My husband died in an auto accident 10 years ago. He took an early retirement at age 58 after working for 30 years. I worked for 41 years. I had to go on disability after he passed when I was 59. He died at the age of 64. When I applied for disability, they said I could draw more on my own social security. I never understood why I was only able to get a small payment on the widow's benefit (around 475 a month). In June they sent me a letter stating they had increased my benefit to give me credit for additional earnings which were not included in computing my benefit. They went on to say this increase caused a decrease in widow's benefit and the combined amount would remain the same. I used to receive 2 checks one for my social security and one for widow's benefit. Now I receive one. I am so confused. They hate to see me coming because I have never understood their policies. They just don't want to explain what is going on. Do you think they are paying me both the widow's benefit and my social security in one payment or did they quit paying me for the widow's? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. Yes, although I have no way of verifying that. It sounds like you've probably reached your full retirement age (FRA) in which case your own benefit and your widow's benefit can be combined into one payment. The reason why your benefits were previously paid separately is because Social Security maintains 2 separate trust funds. One trust fund is used to pay Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits, and the other fund is for retirement and survivor benefits. So, while you were getting SSDI benefits that payment came from a different trust fund than your widow's/survivor benefit. But, once you reach FRA your SSDI benefits convert to retirement benefits, and since retirement benefits are paid from the same trust fund as survivor benefits your benefits can now be combined into one payment.

I have no way of knowing if you're getting the right amount, but when you're entitled to more than one type of Social Security benefit (e.g. retirement and widow's, SSDI and widow's), you can only be paid roughly the higher of the 2 benefit rates. But, Social Security always pays a person's own benefits as a first priority. So, if the person's own benefit is lower than their survivor benefit they are paid their own benefit plus a partial survivor benefit that's roughly equal to the difference in the 2 benefit rates. The result is that they then end up receiving a combined benefit that's basically equal to the higher of their 2 benefit rates.

Best, Jerry