My father died in 1994. I just found out about this possible benefit. My living mother does not get social security because she gets a teacher's pension in Massachusetts. Does anyone know if this benefit can be retroactive to the date of my father's death?
I am planning to go in person to the local social security office to further answers. This benefit could help her stay in the home longer.
Here's what it says about the government pension offset, quoting just a part from https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10007.pdf
A law that affects spouses and widows or widowers
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. This fact sheet provides answers to
questions you may have about the reduction.
How much will my Social Security benefits be reduced?
We’ll reduce your Social Security benefits by
two-thirds of your government pension. In other
words, if you get a monthly civil service pension
of $600, two-thirds of that, or $400, must be
deducted from your Social Security benefits. For
example, if you’re eligible for a $500 spouses,
widows, or widowers benefit from Social
Security, you’ll get $100 a month from Social
Security ($500 – $400 = $100). If two-thirds of
your government pension is more than your
Social Security benefit, your benefit could be
reduced to zero