Can I claim Social Security at 60 while waiting for full survivor benefits at FRA? Complicated ex-spouse situation

Yes, you absolutely can do this! It's one of the few remaining strategies after the 2015 rule changes. If your ex-husband passes away, you could claim your own reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to an unreduced survivor benefit at your FRA (67). The survivor benefit would NOT be reduced because you took your own benefit early. This works specifically because survivor benefits and retirement benefits are in different "buckets" according to SSA rules. Just make sure you explicitly tell SSA you're filing ONLY for retirement benefits when you apply at 62, not survivor benefits.

my sister did something like this after her husband died. she got her own benefit at 63 and switched to the survivor at 66 (her FRA). the SSA rep told her it was smart but lots of people dont know about it and miss out on $$$$.

There's a crucial detail missing in previous replies. If your ex-husband passes away at 61 or 64 or any age before his FRA, his survivor benefit will be reduced based on how early he died relative to his FRA. This is called the RIB-LIM rule (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation). So while YOUR survivor benefit won't be reduced for claiming your retirement early, the amount you'd receive at 67 would be reduced because HE died before his FRA. You can still do the strategy of taking your own at 62 and switching to survivor at 67, but understand that his early death would impact the final amount somewhat. It's still typically better than taking survivor benefits early though.

My condolences on your ex's health issues. I went through something similar and the stress of trying to figure this all out while dealing with emotions was overwhelming. Have you tried calling SSA directly? I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone who could explain my survivor options clearly.

After spending hours trying to reach SSA about my own survivor benefit situation last month, I finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to SSA in under 20 minutes. They have this system that navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For something this important, I'd definitely recommend speaking directly with an SSA representative because survivor benefits with divorced spouse situations have a lot of specific rules. The agent I spoke with was able to look at my actual earnings record and give personalized advice.

DONT TRUST ANYTHING SSA TELLS YOU ON THE PHONE!!!! I got told THREE different things by three different people about my survivors benefits after my husband died. One told me to apply right away at 60, another said wait till 62, the third said wait till FRA. They dont know what there talking about half the time!!!

Wait I'm confused... You said he's your ex-husband? Can you even get survivor benefits from an ex? I thought that was only for current spouses?

did anyone else notice the OP says shes 60 in the post but then talks about claiming at 62? little confusing

Another important consideration: Since you mentioned your ex-husband was a high earner and you worked in education, have you checked if you might be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO)? If you receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security (like some public school systems), it could affect your benefits.

I just want to say its really smart that your planning ahead like this. When my husband passed suddenly I was completely unprepared for all the complex benefit decisions and probly made some costly mistakes. Wishing you and your ex the best!!