Can I collect Social Security survivor benefits at 65 while working and switch to my own benefit at 70?

Yes, this strategy can work well! Your survivor FRA is indeed earlier than your retirement FRA. For someone born in 1960, survivor FRA is 66 and 8 months (vs 67 for retirement). The key points: 1. Once you reach your survivor FRA, the earnings test no longer applies to those benefits 2. You can collect unreduced survivor benefits while continuing to work 3. Your own retirement benefit continues to grow with delayed retirement credits 4. At 70, you can switch to your own benefit if it's higher This approach allows you to collect *something* from age 65-70 while allowing your own benefit to grow by 8% per year. Just be sure to specifically tell SSA you're filing for SURVIVOR benefits only and not your retirement benefit.

DONT TRUST SSA TO GET THIS RIGHT!! When I tried doing exactly what you're planning, they accidentally filed me for BOTH benefits at once which PERMANENTLY reduced my retirement benefit!!! Make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing and check your benefit notice carefully. I've been fighting for 18 months to get them to fix their mistake and still no resolution. The system is completely broken.

After my wife passed I did something similar but there's an important detail - you need to make sure you specify 'SURVIVOR BENEFITS ONLY' on your application. When you talk to them use those exact words. I didn't do this at first and almost got both benefits started at once which would have been a disaster for my long-term benefits. The SSA rep I eventually got was great but I had to call 8 times to reach someone who understood what I wanted to do.

I was in your exact situation last year. After weeks of trying to get through to SSA on the phone and getting disconnected, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 30 minutes instead of waiting for hours. I was able to confirm this exact strategy would work for me - collecting survivor benefits at my survivor FRA while still working, then switching to my own benefit at 70. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent told me to specifically state I was applying for "survivor benefits only" and to make sure that was noted in my file. So glad I finally got clear answers!

my mom did this exact thing! shes 68 now and has been getting survivor benifits since 66 while still working part time. she makes like $30k and it doesnt effect her check at all. shes gonna switch to her own benefit in 2 years when she turns 70. she said it was the best choice financially cuz her own benefit will be like $1200 more per month than what shes getting now as a widow.

I've helped several clients implement this strategy, and it's financially advantageous in many cases. Key things to understand: 1. The earnings test doesn't apply after you reach survivor FRA (which for those born in 1960 is 66 years and 8 months) 2. Your own retirement benefit will continue to grow by 8% per year until age 70 3. At 70, SSA will NOT automatically switch you to your higher benefit - you must contact them to make the change 4. Be extremely clear that you're applying for survivor benefits only One overlooked detail: if your retirement benefit will be significantly higher than your survivor benefit, run calculations to determine if it's worth waiting until your survivor FRA. In some cases, taking a slightly reduced survivor benefit before FRA (and accepting some reduction due to the earnings test) might still be financially beneficial in the long run.

I think you also need to consider how much the survivor benefit actually is compared to your own. If your husband didn't work much or had low income, the survivor benefit might be tiny compared to your own. My sister found out her survivor benefit was only $1100/month while her own benefit at 70 would be around $3200, so she just waited and filed for her own at 70.

One more important detail: Make an appointment with your local SSA office for this application rather than trying to do it online. Complex filing strategies like this one are more likely to be processed correctly with an in-person interview. Bring documentation: your ID, your husband's death certificate, marriage certificate, and latest tax return. And remember to use the phrase "I want to file for survivor benefits only and delay my retirement benefit until age 70" repeatedly throughout the process.

After I asked many questions about this exact strategy, the SSA agent I spoke with recommended creating a my Social Security account online (ssa.gov/myaccount) if you haven't already. This allows you to see your estimated benefits for both survivor and retirement. Having these specific numbers will help you confirm this strategy makes financial sense in your situation. The agent mentioned that for high earners, the difference between taking survivor benefits at FRA while letting your own benefit grow to 70 can mean an additional $100,000+ in lifetime benefits.

just wondering but what happens with medicare in this scenario? do u still sign up at 65 even if ur not taking ur own benefits yet? i get so confused with all these different rules!!