I will be turning 60 in October of this year. At the age of 58 , I became disabled & am receiving a very small portion of my deceased husband’s benefits along with my own disability benefits. As I am sure he made more money than me, can I file for his social security benefits? And, if so, when should I apply & would I receive more than I am receiving now on his SS benefits? How can I receive a statement of benefits on my deceased spouse?

Hi,

It sounds like you're already receiving disabled widow's benefits (DWB), so you're probably already receiving all that you can get from your husband's record. If someone qualifies for both Social Security disability benefits (SSDI) and DWB, they don't receive both benefits in full. Instead, they receive their full SSDI rate plus 71.5% of the difference between their SSDI rate and their deceased spouse's full retirement age rate (PIA). However, if you were already drawing your SSDI when you became entitled to DWB, the 28.5% reduction in your DWB rate should be removed after you reach your full retirement age.

You can't get a statement of benefits on your husband's record, however, if you believe that there is some question about the accuracy of his Social Security earnings record you can ask Social Security for a printout of his earnings history.

Best, Jerry