Q. My husband retired from the federal government in 2004 at age 55 with 33 years of service under CSRS. He passed away in 2007 and I started receiving his pension survivor benefits. He did not pay into Social Security long enough to receive those benefits. I am now 62 and applied for Social Security on my earnings since I do have enough quarters. Since I am receiving his federal government pension survivor benefits under CSRS, am I entitled to receive my own Social Security benefits since I had enough credits? My Social Security benefit amount is $277 per month.
The bottom line is that the pension is based on his earnings and the Social Security is based on my earnings. Would my Social Security benefit be affected by either the Government Pension Offset or the Windfall Elimination Provision? I answered every question in the Social Security application honestly and to the best of my knowledge, and they told me the amount I would receive.
A. Receiving a CSRS survivor annuity will not affect your entitlement to your own earned Social Security benefit.
