My husband died in 2001 at the age of 42. I remarried in my late 40's. I have worked for public schools for 32 years and will be 60 this year. I do not pay into social security but into TRS (Texas Teachers retirement System) . I have a couple of questions. Can I receive my deceased Spouses social security and work? Can I receive it along with my retirement from TRS when I do retire? My current husband is not receiving benefits and is not at retirement age.

Hi,

No, since you remarried prior to age 60 you couldn't qualify for widow's benefits on your deceased husband's record for at least as long as your present marriage continues. And if you do qualify for widow's or spousal benefits in the future and you're receiving a teacher's pension based on your earnings that were exempt from Social Security taxes, your benefits would likely be offset by 2/3rds of the amount of your teacher's pension due to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) provision (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf).

You and your husband may want to consider using our maximization software to explore your options and determine your best strategy with regard to Social Security benefits.

Best, Jerry