I'm 56 on SSDI. My spouse passed away this year at 70. There's only a few dollars difference in our benefits. My question is if I take my spouses benefits as a widow can I earn money from working without a cap or limit?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

What it sounds like you may be eligible for are disabled widow's benefits (DWB), which have the same basic work and earning limitations as do Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits on a person's own record. For more information regarding those limits, refer to the following Social Security publication: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10095.pdf. Therefore, if you return to work and no longer qualify for SSDI, it's very unlikely that you could then still qualify for DWB.

You could qualify for regular reduced widow's benefits as early as age 60, but even then your benefits would be subject to full or partial withholding if you earn more than the exempt amount allowed by the regular Social Security earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html). The Social Security earnings test would continue to apply until you reach your full retirement age (FRA) of 67.

For the time being, it sounds like you should check with Social Security to see if you're eligible for additional DWB benefits. If you are, it would almost certainly be advantageous to apply for them even if your rate is reduced for age. Any such reduction would only be temporary in your case since you would have already been receiving SSDI at the time of your entitlement to DWB, and the reduction would be removed when you reach FRA as long as your SSDI entitlement continues until then.

Best, Jerry