This is such a great discussion! I'm in a similar situation and have been wrestling with the same decision. One additional consideration I'd add is to make sure you and your wife both understand the "deemed filing" rules that might apply if she claims benefits before her FRA while you're still alive. If she files for her own retirement benefit before reaching her FRA and you're already collecting, she would be required to also file for spousal benefits at the same time (if eligible), and both would be permanently reduced. This could affect the timing strategy some couples use. Also, have you considered using the Social Security calculators on ssa.gov to run different scenarios? They can help you see the break-even points for different claiming strategies. Given your family's longevity and the significant benefit difference, delaying to 70 really does seem like the smart move for maximizing lifetime household benefits.

As someone who works with retirement planning, I want to emphasize that your strategy is excellent and add one more consideration: make sure to keep detailed records of your Social Security decisions and the reasoning behind them. When your wife eventually needs to claim survivor benefits, having documentation about when you claimed, what your benefit amount was, and any relevant dates can make the process much smoother for her. The SSA keeps records, but having your own documentation can be helpful. Also, consider discussing this plan with a fee-only financial advisor who can help you coordinate your Social Security strategy with your other retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.). Sometimes the optimal Social Security claiming strategy affects how you should draw down other retirement assets for tax efficiency. Your plan to delay until 70 is textbook perfect for your situation - higher earner with longevity and a spouse with significantly lower benefits. You're setting both of you up for maximum lifetime benefits.

As someone who just went through this decision process myself, I wanted to add a practical perspective. I was in a very similar situation - 62 and needing income while my husband was 57 and still working. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet comparing different scenarios over 10, 15, and 20 years. I looked at: - Taking my reduced benefit immediately vs waiting - Total lifetime benefits under different longevity assumptions - The impact on our overall retirement cash flow What I found was that the "break-even" point for waiting vs claiming early was around age 78-80 in my case. Since I'm in good health and both my parents lived into their 90s, waiting made more sense for us. However, the cash flow aspect was important too. We ended up using a combination of savings and a small part-time job to bridge the gap until I reached FRA. It wasn't ideal, but the long-term benefit increase was worth it for our situation. One resource that really helped was the Social Security Administration's online benefit calculators. You can run different claiming scenarios to see the actual dollar amounts for your specific situation rather than trying to guess.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation - I'm 64 and my husband is 60, so I've been researching this extensively. One thing I learned that might help you is to look at your Social Security statement online to see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages. What really opened my eyes was understanding that if you claim your own benefit early and then later become eligible for spousal benefits, you don't just "switch over" to the spousal amount. Instead, Social Security pays you the higher of: (1) your own reduced benefit, or (2) your own reduced benefit PLUS the difference needed to reach your reduced spousal benefit amount. The key word here is "reduced" - if you claim early, both your own benefit and any spousal benefit get reduced permanently. So in your case, if you take your $950 now and your husband's PIA ends up being $3,000, you wouldn't necessarily get $1,500 as a spousal benefit later. The spousal amount would also be reduced based on your age when you first claimed. I'd suggest calling SSA and asking them to walk through a few "what if" scenarios with your actual numbers. Despite what others have said about inconsistent information, I found that if you ask very specific questions about your own record, they can give you the exact dollar amounts for different claiming strategies.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I've scheduled an appointment at my local SSA office for next week, and I'm gathering all the documents suggested. I'm going to ask about various scenarios with reduced hours too. It sounds like my original understanding was mostly correct, but the earnings test will likely eliminate most of my survivor benefits unless I cut back on work. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation.

Good luck with your appointment! One additional tip - when you meet with SSA, ask them to run scenarios showing your projected benefits at different income levels. They can show you exactly what you'd receive if you earned $40k, $50k, etc. vs your current $67k. This will help you make an informed decision about whether reducing hours makes financial sense. Also, don't forget to ask about any potential survivor benefit increases you might be entitled to if your husband had delayed retirement credits or if there have been cost-of-living adjustments since his passing. Sometimes there are nuances that only become clear when they pull up your specific records. Please do update us after your appointment - these real-world experiences are so valuable for others navigating similar situations!

Welcome to the community! I'm dealing with a somewhat similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned through my own research. One thing that might be worth exploring is whether your health conditions could potentially qualify you for a disability freeze on your Social Security earnings record, even if you don't qualify for SSDI benefits. This wouldn't give you immediate benefits, but it could prevent those non-working years from dragging down your future benefit calculation. Also, since you mentioned you're 62 now (not 60 as in your title), you do have the option to file for your own reduced benefits immediately if your financial situation requires it. The key is getting those exact benefit estimates from SSA so you can make an informed decision based on your specific circumstances rather than general rules. Good luck with everything!

As a newcomer here, I wanted to share something that might be helpful based on what I've seen with family members in similar situations. Since you mentioned having a pension of $2,350/month from covered employment, that actually puts you in a better position than many people dealing with GPO issues. The fact that you paid Social Security taxes on that employment means GPO won't reduce any spousal benefits you might be eligible for. However, given that you're the higher earner, the math probably won't work in favor of ex-spousal benefits anyway. What I've learned from others' experiences is that it's still worth getting the official calculations from SSA, especially since your health situation adds another layer of complexity to the timing decision. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you do decide to claim your own benefits at 62, you can still potentially switch to survivor benefits later if your ex-husband passes away first, and those wouldn't be subject to the same early filing penalties that apply now. Just another factor to consider in your overall planning. The break-even analysis that Jabari-Jo mentioned is really crucial here given your health concerns. Sometimes the "financially optimal" choice on paper isn't the best choice for your actual life situation.

From my experience helping family members through similar situations, telephone appointments can definitely handle complex survivor benefit cases, but preparation is absolutely key. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to specifically ask the representative to walk you through the "break-even" analysis - at what age does waiting to claim become more beneficial than claiming early, given your specific benefit amounts. Also, since you mentioned you're considering taking your own retirement at 62, make sure to ask about the interaction between survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits - there are some strategies where you might claim one type first and switch to the other later that could maximize your lifetime benefits. The reps are generally very good at running these calculations during the call if you ask specifically. And definitely take notes during the call or have someone with you to help - there's a lot of information to absorb!

I wanted to share my recent experience with a SSA telephone appointment that might help with your decision. I had a complex survivor benefits consultation last fall after my husband passed, and I was really nervous about doing it over the phone. The representative was incredibly thorough - we spent over an hour going through my entire situation. She calculated my survivor benefits at different ages (60, FRA, and 70), compared them to my own retirement benefits, and even explained how the earnings test would affect me since I'm still working part-time. What really impressed me was that she sent me a detailed benefit estimate in the mail about a week later that included all the scenarios we discussed. My advice: don't worry about the format of the appointment, focus on being prepared. Write down every question, have all your documents ready (death certificate, marriage certificate, both of your Social Security statements), and don't let them rush you. If you feel rushed, politely say "this is a very important financial decision and I need to make sure I understand all my options." Most reps will slow down and give you the time you need. Good luck!