

pr

[teejay53]

in answer to the following questions:

Is your spouse deceased?

yes abt 3 years ago.

Does SS consider you disabled?

i am getting a disability check every month. i am drawing from my deceased husband's retirement.

thank you for your help.

[jvretiredvet]

WRT Does SS consider you disabled? i am getting a disability check every month. i am drawing from my deceased husband's retirement.

Well, your answer still isn't absolutely clear to me ... is the 'disability check' from Social Security, or is the disability check from your deceased spouse's ex-employer?

The following is based on this being from Social Security. First, I am not an expert on all Social Security rules; it's one of those few areas of life in which I am not an expert. However, I suspect that filing a claim for benefits when you reach age 60 will make no difference in your amount of your monthly SS benefit. GENERALLY SPEAKING, disability benefits (not SSI) are awarded "as if" you were at the full retirement age (66 for you?).

That is, you are receiving Social Security benefits based on your deceased spouse's earnings, and you started receiving these benefits early because of his demise and your disability, so your benefits should be 50% of his benefit.

It would appear to me that you already are receiving all that you would get.

If you are close to a Social Security office, I suggest you make an appointment to discuss what your options, if any, are.

Note: Spelling corrected 5/15/2012, 2040 UTC

in answer to the following questions:

Is your spouse deceased?

yes abt 3 years ago.

Does SS consider you disabled?

i am getting a disability check every month. i am drawing from my deceased husband's retirement.

thank you for your help.

Edited May 15, 2012 by jvretiredvet