Can I apply for Social Security retirement now and survivor benefits later? Worried about delaying my payments

Yes, you absolutely can apply for your retirement benefits now and then apply for survivor benefits later (or vice versa). This is actually a common strategy for maximizing benefits. When you receive both types of benefits, you'll get the higher of the two amounts, not both combined. Based on what you mentioned about your husband working in non-covered state employment, his benefits might be affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO), which could reduce any survivor benefits. But it's definitely worth checking once you have time to gather the documents.

Not sure if this helps but my mom was in a similar situation. She applied for her own benefits at 62 and then when my dad passed she switched to survivors a few years later because it was higher. She said she had to bring in his death certificate and their marriage license. Hope you can find those documents when you need them!!

they make u wait anyway so go ahead and apply now on your record. my sister got frustrated because even with ALL her papers ready they still took 3 months to process her widows benefits!!! they said "processing time" but she was counting on that money. apply for yours ASAP

To add some technical details to what others have said - what you're describing is actually a smart approach. Since you're turning 65, if your husband worked at a non-covered government job, his benefits would likely be subject to the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which could reduce your survivor benefits by 2/3 of your government pension amount. However, there's an important nuance: survivor benefits reach their maximum at your Full Retirement Age (FRA) which is likely 66+, depending on your birth year. Waiting to claim survivor benefits until you reach FRA might maximize that amount, while you collect your own retirement in the meantime. You said he only paid into Social Security for about 15 years - the minimum to qualify for benefits is 40 quarters (10 years), so he likely qualified for his own benefits, even if they were reduced by WEP.

I had the exact same issue trying to reach SSA to discuss combining my retirement and survivor benefits. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of struggling for weeks. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent explained I could definitely apply for retirement first, then switch to survivors later when I had all the paperwork. Saved me a ton of stress about delaying my benefits.

my cousin works for social security and she always says APPLY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE!!! they backdate things when they need to and you never lose money by applying sooner rather than later. just sayin

I'm so confused about all this survivor benefit stuff... My husband is still alive but I'm trying to plan ahead. Does anyone know if I can claim his benefits instead of mine if his are higher? Is that different from survivor benefits or the same thing? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Just wanted to mention that getting your documents in order BEFORE you need them is always a good idea! After my husband died, I couldn't find our marriage certificate and it delayed EVERYTHING. And make sure you have CERTIFIED copies because they wouldn't take my photocopies!!

Based on the discussion so far, here's a clear strategy for your situation: 1. Apply for your own retirement benefits now at 65 (understanding you'll receive about 93.3% of your full benefit due to early filing) 2. Gather your documentation for survivor benefits (death certificate, marriage certificate, his SSN) 3. At your Full Retirement Age (66+4 months), check with SSA to determine if the survivor benefit would be higher than your current retirement benefit 4. If survivor benefits would be higher, apply to switch at that time This approach ensures you don't delay current income while potentially maximizing your lifetime benefit. The fact that your husband worked in non-covered employment makes the calculation more complex (due to potential GPO/WEP adjustments), but this strategy gives you the best of both worlds.

When you apply for retirement benefits, the SSA will ask if you've ever been married and if any spouse has died. Be honest about this, but you can explain that you want to apply for your own benefits now and potentially survivor benefits later. They'll make a note in your record. Just be clear about your intention, and they'll process your retirement claim without waiting for the survivor documentation.

Just wanted to add a practical tip from my own experience - when you do apply for your retirement benefits, ask the SSA representative to put a note in your file about your potential future survivor benefit claim. This can help streamline the process later when you're ready to apply for survivor benefits, since they'll already have context about your situation. Also, since your husband worked mostly in state government jobs, you might want to check if he had a state pension that could affect your survivor benefits through the Government Pension Offset. Even if the survivor benefit ends up being small, having all the information will help you make the best decision when the time comes. Good luck with your application process!