Can I claim survivor benefits at 66 while delaying my own Social Security until 70?

You're absolutely right to verify any information you get from SSA! I had a similar situation and found that I could take my survivor benefits at FRA and delay my own retirement benefits until 70 - it's called a restricted application. Since your husband passed away before you reached FRA, and you haven't remarried, you should qualify for survivor benefits based on his work record. The amount would be based on what your husband would receive if he were alive today, including any disability benefits he received. This strategy could potentially give you income now while still allowing your own benefit to grow by 8% per year until 70. I suggest bringing all your husband's income records and death certificate to your appointment. Ask specifically about "restricted application for survivor benefits while delaying retirement benefits" - use those exact words.

dont listen to the person above!!!! you CANT do that anymore they changed the rules in 2015!!! the only people who can still do restricted applications are people born before jan 2 1954 which doesnt sound like you. SSA is the WORST at giving correct info i swear every person tells u something different

I went through this last year with my mom who lost my dad in 2018. The restricted application for survivor benefits is indeed still available regardless of your birth date - that 1954 cutoff only applies to spousal benefits where the spouse is still alive. You definitely qualify to take survivor benefits at your FRA (66+10mo) and then switch to your own retirement at 70 if your own benefit will be higher. The survivor benefit would be 100% of what your husband would be receiving today if he were still alive. Bring as much documentation as you can to your appointment - his death certificate, marriage certificate, and any paperwork about his disability claim if you have it. They should have records, but more documentation is always better.

After dealing with SSA for my own survivor benefits, I absolutely recommend using Claimyr to schedule your appointment and get through to an actual person at Social Security. I spent WEEKS trying to get someone on the phone until I found this service. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically they wait on hold for you then call you when they reach an agent. I was connected in about 30 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. My situation was similar - I needed to verify survivor benefit amounts before making decisions. Getting accurate info directly from an SSA claims specialist made all the difference, and I didn't have to wait 4+ hours on hold.

Has anyone tried getting this info from the SSA website? I thought they had calculators that could show different scenarios?

I just got back from my SSA appointment and I'm more confused than ever! The person I spoke with said I could take survivor benefits now at a reduced rate (since I'm not quite at FRA yet) OR wait until my FRA and take full survivor benefits. But then they also said something about my own benefit replacing the survivor benefit automatically at some point? This seems different from what you all described about being able to switch at 70.

Print out this page from the SSA's own website: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/ifyou.html It states: "If you are also eligible for retirement benefits (but haven't applied yet), you have an additional option. You can apply for retirement or survivors benefits now and switch to the other (higher) benefit later." This confirms exactly what we've been saying. You can take survivor benefits at your FRA and then switch to your own retirement at 70 if it's higher. Bring this printout with you - having their own documentation is often the only way to convince them.

I've been working with SS recipients for 15+ years, and here's something important to consider: you need to calculate whether your survivor benefit would actually be higher than your own benefit at 66. Since you mentioned you were always the higher earner, it's possible your own benefit already exceeds the survivor benefit you'd receive based on your husband's shorter work history. Ask the SSA representative to give you a specific DOLLAR AMOUNT for both options: 1. Your survivor benefit at your FRA 2. Your own retirement benefit at your FRA Only if #1 is higher OR if you want some income while waiting until 70 should you pursue this strategy. Otherwise, it might make more sense to just file for your own benefits.

my mom went thru something similar and she hired a financial advisor who specializes in SS to help her... maybe thats an option? it cost like $300 but saved her thousands in the long run because the SSA people kept telling her different things every time she called!! i mean you'll get decent advice here but a professional might be worth it for such a big decision