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I was totally lost when my DH passed. I got a lot of different answers from SS from different clerks. OP - you are very smart to ask many questions to SS. Also go to SS in person and ask again.
My DH took SS early. I had not taken Ss yet when he passed. We both worked many years. I still don't understand how I get this:
Yes, I get one check. Within that check I get the amount I would get under my SS (taking it early) plus my survivor's benefit from my DH (A percentage of what he was getting since he took SS early). The check I get is more than what he was getting from SS before he passed. I am technically getting survivor's benefit under my DH and letting mine grow. I can take mine when it's more $$.
I hope I explained it right.....
Sounds as if you're benefitting from SS "loophole" that has been closed.
I was totally lost when my DH passed. I got a lot of different answers from SS from different clerks. OP - you are very smart to ask many questions to SS. Also go to SS in person and ask again.
My DH took SS early. I had not taken Ss yet when he passed. We both worked many years. I still don't understand how I get this:
Yes, I get one check. Within that check I get the amount I would get under my SS (taking it early) plus my survivor's benefit from my DH (A percentage of what he was getting since he took SS early). The check I get is more than what he was getting from SS before he passed. I am technically getting survivor's benefit under my DH and letting mine grow. I can take mine when it's more $$.
I hope I explained it right.....
if you have not filed yet for your own benefit and took survivor instead then what you get depends on the age you filed .
if he filed early , if you were less the your fra you get a reduction off his fra amount which could be more then he was getting
at 60 you would get his fra x.71 . at 62 his fra x .82
at fra you would get his fra amount … that would be more then he got if he filed very early
that is assuming you took survivor and left yours alone
there is what s called the widow floor ..
if he filed early and you took survivor before your fra there would be a double cut . he cut on him and one on you.
to avoid a double cut there is another metric in place to avoid to steep of a cut .
it works off the deceased fra regardless of when they filed and then just gets one cut based on when survivor is taken .
so the widow floor can produce a larger payment then the deceased got
So concerning the widow floor, one of my siblings is completely confused. SS office has given 2 different answers.
Both spouses took SS payments at age 62 (wife one year younger)
Both spouses now in mid 70s
Husband’s payment is larger than wife’s (hers is combo of her own earnings and spousal adder)
If husband dies, does the wife receive what he would have received at his FRA instead of what he gets now?
If so, how is his FRA determined - is there a chart accessible?
Oh, I see mathjak posted a chart just now - thanks. Still question how to determine the higher earner’s FRA when they took SS early?
if the widow takes survivor after their fra they get what their spouse got if it’s higher than their own without spousal added or the widow floor .
all spousal benefits end at death ..
so it’s going to be the higher of what the deceased got or if the deceased filed early their fra amount x.82
“. Under this provision, known as the “widow(er)'s limit,” the surviving spouse of a Social Security recipient who retired early is entitled to either the late spouse's (reduced) monthly benefit at the time of death or 82.5 percent of the deceased's full benefit, whichever is higher.“
if you have not filed yet for your own benefit and took survivor instead then what you get depends on the age you filed .
if he filed early , if you were less the your fra you get a reduction off his fra amount which could be more then he was getting
at 60 you would get his fra x.71 . at 62 his fra x .82
at fra you would get his fra amount … that would be more then he got if he filed very early
that is assuming you took survivor and left yours alone
there is what s called the widow floor ..
if he filed early and you took survivor before your fra there would be a double cut . he cut on him and one on you.
to avoid a double cut there is another metric in place to avoid to steep of a cut .
it works off the deceased fra regardless of when they filed and then just gets one cut based on when survivor is taken .
so the widow floor can produce a larger payment then the deceased got
I don't know what the correct terms are when explaining my situation. All I know is I finally got someone on the phone at SS and also in person, that explained my situation in clear, plain, English. LOL The SS office also gave me a printout how my SS will grow as the years go on so I can decide when and if I want to switch to the higher amount that my SS will give me.
I feel for OP with the confusion regarding SS.
Mathjack, I enjoy reading your posts here, although I find them hard to follow at times.
complex subjects are not always going to be easy to understand without at least some knowledge on the subject and understanding of the different terms
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