Can widow's social security benefits be affected if she receives a survivor's annuity???

No.

I'm in exactly that situation. My SS benefits are not affected at all by the fact that I receive a survivor benefit under my late husband's federal employee pension. I also have a small defined benefit pension of my own, which also has no effect on SS.

Katie in San Diego

I disagree - on one point: The gross amount of the SS benefits will remain unaffected, but their TAXABILITY may be affected. If non-SS income not otherwise excludible exceeds $25k, then (part or all of) the SS benefits become taxable for income tax purposes.

Maybe. If her SS benefit is based on her earnings record, no. If her SS benefit is based on his earnings record, yes. If you go to

Phil Marti wrote: [snip]

I thought the government pension offset would only impact a person receiving SSA survivor benefits if it was based on his/her own government employment. As this person is receiving a government survivor benefit (not based on her own earnings), there would not be any offset.

unaffected, but their TAXABILITY may be affected.  If non-SS income not

Thank you for your input. Please clarify...........If she was receiving SS benefits and he was receiving a federal annuity the combined income was taxed to begin with. Are you saying that SS benefits for the wife were not taxable if she was receiving less than 25K prior to his passing??

Thanks for your help!

remain unaffected, but their TAXABILITY may be affected. If non-SS income not

I didn't say that. Without knowing how much of his annunity is taxable, the question cannot be answered.

No. That's a different situation. When a couple files a joint return, the threshold of their combined other income to make SS benefits taxable is $32k.