Q. My husband is retiring with the CSRS retirement program. We have agreed that he should elect a survivor benefit for me. If he dies, am I entitled to the survivor benefits without reducing my Social Security?
A. Receiving a CSRS survivor benefit would have no effect on your earned Social Security benefit.
80 Comments
I have been told just the opposite by the Social Security Administration. My wife is a CSRS annuitant who elected to leave survivors benefit which is currently listed at $2245. Per month. I am retired and receive my own Social Security benefit of $1771 per month. Our retirement planning was based upon me receiving both my wife’s elected survivor benefits and my own earned Social Security for a total monthly income of $4016.
The SSA tells me I could not receive my own earned Social Security and my wife’s CSRS survivor benefits. I would just receive the $2245 survivor benefits because it was the larger of the two. All of my earned SS benefits would be eliminated. They say you can not double dip. The loss of my own $1771 benefit would force me out of our home. I could no longer afford it.
The information sheet the SSA provided is confusing, some sentences say I will get both while others say I only get the larger survivor benefit. I am 7 years older than my wife so it may not matter but if I do survive her I would be in the worst financial shape of my life.
I hope you are correct and the information I received was in error. Please review your information
What the Social Security Administration representative told you is wrong. What I wrote was correct. You would be entitled to both your earned Social Security benefit and a CSRS survivor annuity, with no reduction in either benefit.
Reg, do I have to claim my social security on my taxes along with my csrs survivor benefit? From what I’ve read it will reduce my annuity.
Yes, you do have to include your Social Security benefit on your tax return; however, a portion of that benefit won’t be taxable. For more information on how that portion is determined, go to http://www.irs.gov/publications/p721.
Can you explain that please
Explain what? I gave a straight answer to a straight question. You’ll have to be more specific.
Joe pierce……..yes…….you report the SS income and your total income decides if your SS is taxable or not. There is a SS taxable worksheet. .85 of your SS can be taxable. You can’t collect your dead spouses SS if your CSRS pension is too much money. Or maybe you get some or all
I am a csrs annuitant, receive a reduced social security payment and opted to provide my spouse with a full csrs survivor benefits. If I die first, will she receive the full csrs survivor benefits along with her own unreduced social security benefit as well as my social security payments? Thanks!
If you were to die, your spouse would be entitled to a full CSRS survivor annuity and the higher of her own Social Security benefit or the survivor benefit based on your Social Security-covered employment, which ever is higher.
A friend retired from the VA medical Center after 26 years. She applied for ss and received it along with her VA benefits. Then a lien was put on her house as they said she was not suppose to collect from two govt entities and they took the money out of her check until it was repaid. This caused a hardship so now she is selling her home Seems not right to me.
There is no law or regulation that would bar a federal retiree from collecting earned benefits from the government and the Social Security Administration. In fact, employees who worked under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are guaranteed benefits from the two systems. On the other hand, Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees are subject to the windfall elimination provision. The WEP reduces the Social Security benefit of anyone who has fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. The same reduction would be placed on the Social Security benefit of any FERS employees who had a CSRS component in their annuities.
My husband died in 2009 and I was on SSI at the time , when I start getting his SSA they took all of my SSI except for 49.00 and gave 650.00 of his SSA. Now I get 51.00 my SSI and 704.00 of his SSA. This morning I call to see if I was eligible for Survivor Annuity , but they told me no because I already get his SSA. PLEASE HELP ME TO UNDER ME UNDERSTAND
Are you a federal retiree? If so, were you covered by CSRS or FERS? Was he a federal employee or retiree? If so was he covered by CSRS or FERS?
No he was not
My husband passed away as CSRS employee with over 30 years’ service. Would I be eligible to collect his pension as well as social security on his record (as my social security is less than his- as I understand with CSRS social security can be affected). I am reading confusing things online and am concerned that I may not be able to collect SS on his record, or SS is reduced?. Can you please help? (He is not CSRS offset.) Thank you so much.
You are automatically entitled to an annuity and to the larger of the two Social Security benefits. To receive them you’ll have to immediately report his death to OPM and the Social Security Administration. Your late husband’s personnel office can help you do that.
Thanks for the quick response, but…he passed away in 2011. Social security was notified. I’m not sure about OPM, but my agency was notified since I was still working and I changed my retirement to eliminate the survivorship benefit for him. He died Oct. 26, 2011 and I retired Nov. 30, 2011. He was self-employed so there is no personnel office to contact.
Sorry for any confusion. While you were still working, you could have received a spousal Social Security benefit based on his work record. However, because you were covered by a retirement system where you didn’t pay Social Security taxes, when you retired your Social Security spousal benefit would have been impacted by the government pension offset provision of law. The GPO reduces – and often eliminates – that benefit. For more information about the GPO, go to https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/gpo.html.
OK, so your husband retired as CSRS, then was self-employed until he died. If he provided a CSRS Survivor Annuity for you, you would be entitled to that. You could have contacted OPM immediately to let them know he died and filed for your Survivor Annuity. Please contact OPM as soon as possible and ask for assistance in finding out whether he left you a Survivor Annuity, and if so, how to file to get it.
I also am reading confusing and conflicting information regarding any reduction of my own SSA benefit. I’m in the middle of planning right now and would greatly appreciate clarification.
Scenario:
1) My husband died while still employed (not retired) in 2014 as a 33 year full CSRS employee (not an Offset)
2) I have been receiving his survivor annuity
3) I have my own SSA earnings (private sector – not government)
4) My husband had about 2 years of contributions into SSA (low $$) prior to joining the federal government
Will my own SSA pension be reduced at all by WEP or GPO?
Will there be any benefit at all from my husband’s small contribution into SSA?
Thank you
Neither your SSA benefit nor your survivor annuity based on your late husband’s CSRS employment will be affected by the WEP or the GPO. Because he had fewer than 40 credits under Social Security, he wouldn’t have been entitled to a Social Security benefit; therefore, no Social Security survivor benefit would be payable to you.
Thank you. That is what I thought from all my research but I wanted to be sure.
Would there be a company that you might recommend for guidance when it does come time to apply for SSA? I would like to be very prepared once that time comes.
Again Thank you
My husband passed away after 33 years of federal service. I receive a survivor annuity. I retired from federal service early (59) instead of 60 caring for him and I am under FERS. I had to forfeit my SSA supplement and a penalty onto my basic (FERS) retirement. Now I’m 62 and I’m putting in for my SSA portion of my retirement benefit. My understanding from reading above that I am entitled to the survivor annuity from my husband’s CSRS employ and it does not affect or reduce the SSA I’m entitled to relating to my own federal employment.
Yes, you are entitled to a survivor annuity based on your husband’s CSRS employment. And it won’t affect your own annuity or any Social Security benefit to which you are entitled based on your own work record.
Thanks a million.
You’re welcome.
I am very confused. My husband recently passed away as a CSRS retiree and he provided a full survivor annuity. Still waiting on replies from OPM regarding the amt. I am only 57 years old, he was older. He collected SS thru offset , which I understand, even though he had made his 40 quarters with soc sec. Here’s my question. I have made my 40 quarters long ago and plan to continue to work, but when I do retire in the future will my Soc Security check be offset as well? And am I just stuck with the annuity as my total income ( its higher than my social security would be, as estimated at end of 2016)….thanks for any responses….
No, your earned Social Security benefit won’t be offset.
Ok….thats great news..everything I read said that even though the soc security benefits were earned by me, ( I have no government or military service) and I wasn’t claiming social security benefits under my late husband’s benefits, that my social security would be offset as well. The reason stated was “ because I was receiving a government funded annuity/pension”. I have not been to the SS office due my age, but I am trying to plan a little ahead so I can figure out what to do and when. It also said that my survivor annuity would begin to be offset when I turned age 60, regardless of any action I took at that time…….do you know anything
about that situation?? Thanks for any replies….
Not sure what you have read, Marilyn, but as long as you are claiming your own SS benefits and you are not receiving CSRS pension based ON YOUR OWN WORK, you are in the clear. If it were your husband, he would be subject to the GPO – Government Pension Offset if he tried to claim spousal SS. His own SS was reduced due to the WEP – Windfall Elimination Provision, because he had a CSRS pension based on his own work AND he also worked enough time in SS to draw a benefit from them. WEP and GPO are 2 different things. You are not affected by either. Here is a link to the SS publication on GPO: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
I am a CSRS retired annuitant. My husband was a FERS retired annuitant and received Social Security.
He passed away last year and I am receiving a FERS Supplementary Annuity until I am 60. My question is….as a CSRS annuitant, am I entitled ato Social Security Survivor Benefit at 60?
Yes you are; however, that benefit will be impacted by the government pension offset provision of law. To find out how your benefit would be affected, go to https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf.
Good morning, my father passed away in February. He was OPM and my mom has just recently been given survivor annuity payments. She is also receiving SSA from my father. She has no SSA or SSI of her own. Will my father’s SSA survivor benefits be cancelled because she is now receiving survivor annuity payments from OPM?
No, it won’t.
Does she need to notify Social Security Administration?
No.
My husband is looking to retire within the next year. He is CSRS Offset. We are considering a 60% Survivor annuity for me, which would amount to approximately $1,273 is a month. If he deceases, would I be also be eligible to receive half his Social Security portion (which is more than I would receive claiming my own SS) in addition to the CSRS Survivor annuity? Or is that not how it works because a CSRS Offset is comprised of pension and social security…..I’m confused.
The maximum survivor annuity your husband could provide for you is 55 percent of the CSRS annuity he would have received at the time of his death if he hadn’t elected a survivor annuity for you. You would also be entitled to the higher of your own Social Security benefit or his.
Thank you for your response. I understand that a full survivor annuity amounts to 55% of my husband’s CSRS annunity, which if I chose to take would leave me monthly payments of approximately $2122 in our case. However, I am considering only taking 60% of a full survivor annuity (the $2122) which results in a monthly payment of $1273. My concern was if I would also receive half of his Social Security portion of the offset in addition to the chosen lower percentage Survivor annuity.Glad to hear this is the case.
Glad to be of help.
I divorced in 2007 and sent in the paper work to remove my ex-spouse from my FERS/annuity. All the required original documents where sent to OPM at that time to remove him from my health Ins and annuity. He was removed from my insurance but (unknown to me) was continued on my annuity. When I became aware of this error, new required documents had been sent on several occasions and never processed correctly. The last time was on 8/2/2018. My Ex-spouse is now disceased and OPM continues to take money from my benefits to cover him. What can I do to finally get this resolved and my money returned to me.
I’ve referred your email to OPM’s retirement specialists and asked them to deal with you directly.
I have a friend who has just been widowed for the second time. Her second husband (of some 9 years) was a retiree receiving benefits from OPM. He died this week. She doesn’t know yet if he elected for a survivor annuity or not. Her first husband died when he was 59, before he was eligible for even early retirement. The first husband was not a federal employee. My friend was not old enough to draw widow’s benefits on her first husband’s SSA before she married her second husband.
Now that her second husband has passed away, I suspect it is in my friend’s best interests to apply for a widow’s benefit on her first late husband’s SSA … but if there IS a survivor annuity on the second husband’s FERS benefits, would she be able to claim BOTH the widow’s/survivor’s benefit on the first husband’s SSA AND the widow’s benefit on the second husband’s OPM?
Thank you for any insight.
If she married her second husband while he was still a federal employee, she would be entitled to a survivor annuity. If he was a retiree, he would have had the option of electing a survivor annuity for her. To find out if she is eligible for a survivor annuity, she’ll need to call OPM’s Retirement Information Office at 1-888-767-6738. She’ll need to provide them with her late husband’s full name, date of birth and death, CSA (Civil Service Annuitant) number and his Social Security number.
Yes, thank you so much …but if it turns out she DOES qualify for a survivor’s annuity through OPM on the second husband’s (retired letter carrier) benefits, will she be able to claim both that AND widow’s benefits on the first husband’s social security account?
Yes.
My wife is 65 years old. She worked for Civil Service (CSRS) from 1972 until 1978 (both non-deduction and deduction service) when she took a refund of her retirement contributions which she never redeposited. She reentered civil service in 1979 until 1982 (both non-deduction and deduction service). She did not take a refund for this period of service. She recently learned from OPM that she has had eligibility for deferred retirement since age 62. She is preparing her application. Her high 3 is about $13,500. She intends to take a reduction in annuity rather than redeposit her previously refunded service or make a deposit for her non-deductible service. Next year, she will apply for a SS spousal benefit which, based on my SS retirement, will be about $1400 per month. She understands that her receipt of both CSRS retirement pay and the SS spousal benefit may be subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO). How will her reduced OPM retirement annuity with no redeposit of refunded service and no deposit for non-deduction service be evaluated by SS in determining the amount of GPO?
You’ll find the method used to compute the reduction at https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf.
To find out how the GPO will affect her Social Security spousal benefit, go to https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
My husband and I were married for 32 years, divorced for 5 years, and remarried for nearly 2 years before he passed away from a heart attack. I was sent papers to fill out for survivor spousal support but after sending them in I was told that since my name wasn’t on the annuity papers.We didn’t know if they needed to be. I don’t remember putting his name on mine.
The papers were vague but it seems that I can inquire further. Am I entitled for spousal benefits from OPM?
When you remarried was your husband an employee or a retiree?
I have a relative who is a CSRS Offset retiree who currently receives both a small CSRS annuity and a social security (SS) annuity. Her ex-husband recently died and since she never remarried, she is now receiving a larger SS annuity (as a surviving ex-spouse). She is considering marrying a CSRS retiree who currently receives a full annuity with no survivor benefits. My understanding is that if they marry, she will continue to receive her current CSRS and SS survivor annuities, and – – if he elects to provide survivor benefits – – she will be eligible to receive his CSRS survivor benefits after they have been married for at least 9 months. If he dies first, will she still continue to receive her CSRS and SS survivor annuities, in addition to his CSRS survivor annuity?
My husband is CSRS retiree. My annuitant benefit is 2900. I’ve paid in Social Security 40 years. Should he predecease me, can I draw my own SS along with survivor annuitant?
Yes.
Because a CRSR annuitant does not receive his/her spouses Social Security if they (the SS person) dies before the annuitant, do you recommend the SS person take their benefits as soon as able? Assuming the SS person is retired, or just part time working, and taking the SS at 62. The CSRS person is 5 yrs older than the SS person.
You’ll find the answer you are looking for at https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
It doesn’t answer my question, but thanks.
Yes, I understand that the Annuitant cannot collect the Social security of a non fed person, I was wondering if because of that fact, it is more beneficial for the Social security person to collect ASAP in order for the Annuitant to enjoy some benefits from the spouses SS? Or considering the age difference, should the SS person wait until their normal collection date of 67 or even wait until 70? Thus Betting on the probability of the Annuitant dying before the SS person, and the SS person collecting the Annuitants survivors benefits plus a higher SS.
Thank you for taking my question. My passed away 8/1/2019. He worked for the post office for 38 years and was a Civil Service employee. I am currently receiving survivor benefits. I have worked full time for 43 years and paid into Social Security for 43 years.
I keep hearing conflicting comments and worried that when I retire in 2 years will not receive my full social security benefits. I currently work for a municipality (14 years) and have paid into Social Security and will receive a pension for my 14 years.
Will my social security that I’ve paid into for 43 years be reduced? Thank you so very much. This is all so confusing and scary
There won’t be any reduction. You’ll receive both your full Social Security benefit and the survivor annuity based on your late husband’s civil service employment.
God bless you and thank you so very much for helping me.
I appreciate it more than you know.
You’re welcome.
typo. My husband passed away (comment of Debbie NicK)
My mom was married to my dad. He died in 1972. He was an FAA Air Traffic controller at the time of his death. My mom receives a survivor’s annuity from CSRS.
She remarried after she was 60 years old. Her 2nd husband has now died. Husband #2 was receiving SS retirement benefits. Will my mom be able to receive both the SS widow’s (survivor’s) benefit along with her CSRS survivor’s annuity without any kind of offset?
Also, would you please direct to the regulations that answer that question. (When my mom contacts the SSA I want to be able to substantiate her position if they give her an unfavorable response).
Thank you
To learn how your mother would be affected, go to https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/gpo-calc.html
Thank you for your quick response Reg (great name for being an expert on fed regs!)
After reading the information from the link, I am still not clear on the answer to my question.
It seems to me that the “Government Pension Offset, or GPO,” that is discussed has application if the person (a widow in my case) him/herself worked and is receiving a pension (from a federal, state, or local government job) as a result of that work:
If you receive a pension from a government job but did not pay Social Security taxes while — you had the job —, we’ll reduce your Social Security spouse, widow, or widower benefits by two-thirds of the amount of your government pension. This offset is known as the GPO.
Also, the exemptions refer to work that the person who is to receive SS widow’s benefit.
The “Government Pension Offset” fact sheet that is linked to on the page also uses the “you” language.
In my case, the two-time widow:
1) is receiving a CSRS survivor’s annuity based on Husband #1’s work for the federal government (FAA), not hers that she began receiving in 1972 b/c husband #1 died while employed by the FAA.
2) The SS widow’s benefit that she is now eligible for is based on Husband #2’s non-government work.
So neither benefit is based on her work or her pension. Given that set of facts, is she able to collect the full amount of both benefits?
Thanks for your help.
Tony,
I don’t know the answer. But, could you come back later and share your experience or results?
According to the Social Security Administration, “If you receive a retirement or disability pension from a federal, state, or local government based on your own work for which you didn’t
pay Social Security taxes, we may reduce your Social Security spouses or widows or widowers benefits.” The government pension offset provision of law doesn’t apply to your entitlement to receive a survivor annuity based on your first or current husband’s employment. It only applies to any spousal Social Security benefit to which you would otherwise be entitled based on your first or second husband’s employment record.
Reg,
I’m learning that it’s an uncommon set of facts. I appreciate your honesty in saying that you don’t know the answer. I will come back to share my experience/results. Any suggestions on who/where I should take my question?
My wife passed in nov 2020. She was under FERS regs. So Im currently receiving a survivors annuity and a 50% of her salary (for 3 yrs) I also just applied for and received a lump sum payment and a monthly payout of 1600. Will this affect my survivor annuity?
No, it will not.
Thx for the feedback.
You’re welcome.
Lastly. So I can receive tsp, the survivors annuity, and ssdi payments all at once? Thx for your retort
Yes.
I am a CSRS retiree (not offset), my wife never worked for the gov’t, she does have her 40 SS quarters, but very low $$. I have about 65 SS quarters at higher $$. I elected the 55% CSRS survivor annuity for my wife.
My question is, assuming I pass first, my wife would be receiving my CSRS annuity and since she had her 40 qtrs of SS, would she be able to select my SS annuity, in lieu of her own, since mine is higher, or is she only allowed to get her own?
Thanks
She will be entitled to receive the higher of the two benefits.
Thanks for the reply, one follow-up item. Would either her Survivor Annuity or the SS be negatively impacted?
Thanks again
No, they wouldn’t be negatively impacted.
Scenario: Husband retired (CSRS) Jan 2021. We elected to do the full survivor annuity and he has been receiving payments since March. He actually has his 40 quarters under Social Security but there are no plans to take it as the payment is minimal. I have only worked in private industry and was laid off in July 2020. I have earned more than my 40 quarters and while I am not at full retirement age I am now thinking about applying for Social Security.
I have two areas of concern and was hoping you could confirm. If my husband should pass and I begin to receive his CSRS survivor benefit would my Social Security be reduced? And the second question is this – Can you help me understand why he would not get the full Social Security survivor benefit along with his CSRS annuity, should I pre-decease him? Since the Social Security survivor benefit is based on my work record, I don’t understand why there would be a reduction.
Receiving a CSRS survivor annuity would have no affect on your earned Social Security benefit. On the other hand, because your husband is receiving an annuity from CSRS – a retirement system where he didn’t pay Social Security taxes – any spousal Social Security benefit to which he is entitled will be subject to the Government Pension Offset provision of law. The GPO will reduce his spousal and survivor Social Security benefit by $2 for every $3 he receives in his CSRS annuity.