Am I eligible?
To receive widow’s benefits you must be age 60, have been married at least 9 months prior to your spouse’s death (there are some exceptions to this rule), be currently unmarried, provide proof of age, citizenship, marriage, and file an application.
When can I claim them?
You can file for widow’s benefits at age 60 or as early as age 50 if you are disabled. To be eligible to file for disabled widow’s benefits you must be determined disabled during a prescribed period of eligibility established by SSA. This time frame is usually within 7 years of your spouse’s date of death.
How much will I receive?
This depends on your deceased spouse’s earnings record and whether or not they claimed reduced retirement benefits on their record prior to their death. If they were receiving reduced retirement prior to their passing and you were also already entitled to reduced spousal benefits on their record, you can elect the reduced widows benefit and the payment will be whatever your spouse was receiving at the time of their death.
If you are over the full retirement age for widow’s benefits and your spouse did not elect reduced benefits, a different computation of your benefits is applicable. A general rule of thumb is you will receive up to what the deceased spouse was receiving at the time of their passing. Some wage earners do postpone their entitlement date for this reason. The longer they wait to file, the higher their benefit rate is, which results in a higher widow rate payable to their surviving spouse.
What if I had multiple marriages?
If you have had more than one marriage that meets the eligibility requirements for entitlement, you could be entitled on all prior spouse’s records. SSA will compute and provide you benefit rates from all eligible spouses and you can select which record you would like to receive benefits on.
Filing strategies:
Depending when your spouse passes, you have filing options available to you as a widow(er). You can take your own retirement from your own earnings record, and then elect to take the higher widows rate at a later time. You may also elect to take the widows rate first, and elect to switch over to your own retirement record at a later date, this is typically at age 70. Your own retirement record would be accruing delayed retirement credits and that could end up as an even higher rate that the widows rate you originally elected.
Can I remarry?
If you remarry after age 60 there is no impact on your current entitlement to widows benefits. Some people do choose to delay remarriage to over age 60 for exactly this reason.
What about my Medicare?
You will be entitled to Medicare under whatever earnings record you are receiving benefits at age 65. Delaying either your retirement or any widow applications for an increased benefit rate will not affect your entitlement to Medicare.
If you are still working, the annual earnings limits do apply.
Widow’s benefits are a complex entitlement. If you become eligible, be sure the claims specialist assisting you to file discusses all your filing options.
Maryellen Eckert EDPNA
