Just to add one more point - if you do decide to apply for benefits based on your husband's record, you'll need to provide: 1) your marriage certificate, 2) both your Social Security numbers, and 3) his date of birth. If you don't have his SSN, SSA can usually find it with his name and date of birth. You don't need to communicate with him directly to apply for spousal benefits. SSA has this information in their system and can verify your relationship status when you apply.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation - married but separated for about 10 years now. One thing I learned when I went through this research last year is that you can actually receive spousal benefits even if your husband hasn't filed for his own benefits yet, as long as he's eligible to receive them (meaning he's at least 62). This is called "independently entitled" spousal benefits. Also, since you mentioned health concerns, you might want to look into whether you could qualify for Medicare early due to disability. If you can get on Medicare before 65, it might help with those health issues and potentially influence your decision about when to claim Social Security. The separation length really doesn't matter as long as you're still legally married. I know it feels weird after being apart so long, but legally you're still spouses with all the same benefit rights as any married couple.

One additional consideration - if you decide to keep working until May to maximize your benefit, remember you can actually file for benefits up to 4 months before you want them to start. So you could submit your application in January 2025 but specify May 2025 as your benefit start date. This gives SSA time to process everything so there's no delay in your payments once May arrives.

Just wanted to add that you should also consider checking your Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov/myaccount to see your projected benefit amounts at different claiming ages. This will give you the exact dollar figures for your situation rather than estimates. The statement shows your benefits at age 62, full retirement age, and age 70, so you can see precisely how much that 4-month difference would cost you monthly. It might help you make a more informed decision about whether to tough it out until May or not. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thank you all so much for the helpful information! I feel much better understanding that I could switch to my husband's higher benefit if needed. I'll definitely reach out to SSA directly for specific calculations, and I appreciate the tip about Claimyr if I have trouble getting through. The information about reporting quickly and keeping documents organized is really valuable too. It's not a pleasant topic to think about, but I feel more prepared now.

I'm glad you found all this information helpful, Javier! Just to add one more resource - the Social Security Administration has a helpful publication called "Survivors Benefits" (Publication No. 05-10084) that you can find on their website at ssa.gov. It breaks down all the rules in plain language. Also, don't forget that if you do become eligible for survivor benefits, you can potentially delay claiming them (if you're not already receiving your own retirement benefits) to earn delayed retirement credits up until age 70, which could increase the monthly amount. Since you're both already receiving benefits, this wouldn't apply to your situation, but it's good to know for others reading this thread. Take care!

I work as a benefits counselor and see this confusion all the time. Since you were born in 1957/1958 (age 67 in 2025), you're subject to deemed filing rules - you can't do the restricted application strategy that was eliminated for people born after January 1, 1954. However, there might be one small silver lining to explore: if you have a significant reduction in earnings this year or next (maybe reducing work hours), it could be worth running the numbers on whether filing earlier makes sense. But given your $98K salary and family longevity, waiting until 70 is almost certainly your best bet. One thing to double-check: make sure your ex-husband's benefit amount is accurate. Sometimes people misunderstand what their actual benefit is versus what they're currently receiving (which might be reduced if they filed early). Your ex-spouse benefit would be 50% of his full retirement age benefit, not necessarily 50% of what he's currently collecting.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who recently navigated this same decision. I'm 68 and was born in 1956, so I also missed the restricted application cutoff by a couple years - super frustrating! One thing that helped me was using the Social Security break-even calculators to see the actual dollar amounts. In my case, I realized that even though waiting until 70 would give me the highest monthly payment, I'd need to live past 83 to come out ahead compared to filing at my FRA. Since I'm in great health like you, I decided to wait. But here's something to consider: if you're still working and contributing to Social Security, those continued contributions could actually boost your benefit calculation. I found out my last few high-earning years replaced some lower-earning years from the 1980s in my calculation, which increased my projected benefit at 70 even more than just the delayed retirement credits alone. Definitely get your most recent Social Security statement online to see your exact projected amounts before making the final decision!

Im sorry but i think you need to just apply now!!! My neighbor was in similar situation and SSA told her she needed to apply within 6 months of death or she would loose some backpay. I dont know if thats still true but better safe than sorry!! Even though you cant get payments until 60 you should apply now to protect your filing date!!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kendrick. Losing an ex-spouse, especially at such a young age, can be emotionally complicated even years after divorce. Based on what others have shared, it sounds like contacting the Federal Benefits Unit in London (which serves Portugal) might be your best bet rather than trying to call the main SSA line. Email might work better for you given the time zone differences. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned - since you only have 5 years of US work credits, you definitely want to look into the US-Portugal totalization agreement that someone briefly mentioned. This could potentially help you qualify for some benefits on your own record by combining your US and Portuguese work history. It might not be much, but every bit helps, especially if you're planning to stay in Portugal long-term. Also, even though you can't claim survivor benefits until 60, it might be worth starting to organize your paperwork now. Get certified copies of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and his death certificate while they're still relatively easy to obtain. Having everything ready will make the process smoother when the time comes. The Federal Benefits Unit should be able to give you a better idea of what documentation you'll need and how the process works for US expats in Portugal.