I remarried three years ago, in 2013 after my husband of 33 years died in 2012. My present husband insisted that I receive my late husband's widow's benefit which I did. How much more can I earn above my $1158.00 widow's benefit?

Hi,

You don't mention your age, but I assume that you remarried after age 60 or else you would not be eligible for widow's benefits on your deceased husband's record. If you are now under age 66 and plan on working, you can earn up to $16,920 this year without losing any of your benefits. If you will reach age 66 in 2017, you can earn up to $44,880 in the months prior to when you reach age 66 without losing any benefits. If your earnings exceed the applicable limits, you'll lose $1 in benefits for every $2 or $3 of excess earnings, depending on which exempt amount applies. And, if you are already age 66 or older, there is no limit on your earnings. For more information on the Social Security earnings test, see the following reference: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html.

By the way, if you are insured for Social Security benefits on your own record, or if your current husband is receiving Social Security benefits, you may have additional filing options. You may want to consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to explore all of your options.

Best, Jerry