I’ve saved some questions that are from widows or from husbands or wives wondering about future widow’s benefits. Here are some of them.
Q: I want to make sure my wife gets the highest widow’s benefits possible after I’m gone. How do I do that?
Q: I am 72. My husband is 82. I get my own Social Security. It is $2,850 per month. And he gets his own benefit. It’s $3,280. When he dies, will I get my own benefit and his? Or how does that work? Q: I am 70 years old, and I am working part time. But throughout our 40-year marriage, I was a stay-at-home mom for much of the time. My husband, who was a doctor, died four years ago. I get widow’s benefits and not my own. However, every year I get a letter telling me my own retirement benefit went up, but my check never increases. Can you explain this?
And now let’s say your earnings increase your own retirement benefit to $830 per month. That means on paper, your widow’s rate goes down to $2,570 because you are still due a total of $3,400 per month. On the other hand, if you should die first, he would get $450 in widower’s benefits to take his $2,540 retirement rate up to your $2,990 level.
And actually, that GPO law cuts you a deal. It says only two-thirds of your teacher’s pension will be used to offset your widow’s benefits. In your case, that means only $2,640 of your $4,000 pension will be counted. So, if your husband dies, you will still get $460 in widow’s benefits .
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