I am 73 and began collecting social security at 69. My wife is 63 and considering collecting her benefit now at the reduced amount.
She talked to the social security administration on the phone and asked them if I died after she had reached her full retirement age (66 years and 7 months) could she collect my full benefit amount. They said that since she had started taking her benefits early at the reduced rate, that if she converted to my benefits after I passed they would be paid at a reduced rate.

My mom recently passed away (age 80) and I am helping my dad with their financial affairs, including her social security and state retirement. We are a bit sketchy on understanding what will happen with dad’s social security and widower benefits. Mom took SS at her full retirement age and dad took his at 62. Mom’s benefit after Medicare insurance was paid was $1707 and dad’s is $746 after Medicare insurance is paid. How much money will dad receive now?

My husband is decease. I'm his 2ns wife would his 1st wife get his social security?

Dear Larry,
My ex-spouse who I was married to for more than 10 years is waiting for me to start my SS benefit at FRA in December 2022 so she can file for her 50% spousal benefits on my record. She never remarried. She asked if she would get my survivor benefits when I pass away, or will my current spouse get the survivor benefits, or will they both get my survivor benefits. I didn't know what to tell her. Thanks, Max

Hi Larry. If my husband reaches full retirement age and takes his social security, but continues to work for 2 years, how will that affect survivor benefits? Are they based on his full retirement amount when he first took benefits, or the amount he was receiving after working an additional 2 years? I plan to file for child in care benefits since I care for my adult disabled son who was disabled prior to age 22. There is a 15 year age difference between my husband and myself so we want to maximize the survivor benefit down the line because I will not be able to work.

In 2007 I was widowed at age 47, my deceased spouse was 57.

I worked for 12 years for a university that did not pay into social security so am subject to WEP and GPO. I also received a lump sum retirement in lieu of actual pension from that university so it gets converted to a monthly pension value for the WEP & GPO formulas.

As I tried to calculate a SS strategy, I get conflicting info from SS offices through the years. I don't have ready access to the survivor benefit number and how it changes from 2007.

Larry, I’m 69 drawing social security, and remarried. I was married to my first wife for 16 yrs, she hasn’t remarried. I’ve been married to my current wife for 29 yrs. Both are in their 60s. My question: Upon my death, will both my first wife and my current wife receive 100% of my current social security monthly benefit?
Thank you,
Mark

If, I was married for 17 yrs., divorced, remarried, divorced, and remarried my second husband again after turning 60 will, I qualify for deceased spouse benefits from my first marriage?

Both my husband and I received full social security. In the event of one of our deaths, what portion of our spouses ss do we receive and do we continue to receive our full ss?

Hi. Based on your description, the surviving spouse would receive the higher of their two benefit rates. If the spouse with the lower benefit amount dies first, the surviving spouse will only receive their own higher benefit amount. In that event, the only survivor benefit that could be paid is the one-time death benefit of $255.

Dear Larry,
Our Mom is entitled to survivor benefits. Official Texas government real estate records document that she and our dad were married well in excess of the required 10 years to qualify, but the SSA in Texas is refusing to honor the application because there is no documentation of our dad's divorce in Mexico on 12-22-1968 (back then you could pop over the border for a quickie divorce, and still be home by happy hour).