I'm so sorry for your loss, Nora. What you're describing is absolutely legitimate and one of the smartest Social Security strategies available today. You can definitely collect survivor benefits while letting your own retirement benefit grow until age 70. A few key considerations for your situation: - At 62, you'd receive approximately 71.5% of your husband's SSDI amount as your survivor benefit - Your earnings of $19,800 are comfortably under the 2025 limit of $22,320, so you should qualify for full benefits - Your own retirement benefit will earn 8% delayed retirement credits each year from your FRA (67) until age 70, potentially increasing it by 24% The most important thing when you apply: be extremely specific that you want ONLY survivor benefits. Use the exact phrase "I wish to exclude retirement benefits on my own record" to prevent SSA from automatically processing your own benefits, which would eliminate this strategy. I'd recommend calling SSA or visiting a local office to get written benefit estimates for both scenarios - your survivor benefit now and your projected retirement benefit at 70. Having these actual dollar amounts will help you make the most informed decision. This is one of the few remaining "file and suspend" type strategies after the 2015 rule changes, and you're in an ideal position to take advantage of it. Take your time with the decision and don't let anyone pressure you into claiming your own benefits early.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nora. What you're asking about is absolutely a legitimate strategy and you're smart to research it thoroughly before making any decisions. You can indeed collect survivor benefits starting at age 60 (you're already 62) while allowing your own retirement benefits to continue growing until age 70. This is one of the few remaining "claim now, claim more later" strategies that survived the 2015 Social Security rule changes. Here's what you need to know for your specific situation: - At 62, your survivor benefit would be about 71.5% of your husband's full SSDI amount due to early claiming reductions - Your current earnings of $19,800 are safely under the 2025 earnings limit of $22,320 for people under Full Retirement Age - Your own retirement benefit will earn 8% delayed retirement credits each year from your FRA (67) until age 70, potentially increasing it by 24% The most critical part of this strategy is being extremely specific when you apply. You must tell SSA that you want to apply ONLY for survivor benefits. Use this exact phrase: "I wish to exclude retirement benefits on my own record." If you don't specify this, they might automatically process your application for all benefits you're eligible for, which would eliminate your ability to let your own benefit grow. I'd strongly recommend getting written benefit estimates from SSA before making your final decision - both for your survivor benefit now and your projected retirement benefit at 70. This will help you see the actual dollar amounts and confirm this approach makes financial sense for your situation. Take your time with this decision and don't let anyone pressure you into claiming your own benefits early. You're in a great position to maximize your lifetime Social Security income.

I'm so glad you posted this question because I was literally wondering the same thing! I just started receiving Social Security benefits at 62 and have been terrified about accidentally going over the earnings limit. Reading all these responses has been incredibly educational - I had no idea there was such a clear distinction between "earned" and "unearned" income. It makes perfect sense that they only care about whether you're actively working, not about one-time asset sales or retirement withdrawals. This community is amazing for getting real-world experiences from people who've actually dealt with these situations. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories!

I'm glad this question got so many detailed responses! As someone who's been helping people navigate SSA benefits for years, I want to emphasize what others have said - the earnings test is very specific about what counts. Only "earned income" from active work counts toward the $22,320 limit. Your timeshare sale and 401k withdrawals are both considered "unearned income" and are completely exempt. The SSA Publication 05-10069 "How Work Affects Your Benefits" explains this clearly if you want the official source. You can sleep easy knowing you're well within the limits!

When i started SS last year i had to quit my good payin job and find something with less hours cause of this stupid rule!! I'm still MAD they dont explain this stuff better!

Just wanted to add one more helpful detail - if you're tracking your earnings throughout the year, Social Security uses your gross wages (before taxes) when calculating against the earnings limit. So make sure you're looking at your gross pay from that part-time job, not your take-home pay. Also, if you get a raise or bonus during the year, factor that in too. The SSA website has a really helpful earnings test calculator where you can plug in your expected annual earnings to see exactly how it would affect your benefits if you do go over the limit.

This is such a complex situation and I really appreciate how thoroughly everyone has explained the mechanics! As someone who went through a similar decision with my father a few years ago, I wanted to add one more consideration that helped us: we created a simple spreadsheet to model different scenarios over her expected lifetime. We compared: - Total lifetime benefits if she waits until FRA - Total lifetime benefits if she claims early with various earnings levels - The break-even point where early claiming becomes advantageous In our case, my dad's immediate financial stress was severe enough that even with the permanent reduction, early claiming was the right choice. The peace of mind and financial stability it provided was worth more than the mathematical optimization. One practical tip: if she does decide to claim early, consider setting aside a small portion of each benefit payment in a separate account. This can help cover any unexpected gaps if more months than anticipated get withheld due to earnings fluctuations. Good luck with whatever decision you make - it sounds like you're approaching this very thoughtfully!

One thing to keep in mind is that SSA typically reviews earnings annually, not monthly. So if your mom claims early and works above the limit, she likely won't see immediate withholding - it usually happens the following year after they process her annual earnings report. This means she could receive several months of full benefits before any withholding occurs. Also, I'd suggest having her create a my.ssa.gov account if she hasn't already. She can view her earnings record, get benefit estimates, and track any changes to her account online. This makes it much easier to stay on top of everything and catch any errors early. The decision really comes down to her specific circumstances. If she's facing immediate financial hardship and the early benefits would prevent more serious consequences (like losing her home), then the permanent reduction might be an acceptable trade-off. Just make sure you're both prepared for the complexity of managing the earnings test if she continues working.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Debra. I went through the survivor benefits application process about 2 years ago when my husband passed away. The phone interview is definitely much easier than trying to navigate everything in person, especially when you're grieving. One thing I'd add that I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you know your own Social Security earnings history if possible. While they focus mainly on your husband's record for survivor benefits, they may ask about your own work credits to help determine the best claiming strategy for your situation. Also, if you or your husband ever lived in a different state, be prepared to provide those addresses and approximate dates. Sometimes this comes up for verification purposes. The representative who handled my case was incredibly patient and understanding. She even sent me a summary letter after the call outlining what we discussed and what the next steps would be. The whole process from phone interview to approval took about 6 weeks for me. You're doing the right thing by preparing ahead of time. Having all your documents organized will make the interview go much more smoothly. Take care of yourself during this difficult time - you're stronger than you know.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Debra. I went through the survivor benefits phone interview process about 8 months ago after my wife passed away. The phone interview really is the standard process now, and honestly, it's much more comfortable than sitting in a busy SSA office while you're dealing with grief. Everyone here has given you great advice about the documents to have ready. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have a comfortable, private space for the call since it can take up to an hour and you'll be discussing some very personal information. Also, if you take any medications that might affect your memory or concentration, consider scheduling the interview for when you're feeling most alert. The representative will walk you through everything step by step - they're specially trained for these sensitive situations. In my case, they completed all the forms electronically during our conversation, and I received an email with electronic signature links about 3 hours later. Never had to touch a single piece of paper. One thing that really helped me was writing down the confirmation number they give you at the end of the call. You'll want to reference that if you need to call back about your application status. The whole process from phone interview to first payment took about 5 weeks for me. You're going to do just fine - take it one step at a time.