Social Security SURVIVOR benefits from deceased EX-Wife?

[dcop]

• We were married in 1978.
• We Divorced in 1999.
• Neither one of us ever re-married.
• My EX-Wife died in January of 2020 (21 years after we divorced) at age 60, she would have been 61 this past July.
• I will be 62 in a few weeks (Nov 2020).
• I retired in 2018 at 59. I have had no W2 earnings since and plans to.
• My earnings over our lifetime are higher than hers so my benefits will be higher.

I'm researching survivor benefits and would like to apply for them. I meet the criteria that we were married longer than 10 years and I never remarried. From my research I can collect them and put off my own benefits and let them grow. Then when I decide to take mine at FRA or whenever the survivor benefits will stop. Also by taking the survivor benefits it will not reduce my own benefits.

So with info I provided and I understanding this correctly?

Thanx in advance for any input.

[GailL1]

Sounds like you will be able to do what you have described.

SSA: If You Are The Survivor 

• If you are also eligible for retirement benefits (but haven't applied yet), you have an additional option. You can apply for retirement or survivors benefits now and switch to the other (higher) benefit at a later date.

You can't apply online and you will need to have all the related documents - marriage / divorce, etc.  Since many of the local offices are closed, you will have to find out the best way to get them the info.

The survivors benefit may not be too high if you are gonna apply early but then you can let your self-benefit grow until 70 (or any time between your FRA and 70) so your benefit takes advantage of the delayed retirement credits.

SSA: Receiving Survivors Benefits Early 

Good Luck

[StephanieC157169]

I applied for my husband's SS in Nov 2024 after he passed in Jan 2024 when I turned 60.  They told me I cannot start to collect until June 2025 and I have to call if there are any changes to my income status. I am still waing for the money to go into my checking account. Why is the waiting period so long to collect?

[GailL1]

@StephanieC157169 

SSA.gov - Survivors Benefits 

There may be a couple of reasons why it is being delayed.

1. Since you said they mentioned a month, They maybe waiting on other survivor files to be completed.    If there are other survivors then the SSA might be waiting for everybody to get on board that has a claim so that they can iron out the Family Maximum if it applies.

See page 6-7 of the SSA pamphlet (link)

2.  OR since you mentioned income, you maybe making too much money to get a benefit since you are less than Full Retirement Age and perhaps you have told them a date when you will stop working or cut back.

See page 7 of the Survivors Benefit pamphlet (above link)  or this other SSA pamphlet

SSA.gov - How Work Affects Your Benefit   

that explain how work and earning figure into the equation.

Since you gave no details about your situation, I can only guess that one or both of these reasons could play a part in the delay in beginning your benefits.

[GwendolynD366640]

hi.  I need to see if I can help my mom with survivor benefits.  who should i call?

[GailL1]

Check out this link for the info and paperwork they may need for a claim.

Survivors Benefits | SSA

Local offices are also open now by appointment.

If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You can speak to a Social Security representative between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can find the phone number for your local office by using our Social Security Office Locator and looking under Social Security Office Information. The toll-free “Office” number is your local office.