Full question: Hi Martha. I just turned 59 yeas old and have been collecting SSDI and a private disability benefit for the past 3-4 years. My wife of 36 years will be 60 years old in early July. She is retired from New York State and collecting her retirement benefit from NYS. Unfortunately, due to my large drop of income, my wife went back to work for a private company as a computer project consultant. When can my wife start collecting her survivor benefit from my SS? Does her collecting this survivor benefit now or at age 62 have an impact on her FRA SSI benefit if she start collecting at age 67 years old?

Hi there,

I am assuming that you may be talking about your wife collecting spousal benefits, not survivor benefits, since you are still alive. When she reaches age 62, she would be eligible to apply for spousal benefits based on your earnings record that you are collecting SSDI on.

If you are asking about survivor benefits, your wife can start collecting survivor benefits based on your Social Security record as early as age 60 after you pass. However, if she starts collecting survivor benefits before her full retirement age (FRA), the amount will be reduced. If she waits until her FRA to collect survivor benefits, she will receive a higher amount.

Collecting survivor benefits early will not impact her own retirement benefits at her FRA. She has the option to switch to her own retirement benefit at age 67 if it’s higher than the survivor benefit she is receiving.

Please note that if she is working while receiving survivor benefits and is under her FRA, her benefits may be affected by the earnings test if her income exceeds certain limits.

For personalized support, you can find an RSSA here.

Take care,
Martha

Schedule Appointment
Back to All