i wonder if her retirement $ will be affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision? my cousin had problems with that when he switched from government pension to social security

Update: Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I talked to my sister and we're going to start gathering her documents now and plan to apply in March (3 months before her birthday as suggested). I've also helped her create an account on my.ssa.gov to check her earnings record. According to the estimate, her retirement benefit would be about $1,120/month, which is definitely better than her current SSI payment! We're also going to check on how this might affect her Medicaid coverage since that's really important for her health needs.

One more important thing - in your Scenario 3, if your wife passes away while you're both 64, and you want to take survivor benefits immediately, remember you'd need to apply for those benefits. They're not automatic. And if you're still working, the earnings test would apply until you reach FRA as someone else mentioned. Also be aware that taking survivor benefits doesn't affect your own retirement benefit growth. Your retirement benefit would still grow with delayed retirement credits until 70, regardless of whether you're receiving survivor benefits.

I'm also navigating this maze of survivor benefits planning with my spouse! Reading through all these responses, it's clear that getting accurate information is half the battle. One thing I learned from my own research that might help - the SSA has Publication 05-10084 "Survivors Benefits" that breaks down the reduction percentages more clearly than their website does. Also, regarding the conflicting information about survivor benefits when someone dies after FRA but before claiming - I believe Mei Lin is correct. If you die between your FRA and age 70 without having claimed, your survivor would get your benefit INCLUDING the delayed retirement credits you've earned up to that point, not just your FRA amount. This is different from if you had already started claiming reduced benefits. The earnings test complication is real though. We're in a similar situation where we're both still working, and it really does throw a wrench into any early claiming strategies. Have you considered whether either of you might reduce work hours or retire early to make survivor benefit claiming more feasible if needed?

Thanks for all the great advice everyone! I'm definitely going to file in May/June when I hit my FRA. I'll also look into increasing my 401k contributions - that's a great suggestion for managing the tax situation. This has been incredibly helpful!

Great decision on filing in May/June! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you do file, make sure to ask SSA about having federal taxes withheld from your monthly benefits if you're concerned about owing taxes next year. You can have 7%, 10%, 12%, or 22% withheld automatically. Given that you'll have both work income and SS benefits, this might save you from having to make quarterly estimated tax payments or owing a big chunk at tax time. You can always adjust the withholding later if needed!

Just to clarify a technical point about survivor benefits: if your spouse claims survivor benefits before her own FRA, she would receive a reduced percentage (between 71.5% and 99% depending on how early she claims). But if she waits until her FRA, she'll receive 100% of your benefit amount - either your reduced benefit if you keep your early claim, or your full FRA benefit if you withdraw and later reapply. Also, remember that while you can withdraw now and reapply at your FRA (66 and 10 months), you could alternatively withdraw and then wait until age 70 to maximize your benefit (and subsequently your wife's survivor benefit). This would give you an additional 28.8% above your FRA amount through delayed retirement credits.

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say this is such a helpful discussion! I'm not in this exact situation yet, but at 58, I'm starting to think seriously about when to claim Social Security. Reading about the withdrawal option and how it affects survivor benefits is really eye-opening. I had no idea you could essentially "reset" your application within that first year. The technical details from @Ava Rodriguez and the real-world experience from @Miguel Diaz really help paint the full picture. It sounds like this decision requires careful consideration of both your financial situation and your spouse's long-term security. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and experiences!

One important clarification about your situation: For each deceased spouse (current and ex), you have a separate survivor benefit entitlement. The rule is that you'll receive the highest benefit you're eligible for at any given time. So your plan is sound and follows SSA rules: 1. Take widow's benefits now from your current late husband 2. If ex-husband passes and his survivor benefit would be higher, switch to that 3. At 70, switch to your own retirement benefit if it's higher than either survivor benefit This approach gives you the maximum benefit amount possible throughout your lifetime. Make sure to keep all your documents organized - marriage certificates, divorce decree showing marriage lasted 10+ years, etc. You'll need these when applying for any benefits related to your ex-spouse.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 63 and recently widowed, and I've been agonizing over when to start my benefits. Reading about your strategy of maximizing benefits through strategic switching has given me a lot to think about. One thing I'd add based on my research is that it might be worth getting a Social Security statement that shows your projected benefits at different ages (62, full retirement age, and 70) so you can do the math on which strategy gives you the most money over your expected lifetime. You can get this online at ssa.gov. Also, I've heard that if you're still working while receiving survivor benefits, the earnings test might apply if you're under full retirement age, so that's another factor to consider in your timing. Good luck with whatever you decide!