Ask Larry

Can I Claim Widow's Benefits Retroactively?

I was told by my CPA/ Advisor that I could request my widows pension retroactive back to Jan 2017, I turned
60 back in Dec 2016. but did not get a chance to report until March of 2017. So is there a way to get payment for months of Jan and Feb. this info was given to me from the the social security 's program manuel. Please let me know what else I need to do. I went to the social security office, but the gentleman did not seem to know if that was correct.

Hi,

If you file for reduced widow's benefits prior to full retirement age (FRA), you can't claim benefits for any months prior to your month of filing in most cases. There are some very limited exceptions (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0200204030), but it doesn't sound like any of those would apply in your case. You may want to check with your CPA/advisor to find out what he or she is basing their opinion on.

You may also want to strongly consider using the maximization software available on this website in order to explore your filing options and determine your best strategy.

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Sep 30 2017 - 7:55pm
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