Widow(er) Benefits

A friend 's wife died four years ago at age 65, my friend did not know he could take the greater of either his or his wife's SS benefit.Four years have past. Can he contact S.S. and collect his wie's SS?

Hi,

Your friend can certainly file for widower's benefits, but he can likely receive no more than 6 months of back pay even if he would have qualified for the benefits before then. Social Security has a 6 month retroactivity limit for unreduced widower's benefits, and no retroactivity is allowed for reduced benefits.

Best, Jerry

My husband and I both receive social security. Mine is twice what his is. If I die can he apply and receive what my benefits are since they are higher than his? We were both full retirement age when we started receiving benefits. We have been married 2 1/2 years as we were both widowed and remarried.

Hi,

I have been told that I can still work while collecting SS for widow benifites. How much can I make a month while doing this? I have an under age daughter still at home also. I just turned 60 in April. My wife passed in 2011.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Am I authorize to receive Benefits from Social Security from my deceased wife even if we dont have kids .I am now married.

Hi,

You must be unmarried to be eligible for widow(er)'s benefits, unless you remarried after age 60, or after age 50 and you are eligible for disabled widow(er)'s benefits. You must also be at least 60 years old, or at least 50 and disabled. For more information, refer to Social Security's website: https://www.ssa.gov/planners/survivors/ifyou2.html.

Hi Larry,
I am a widower from my first marriage after 22 years of marriage. My wife passed away of cancer. She was 40 and I was 41. I re-married at 48, now I am 58. Am I eligible for any benefits from my first wife?
Thank you.

Hi,

You can't qualify for benefits on your first wife's record as long as your remarriage continues (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0401.html).

Best, Jerry

My wife just passed away. She was receiving permanent disability for near 17yrs at the time of her death. She was 59 and I am 55 working full time. I gross near six figures in income per year. Am I or will I be eligible for any of her benefits as long as I am working? Will I be eligible for any of her benefits after I retire, rather it be full age or early?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

I am a young Financial Advisor in need of some clarification on an interesting social security case. I have a couple who are not married yet both age 58 but are considering marriage. The woman, however, is a survivor and therefore should be entitled to her deceased husbands benefits at age 60. It is my understanding that she should file for his survivor benefits at age 60, however do not file for her own, allowing them to roll up. If she and her current boyfriend were to get married. Would she lose her right to her survivor benefit under the new rules?

Larry,
Have read 90% of these answers and your book and still can't find an answer to what I think is a simple question.
My only wife and I are the same age (both will be 65 this year) and her SS payout @ 66 is ~$19,800 , @70 ~ $26,300 and mine is ~$30,900, @70 ~$40,800.

My wife and I are both age 66. She started receiving her benefits at age 62 and I am receiving a spousal benefit on her record (equal to one-half of her FRA) while waiting until age 70 to file for my own benefit. What happens if sometime between now and age 70 (say when we are both age 68), my wife dies? Does my spousal benefit just continue unchanged? Do I have an option at that point to start receiving the benefit she had been receiving (which would be higher than my spousal benefit) or even her full amount since I had never filed for early benefits on my own record?

Your software looks amazing. I'm sharing a link on my Facebook page and will be exploring all that you offer. So glad to have found this site!