Ask Larry

Does Social Security Owe Me Survivor Benefits?

I applied for my myself and my daughter age 8 at the time to recieve my husband benefits I was told I didn't qualify but my daughter did. When my daughter was about to turn 16 I recieved a letter stating the payments were about to stop due to her turning 16. As I write my daughter is 19. I called the SS office and still didnt get anywhere. Do they owe me for survivor spousal benefits?

Hi. If Social Security sent you a termination notice when your daughter was nearing age 16 then you must have been at least technically entitled to father's benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0415.html). However, whether or not you should have been paid any benefits depends on your benefit rate and how much you were earning.

Assuming that you were under full retirement age (FRA) at the time, the Social Security earnings test would have required withholding $1 of your benefits for each $2 that you earned in excess of the earnings test exempt amount in each year. The exempt amount changes from year to year. Just to clarify, though, your earnings would not have affected your daughter's benefit payments.

Without knowing the amount you earned and your monthly benefit rate in each year, I can't tell you whether or not you should have been due any benefits. It is possible, though, that depending on how much you earned you may not have been due any benefits.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Apr 20 2022 - 10:33am
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