Dear Rusty: My wife passed from COVID-related heart disease in 2020, just short of her 65th birthday. I will be 66 in May 2023. Do I have any recourse for a part of her benefit? Online at ssa.gov it says I can retire 4 months early due to her passing. Is that true? I’m confused on these issues. Signed: Confused Widower
This recording presents the viewpoints of the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Staff, trained and accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government. To request additional information, contact our Advisory Staff at 888-750-2622, or email us at [email protected].
How to go about recieving widow benefits
Lisa
You will need to make an appointment with your local Social Security office to apply for widow benefits. If you were receiving a spousal benefit on your deceased spouse’s benefit at their time of death, and you have already reached your full retirement age (FRA) and their benefit was higher than yours, you will be switched automatically to their higher benefit and your own smaller benefit will end. If you are receiving a spousal benefit and are not eligible for a benefit on your own Social Security record, you will automatically be switched to your widow benefit regardless of your age. In this case, the widow benefit amount will be reduced according to your age. If you are receiving a spousal benefit, but have not reached your FRA, you will have to apply for your widow benefit using form SSA-25 https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-25.pdf and it will be a permanent reduction.
Certificate of Election For Reduced Spouse’s Benefits – Social Security Administration
Form SSA-25 (07-2015) UF (07-2015) Destroy Prior Editions. Social Security Administration. CERTIFICATE OF ELECTION FOR REDUCED SPOUSE’S BENEFITS. Form Approved. TOE 210 OMB No. 0960-0398
http://www.ssa.gov
If you are not yet receiving any benefits, and have reached age 60 you may apply for your widow benefits. If you do start your benefits at age 60 you will receive a benefit equal to 71.5% of your deceased spouse’s benefit, and it will be a permanent reduction. You will also be subject to an earnings limit if you are under your FRA which is currently $19,560 for 2022 and will be increased to $21,240 for 2023. If you earn over this limit your widow benefit will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you go over. In the year you reach your FRA the earnings limit increases by almost 2/3, $51,960 in 2022, and $56,520 in 2023.
If you are at least 62 and have not yet started receiving your own Social Security benefits, you have the option to restrict your application to the benefit of your choice. This means you can apply for the lowest benefit first while allowing the higher benefit to continue to grow. If your widow’s benefit will higher be higher than your own, you may want to consider taking your own smaller benefit first at a reduced amount and delay taking your widow’s benefit until you reach your FRA and will receive 100% of their benefit. If your own benefit will eventually be higher than your widow’s benefit, you may then want to start your widow’s benefit at a reduced amount while allowing your own benefit to continue to grow until it is larger, up to age 70 if you choose to receive your maximum Social Security benefit amount.
If you have further questions please contact us either by email at [email protected] or call (888)750-2622
Sharon Kleczka
AMAC Foundation
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government.
How much can a person earn will receiving Survivor Benefits?
Toni
Until you reach your full retirement age (FRA) you will be subject to an earnings limit. For 2023, the earnings limit is $21,240, or $1,770 per month. If you go over this limit Social Security will withhold $1 for every $2 you go over. In the year you reach your FRA, the earnings limit for 2023, is $56,520 or $4,710 per month. If you go over this limit Social Security will withhold $1 for every $3 you go over. These limits tend to increase each year.
If you have further questions please contact us at [email protected] or 888-750-2622.
Sharon Kleczka RSSA
AMAC Foundation
my deceased husband had existing Living Trust in the year 2014, Him And I got Married in March 2023. is The Trust he created before will still be valid after marrying me? we did not have any pre-nup, What is my rights as a surviving spouse?
Good Morning Merlita,
We are Social Security advisors, and can not answer your question on whether or not the trust your deceased husband created in 2014 is still valid or not due to you getting married in March 2023. You say deceased husband? Is this the same man? If you just married in March 2023 and he has passed away, you do not meet the nine month of marriage requirement to receive Social Security survivor benefits based on his record. If he died as the result of an accident and was expected to live at least nine months when you were married, and you can submit proof to Social Security you will be able to receive Social Security benefits on his record.
You may contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling (888)750-2622.
Sharon Kleczka, Social Security Advisor
AMAC Foundation
http://www.AmacFoundation.org
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government.
I need to know how to get my husband’s check since he died in June 21,2023.
Catherine,
Please accept our condolences for your loss.
Your husband’s SS benefit would normally be received on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, which would have been June 21st. Assuming his Social Security benefit was deposited in his account on that date, that is the last payment he was entitled to. Social Security pays benefits in the month following the month earned, so the payment received in June was your husband’s benefit for May. No further SS payments are due because your husband did not live the entire month of June (SS doesn’t pay benefits for the month a person dies). If your own Social Security benefit is less than your husband’s benefit was, you are entitled to receive his amount instead of your own smaller amount, and you would need to contact Social Security directly to apply for your higher benefit as your husband’s widow, plus a one-time lump sum death benefit of $255. You can contact Social Security by calling 1.800.772.1213 and request an appointment to apply for a survivor benefit from your deceased husband.
Again, we’re sorry for your loss, and please let us know if you have any further questions.
Russell Gloor
National Social Security Advisor
The AMAC Foundation
My window’s benefit has been reduced after being approved for disability. Is it normal to reduce a benefit from $890 to $33?
DM
No, it is not a normal occurrence. Did you receive an overpayment while you were receiving your widow benefits? This can occur when you continue to work while receiving any Social Security benefits when you are still under your full retirement age (FRA). The annual earnings limit for 2021 was $19,560, for 2023 it is $21,240. Now that you are on disability you are under a monthly earnings limit of $1.470.
Normally Social Security will give you the highest benefit available, so I am presuming you expected your disability benefit to be higher than your widow benefit. Are you by any chance receiving a combination of your disability benefits and your widow benefits? You can not receive both individual benefits, only the highest of the two.
If you would like to discuss your situation further please contact us.
You may contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling (888)750-2622.
Sharon Kleczka, Social Security Advisor
AMAC Foundation
http://www.AmacFoundation.org
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message, including any attachments, are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government.
Dear Sir/ Madam
I am Heybatollah Najandimanesh. I am a legal advisor. On behalf of a client, I ask the following questions:
An Iranian woman had a permanent marriage with a doctor who had a US green card in 1993.
The husband obtained an American passport in 1992, and from 1995 or 1996 until his death in 2006, he received a pension from the state of San Francisco in the amount of $600 per month.
The husband was a physician, but he did not practice medicine in America.
The wife’s request is that:
1- Is the wife eligible to have a pension of 600 dollars after his death?
2- If applicable, can she claim the pension from the date of the death of her husband?
It is noted that the wife has never traveled to the USA, including San Francisco.
I shall be glad if you answer my questions.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards
Heybatollah
Heybatollah
We are Social Security Advisors, and therefore unable to answer this question. I recommend contacting the pension company in San Francisco, California to find out if she is eligible for his pension. I have attached the link to their website: https://mysfers.org/about-sfers/contact-us/
You may contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling (888)750-2622.
Sharon Kleczka, Social Security Advisor
AMAC Foundation