I'd like to add some important details that others haven't mentioned: 1. While your future survivor benefit won't be affected by when you take your own benefit, there are still potential advantages to delaying your own benefit if you can afford to. 2. If your husband lives a long time, your own benefit (if you delay to 70) could grow to be more valuable over time with COLA adjustments. 3. If you're still working, taking benefits before FRA could subject you to the earnings test, which temporarily reduces benefits. 4. Tax implications: Having both your own benefit and eventually a survivor benefit could push you into a higher tax bracket. The optimal strategy depends on your complete financial picture, health situations, and other income sources. You might want to consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies.

wait i'm confused...if she takes her SS now at 65 isn't that still reduced since her FRA is probably 66 and something? my head is spinning trying to keep all these rules straight lol

my mom got dads SS when he passed but she said she had to wait til she was 60 to claim it, so theres definintely some age rules involved to

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! Based on what I'm understanding: 1. Yes, I would get 100% of my wife's benefit if she passes away after starting her benefits (assuming I'm at my FRA) 2. It might be worth having her delay until 70 to maximize those potential survivor benefits 3. I'll need to file paperwork with SSA and provide documentation when the time comes 4. Different rules apply if she passes before starting benefits This has been really educational and gives us some things to consider in our retirement planning. I appreciate all the responses!

one more thing nobody mentioned - divorced spouse benefits are only available if he isn't remarried!!! if he got remarried after your divorce then completely different rules apply

A quick note on benefit amounts: the maximum divorced spousal benefit at FRA is 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what you'd receive at your FRA (not necessarily what you're currently receiving on SSDI). Since your ex would be claiming early at 64, his benefit would be reduced to approximately 35-37% of your PIA. Also, I want to emphasize again that if he has his own Social Security benefit, he'll only receive the higher of either his own benefit or the divorced spousal benefit - not both. This is why getting accurate calculations from SSA is so important before making any decisions.

I had a similar situation with my late husband. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your sister does qualify for survivor benefits but is still under her full retirement age when she starts collecting, the benefit amount will be reduced. At age 60 (the earliest a non-disabled widow can claim), she would get about 71.5% of his full benefit amount. Each month she waits after that increases the percentage slightly until she reaches her full retirement age (probably around 67 for her age), when she would get 100% of his benefit. If she qualifies as a disabled widow and starts benefits at age 50, the reduction is even more significant - about 71.5% of his benefit. But sometimes getting some money earlier is better than waiting for the full amount. Also, while the 9-month marriage rule is generally firm, there are very specific exceptions. One exception is if the death was accidental. This probably won't apply in a terminal illness situation, but worth knowing.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, if she claims survivor benefits early (either at 50 as a disabled widow or at 60 as a non-disabled widow), the reduction is permanent. Unlike retirement benefits, survivor benefits do not automatically increase to 100% when she reaches her full retirement age. Regarding the benefit amount - she would receive a percentage of what he's getting now, based on when she claims. At her full retirement age, that would be 100% of his current SSDI benefit. If she claims earlier, it would be a reduced percentage. One other option they might consider - if they get married and he lives at least 9 months, but she doesn't qualify for disabled widow benefits, she could apply for spousal benefits at age 62 (reduced) while he's still alive. Then after he passes, she could switch to survivor benefits, which are generally higher than spousal benefits.

Hang on a second - I'm confused about something. You mentioned a \

Good catch. Under current rules, when you file for any retirement benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for. This is called \