I'm new to this community but going through something similar with my parents right now. My dad is 68 and still working, mom just turned 63. We learned the hard way that she can't get spousal benefits until he actually files - even though he's past FRA. One thing that helped us was requesting a Social Security Statement online to see exactly what both their benefits would be at different ages. You can create an account on the SSA website and it shows your projected benefits at 62, FRA, and 70. Really helps with running the numbers to see what makes sense financially. Also, don't forget about Medicare! Even if you delay Social Security, you still need to enroll in Medicare at 65 to avoid penalties (unless you have qualifying employer coverage). That's a whole other set of rules to navigate unfortunately.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! My husband is 66 and still working past his FRA, and I just turned 62 last week. We went to the Social Security office thinking I could start getting spousal benefits while he delays his own benefits to get those delayed retirement credits - boy were we wrong! The agent explained that I absolutely cannot get spousal benefits until he actually files for his own benefits first. It doesn't matter that he's past his FRA - if he hasn't filed, there's nothing for me to claim against. We were pretty disappointed since we were counting on that income. What we learned is that if I file now at 62, I'd get about 75% of my own benefit (not the spousal benefit), and it would be permanently reduced. Then when my husband eventually files, I could potentially switch to the higher spousal benefit, but that would also be reduced since I'm filing early. We're now trying to decide if he should just file now so I can start getting something, or if we should both wait. The math is tricky because we're giving up his delayed retirement credits but gaining years of spousal benefits for me. Definitely recommend talking to someone at SSA in person if you can - the phone reps seem less knowledgeable than the office staff.

just wondering how the appointment went?? mine was so scary but the lady was soooo nice actually!

That's wonderful news! What a huge difference between the two benefit amounts - almost double! It sounds like waiting for the higher survivor benefits at your FRA could be worth it financially, especially since you're only turning 65 in a few months. Since you mentioned health issues that kept you out of work, you might want to consider how that factors into your decision timeline. Sometimes having benefits start sooner provides peace of mind even if the amount is less. Did they give you any paperwork or deadlines for making your final decision? And congratulations on getting through what sounds like it was a stressful process!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can completely understand your confusion about not seeing survivor benefit information on your mySocialSecurity account - this was exactly my concern when my spouse passed away two years ago. What I learned from going through this process is that the mySocialSecurity portal is really designed to show only your personal work history and retirement projections. Survivor benefits are calculated from your deceased spouse's earnings record, which exists in a separate part of their system that isn't accessible through the online portal. The fact that you already received the $255 lump-sum death payment is actually the key indicator that everything is properly set up. That payment can only be processed when SSA has successfully linked your husband's death record to your account in their system. So you can feel confident that when you're ready to apply for survivor benefits in the future, all the necessary information will be there. One thing I wish I had known earlier is that you might want to request a copy of your husband's Social Security Statement (Form SSA-7005) for your records. While you can't access it online, SSA can provide this to you as his widow, and it will show his complete earnings history that your survivor benefits will be calculated from. This can be helpful for your own financial planning, even though you won't need it until you actually apply for benefits. You're being very smart to get organized now while you have time to plan your claiming strategy. No need to torture yourself with their phone system until you're actually ready to apply!

I'm so sorry for your loss. I can understand your confusion - I went through something similar when my mom passed last year and I was helping my dad navigate the survivor benefits process. Just to echo what others have said, the mySocialSecurity portal really only shows your own personal benefits information. It's not designed to display survivor benefit eligibility or calculations, which is honestly pretty confusing for people going through this situation. Since you already received the $255 death benefit, that's actually proof that SSA has properly recorded your husband's death and linked it to your record in their system. That's the main thing you need to have in place. When you do eventually apply for survivor benefits (whether at 60 or later), you'll need to call or visit an office anyway since they don't allow online applications for survivor benefits. At that point, they'll pull up all the necessary records and calculate your benefit amount based on your husband's earnings history. You're smart to be thinking about this now even though you have several years before you'll need to make any decisions. It gives you time to understand your options and plan the optimal claiming strategy for your situation.

Since no one's mentioned it yet, there's also an actual formula you can use to get a rough idea. Your Social Security benefit is based on your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME). If you have several zero years in your 35-year calculation: 1. Every $1,200 in additional annual earnings translates to about $1 more per month in benefits for the rest of your life So if you're earning $72,000 per year as you mentioned, and replacing zeros, that's potentially adding about $60 monthly to your benefit for each year worked ($72,000 ÷ $1,200 = $60). Over a 20-year retirement, that's about $28,800 in additional benefits for each extra year you work (not counting cost of living adjustments). This is simplified, but gives you a ballpark figure to compare against your work satisfaction and other factors.

Another factor to consider is the delayed retirement credits if you're thinking about when to actually claim benefits. If you're planning to retire but wait until your Full Retirement Age to claim, you might also want to look into whether waiting even longer to claim (up to age 70) could make sense given your situation. Since you have those gaps in your work history, your benefit amount at FRA might be lower than someone with a full 35-year career. Delayed retirement credits give you an 8% increase per year for each year you delay claiming past your FRA up to age 70. So if your FRA benefit ends up being on the lower side due to those zero years, the delayed credits could be particularly valuable. You could potentially retire when you want, work part-time or consult if you need income, and still maximize your eventual Social Security benefit by waiting to claim. Just something else to factor into your overall retirement strategy!

After seeing the additional details, here's what you should know: Since your grandson's parents are alive (though unable to care for him), he likely wouldn't qualify for benefits on your record as a dependent grandchild. However, there's an important exception: if you've legally ADOPTED your grandson (not just conservatorship), then he could potentially qualify for benefits on your record. At that point, your wife could potentially qualify for child-in-care spousal benefits if your grandson is receiving benefits on your record. This is definitely a situation where you need to speak directly with SSA about your specific circumstances.

Just want to add that if you do decide to pursue adoption, make sure to keep all your legal documentation organized - court orders, conservatorship papers, etc. When I dealt with SSA for family benefits, they wanted to see everything multiple times. Also, the adoption process can take months, so if you're considering it anyway for your grandson's stability, it might be worth starting that process sooner rather than later. In the meantime, definitely explore those state programs that were mentioned - sometimes there are kinship care benefits or relative caregiver programs that can provide support while you're navigating the federal benefits situation.