Can I claim Social Security survivor benefits at FRA while delaying my own retirement benefits until 70?

Yes, you're absolutely eligible for survivor benefits even while working, and this is actually a smart strategy! Since you're at FRA, there's no earnings test on survivor benefits anymore - you can earn any amount without reduction. And yes, you can definitely collect survivor benefits now and then switch to your own retirement benefits at 70 when they'll be 32% higher than at your FRA. This isn't actually a "restricted application" (that's for spousal benefits) - with survivor benefits, you always have the option to switch between your own and survivor benefits at any time after your FRA to maximize your total benefits over your lifetime. Call SSA right away to apply - this strategy could potentially give you tens of thousands in additional benefits while you're waiting to claim your own maximized benefit at 70.

I just went through this exact situation last year!! Take the survivors now, 100%. I was so confused too but the SSA rep explained that at FRA there's no penalty for working while on survivor benefits. I'm getting about $2,300/month from my late husband's record while still working full-time, and I'll switch to my own benefit when I turn 70 next year. Best financial decision I've made! Make sure to bring death certificate, marriage certificate, and your ID when you apply.

This strategy is knowns as "survivor maximization" and its perfect for your situation. Heres whats happening: At FRA you can get 100% of what your deceased husband would get if he was alive at his FRA. Then at 70, you switch to your own benefit which will have grown by 8% per year from your FRA to 70 (32% total increase!). But heres the critical thing - APPLY ASAP because they only pay 6 months retroactive benefits for survivors! So if you wait you could be leaving money on the table. And yes you can work unlimited with no reductions since your at FRA already.

If you're having trouble getting through to SSA on the phone (and who isn't these days), I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It's a service that connects you directly to an SSA agent without the usual wait times. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of frustration when applying for survivor benefits last year. Just go to claimyr.com and they'll call you when they have an agent on the line. They even have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Definitely worth it for something this important where missing out on filing could cost you thousands in benefits.

BE CAREFUL ABOUT WORKING WHILE COLLECTING!!! My brother-in-law got in BIG TROUBLE with SSA for this!!! They made him pay back like $20,000 in benefits because he was working and didn't tell them!!!!

i was widowed 8 years ago and did the same thing. took survivors at 66 (my FRA) and now im 69 and gonna switch to my own next year. definitely worth it. but let me tell you getting through to ssa is IMPOSSIBLE lately. i had to get the survivors application forms online, fill them out, and then physically go to the office and wait for 3 hours. their phone system is completely broken.

Is anyone else confused by all these Social Security rules?? I think they make it complicated on purpose! So if I understand correctly, survivor benefits and retirement benefits are completely separate things?? And you can take one now and one later?? My head hurts just thinking about all this...

CORRECTION to my earlier comment: I double-checked the SSA rules and survivor benefits can actually have 12 months of retroactivity, not 6 months (that's for retirement benefits). So you could potentially get up to 12 months of back payments if you've already been at your FRA for a while. Sorry for any confusion!

One more thing that confused me during my application - they ask if you want to apply for ALL benefits you're eligible for. Say NO to this question! If you say yes, they'll automatically give you whichever is higher right now (probably your own), which defeats the whole purpose of the strategy of taking survivors now and your own later.

As someone new to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this discussion has been! I'm in a similar situation - my husband passed away 3 years ago and I'm approaching my FRA next year. I had no idea about the survivor maximization strategy or that you could work without penalty at FRA while collecting survivor benefits. The practical advice about what documents to bring and the warning about not applying for "all benefits" is exactly what I needed to hear. It's so frustrating that SSA doesn't make these strategies more widely known - seems like you have to stumble upon communities like this to learn about them! One quick question - does anyone know if there are any gotchas or special rules if your deceased spouse was receiving disability benefits before they passed away? My husband was on SSDI for the last two years before he died.