Hi Larry,
Thank you for your column & advice. I'm trying to help my recently widowed sister in law. Her husband passed away last Sept 2016 at 68. He signed up for social security at 62. She sign up at 63. She will be FRA (66) in March 2016. Is she eligible to be grandfathered? They never knew about the new rules about to happen in 2016. I am reading your revised book & have purchased the software. But what steps if any would you recommend to her to acquire more monthly income? Her current amount is $3.00 more than what her husband received per month.

I am 57 years old. My husband passed away last year at age 61 after retiring but before claiming any SS benefits. We were separated at the time but not divorced. We were married 35 years in which time I was a homemaker and did not earn substantial income. I am trying to understand surviving widow benefits, retirement benefits and remarriage. If I remarry before I am 60, I understand I don't qualify for any benefits on my husbands earnings. If I remarry after age 60, can I still claim benefits on my first husband's wages when I reach full retirement age?

I was born 12/21/1950 and began receiving SS this year (1/2017). My wife (born 4/8/1956) plans on receiving a reduced benefit in 2018, at 62. My question is: If I precede my wife in death, will she be eligible to receive my benefit, which is considerably higher?

Thanks, Ted

Hi,

The answer is yes, provided that your wife is at least full retirement age at the time of your death. She would not get both her own benefit amount and yours, though, just the higher of the two.

I have long suspected my disability widow's benefits are lower then what I expect. I recently read about SSA not calculating widow's benefits correctly if the spouse died before age 62. I guess this has accord when SSA did not apply the Windex pia to their calculations. SSA’s systems did not detect when a WINDEX PIA applied for manually processed claims. Not sure how my claim was processed and would like to know how I could go about finding out. if they did or did not apply this benefit to me?

Hi,

You are the higher income earner and file for restricted spousal benefit(when you are 66 while your spouse is 64)
And you die at 69 before you switch to your own earned benefit; what will you spouse get for survivor benefit?
Looking forward to hearing from you
Thanks in advance Joe

Hi Joe,

My husband died in Sept 2016 at age 62. I turned 62 this week. Which is the best way for me to draw his social security. I have not worked in 30 year. I was a stay at home mom.
Looking forward to your answer.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

My father died in 2010 and was getting his SS benefits, but after he died my mom wasn't able to continue getting those benefits. Why? My father worked all his life to get access to those dollars for himself and my mom and now she gets none of it. How is that right, can that be reversed and where has that money gone?

Hi,

I am 67 and my wife is 59. I have suspended my benefits until I reach age 70. If I die before I start my benefits at age 70 , will my wife immediately start getting what I would be entitled to when I die. ( my actual benefit plus my delayed Retirement Credits that I have built up? Thanks

Hi,

Hi Larry,
My first husband died 43 years ago, I was 30, drew Social Security on me and the children who were 5 and 7. I raised my boys and 17 years later remarried happily for 21 years. He passed away 5 years ago, question is can I draw widow benefits on my first husband? I am retired, 72 and draw widows benefits from my second husband. Someone just told me yes I can. I don't think I can. Thank you

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Someone said that at age 70 I could receive 32% more social security benefits filing for the "Widow's Pension" (my husband died during our marriage). I, however, am on Social Security Disability (which may now be considered regular social security), and wonder if this applies to me if I receive about $1,312 per month and have help paying medicare part B insurance premiums, etc. (I think the total is about $15,696 per year). Thank you for your help.

Hi,