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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Posts
    1

    Exclamation Survivor Benefits for the Spouse of a Widower With Children from a Prior Marriage

    I lost my wife in 2013. She was a homemaker, had very few "points", so neither I nor the children were entitled to death benefits. I am now 54 years old and have just remarried a woman who was single (never married before) and 44 years old. Of course, this is her first marriage. She has worked for many years.

    We are trying to make sure we are set up and prepared for unfortunate events, but I am so confused trying to understand how the Social Security benefits will work for our current situation.

    1. First of all, If I die, does she qualify for full death benefits based upon all of my work history? Or is it only for marriage and forward?
    2. If she dies, do I qualify for full death benefits based upon all of her work history? Or is it only for marriage and forward?
    3. How does my situation affect my SS benefits at retirement? Nothing changes?

    Thank you very much!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    16,474

    Default Re: Widower Who Has Children and Remarries Woman Who Has Never Been Married Before. S

    Quote Quoting gnimelflr
    View Post
    I lost my wife in 2013. She was a homemaker, had very few "points", so neither I nor the children were entitled to death benefits. I am now 54 years old and have just remarried a woman who was single (never married before) and 44 years old. Of course, this is her first marriage. She has worked for many years.

    We are trying to make sure we are set up and prepared for unfortunate events, but I am so confused trying to understand how the Social Security benefits will work for our current situation.

    1. First of all, If I die, does she qualify for full death benefits based upon all of my work history? Or is it only for marriage and forward?
    2. If she dies, do I qualify for full death benefits based upon all of her work history? Or is it only for marriage and forward?
    3. How does my situation affect my SS benefits at retirement? Nothing changes?

    Thank you very much!
    At your current ages, why are Social Security Benefits even an issue up for discussion? At her age she won't be eligible for any benefits if you pass away since she is not the mother of any minor children you might have.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    California
    Posts
    1,045

    Default Re: Survivor Benefits for the Spouse of a Widower With Children from a Prior Marriage

    The first thing both of you need to do is open up a MySSA account at www.socialsecurity.gov and get a current Social Security Statement. At that point, you will know your projected full retirement age benefit (probably over 66), the PIA amount. Also will give you an estimate of the amount of widow/widower benefits at full retirement age. Will also tell you your full retirement age.

    The benefit amount, the PIA, is determined on the lifetime earnings for you or for her, not just the marriage years. At age 60, either of you could be entitled to reduced widow/widower's benefits if the other is deceased. Earnings from jobs would affect payment.

    When you are full retirement age, she will still be under full retirement age so when you retire, you have no choice about filing as her spouse. When she is full retirement age (66+), she has the choice of filing on her own or filing as a spouse only and waiting until age 70 to file on her own and get an increase in PIA due to delayed retirement credits.

    The most important factor in your financial planning is the one you don't know; what is your date of death or her date of death? Only when those dates are known will you know what is the best plan for retirement dates.

    Run a variety of scenarios with the various financial planning programs available. Choose different retirement dates and see how the numbers change. Figure out what you have to have in income in retirement and what you want to have (not the same). The best financial results almost all come from working as long as possible and saving as much money as possible.

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