#RetirementPlanning #SocialSecurity #ClaimingSSA
Understanding Retirement Age and Social Security Benefits
Are you helping a loved one navigate retirement age and Social Security benefits? It can be overwhelming to figure out the logistics, especially when dealing with the loss of a spouse. In this article, we will break down the process of claiming deceased father’s Social Security benefits to help your mom ease into retirement.
Eligibility for Retirement Benefits
When it comes to Social Security retirement benefits, the full retirement age is currently 66. However, claiming benefits before full retirement age can result in reduced monthly payments. Depending on your mom’s birth year, she may need to wait until she is 66 and 8 months to receive her full retirement benefits.
Claiming Deceased Father’s Social Security
If your father passed away, your mom may be eligible to claim his Social Security benefits. To qualify for survivor benefits, your mom must be at least 60 years old (50 if disabled) and have been married to your father for at least nine months. The amount of benefits she can receive will depend on factors such as her age and the length of your father’s work history.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Navigating the Social Security system can be complicated, especially when dealing with unique circumstances like claiming deceased spouse’s benefits. Consider seeking advice from a financial advisor or Social Security representative to ensure that your mom maximizes her benefits and retirement income.
Supporting Your Mom Through Retirement
It’s commendable that you are trying to help your mom prepare for retirement and lessen her workload after experiencing health challenges. By understanding the process of claiming deceased father’s Social Security benefits, you can empower your mom to transition into retirement with financial stability and peace of mind.
In conclusion, assisting your mom with retirement planning and navigating Social Security benefits can be a daunting task. However, with the right information and support, you can help your mom secure her financial future and enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Don’t hesitate to reach out for professional guidance to ensure that your mom receives all the benefits she is entitled to. With your support and proactive approach, your mom can look forward to a more comfortable and fulfilling retirement.
She was eligible for SS at age 62 or maybe earlier. Have her make an appointment with your nearest SS office and they will walk her through it. She can also claim online where she can also signup for Medicare if she hasn’t already.
Your mom should not wait past her full retirement age to claim survivors benefits because they will not increase after her full retirement age. Call the SSA at 800-772-1213 to make an appointment. They’ll let you know whether you need to go into an office or not. She will need his SS# to start. They will let you know what other documentation is needed.
You should make your appointment in the next few months so SSA has time to process the paperwork.
[https://www.ssa.gov/apply?benefits=survivor_adult&age=adult](https://www.ssa.gov/apply?benefits=survivor_adult&age=adult)
extra context, I am trying to get through to her, that she almost died without ever having freedom from work, and she was perfectly healthy before this, so it goes to show, yes she can wait until 70, but it won’t matter if she has a wild off chance thing and doesn’t make it to 70, and she should just do it asap
You want her to be free of it, but what does she want? Retiring just to be lonely and bored is not an improvement.
She can claim on her earnings record before her full retirement age (FRA), it will just reduce her benefit. (By a small amount, considering it would just be a few months before her FRA).
She can also claim for survivor’s benefits as you suggest. Her FRA for doing that is 66 and 4 months, not 66 and 8 months, because Congress likes to make things gratuitously complicated. Again, she does not need to wait until then, she would just get a slightly reduced benefit.
She could file for survivors benefits now, then switch to her own later if they have grown to more than his. But if he earned a lot more than her, it might never make sense to switch as her benefit might never grow to more than his, even if his was reduced by (her) early claiming while hers is enhanced by delayed claiming.
She can get a good estimate for what she can get on her own record by making a login on ssa.gov. But as far as I know, you can’t see your survivor’s benefit estimate this way as spouses accounts are not linked. For that I think you need to make an appointment (https://www.ssa.gov/apply?benefits=survivor_adult&age=adult).