Can I collect Social Security survivor benefits now then switch to my own higher retirement benefits at FRA?
I've been trying to figure out the best strategy for my situation. My ex-husband passed away about 8 months ago. We were married for 17 years before divorcing in 2006, and I never remarried. I'm currently 62 and still working part-time earning about $25,000 annually. Looking at my Social Security statement, my ex's benefit would give me around $1,750/month as a surviving divorced spouse, while my own retirement benefit at Full Retirement Age (66 and 10 months for me) would be approximately $2,300/month. Could I start collecting the survivor benefits now, continue working, and then switch to my own higher benefit when I reach my FRA? This seems like it would maximize my total benefits, but I'm worried there's some rule or detail I'm missing that would prevent this strategy. Has anyone successfully done this? Any pitfalls I should be aware of?
16 comments
Join the conversation
Mei Wong
You're on the right track with this strategy! Yes, you CAN collect surviving divorced spouse benefits now and then switch to your own higher retirement benefit at your FRA. This is one of the few remaining strategies after the 2015 law changes. However, there are a few things to consider: 1. Since you're working, your survivor benefits will be reduced if you earn over the annual earnings limit ($21,240 in 2025). For every $2 you earn above that limit, $1 is withheld from benefits. 2. Taking survivor benefits before your FRA means they'll be reduced (approximately 28.5% reduction at age 62). 3. The good news is that taking reduced survivor benefits does NOT affect your own retirement benefit. When you switch at FRA, you'll get 100% of your retirement amount. 4. You should apply for the survivor benefit specifically - make it clear you're restricting your application to just the survivor benefit.
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•Thank you for this detailed response! One follow-up question - since I'm making about $25,000, which is over that earnings limit, does this mean I might not actually receive any survivor benefits until I stop working or reduce my hours? I'm trying to calculate if it's even worth applying now or if I should wait until I fully retire in about 2 years.
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
i did the exact thing ur talking about! started survivor benefits at 60 when my husband died (after 22 yr marriage) then switched to my own at 67. BEST CHOICE I EVER MADE!!! but ya gotta be careful with the earnings test if ur still working, they took back some of my benefits the first year cuz i made too much
0 coins
Liam McGuire
•This is NOT accurate for everyone! The strategy works ONLY if your own benefit is higher than the survivor benefit at FRA. If the survivor benefit would be higher at FRA, then waiting to claim survivor benefits might be better. People need personalized advice based on their own benefit amounts!!
0 coins
Amara Eze
Be very careful about the earnings limit if you're still working!!! I learned this the hard way last year. I was collecting survivor benefits at 63 while working part-time, and SSA came back later and said I owed them $4,600 in overpayments because I earned too much. The worst part was they just STOPPED my checks completely for several months without warning to recoup it. I had no idea the earnings limit would be such a problem.
0 coins
Mei Wong
•This is an important point. With earnings of $25,000, you'd be $3,760 over the 2025 limit, which means approximately $1,880 would be withheld from your annual survivor benefits. SSA typically withholds benefits at the beginning of the year until this amount is covered. However, this earnings test no longer applies once you reach your Full Retirement Age.
0 coins
Giovanni Greco
has anyone tried calling the ssa about this stuff? i spent THREE HOURS on hold last week trying to ask a similar question and never got through. tried again yesterday and got disconnected after waiting 45 minutes. their phone system is absolutely horrible!
0 coins
Fatima Al-Farsi
•I had the same problem until I discovered Claimyr. It's a service that basically navigates the SSA phone system for you and calls you back when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. I used it to sort out my widow benefits when I couldn't get through on my own. Check out their site at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Seriously, it's worth it when you're dealing with something as important as survivor benefits coordination.
0 coins
Dylan Wright
My neighbor told me you CAN'T do this anymore because of that new law they passed. Are you sure this is still allowed? I thought they got rid of all those "switching strategies" with the budget bill a few years back.
0 coins
Mei Wong
•Your neighbor is partially right but confused about which strategies were eliminated. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 eliminated the "file and suspend" and "restricted application for spousal benefits" strategies for most people. However, the ability to take survivor benefits and later switch to retirement benefits (or vice versa) was NOT affected by these changes. Survivor benefit strategies remain one of the few areas where you can still effectively maximize by switching between benefit types.
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
Thank you all for the responses! This has been really helpful. Based on your feedback, I think I need to carefully calculate whether applying for survivor benefits now makes sense given the earnings limit. With my $25,000 income, it sounds like I'd lose a good portion of the survivor benefit anyway. Maybe I should either reduce my work hours or wait until I'm closer to fully retiring in the next couple years. I'll definitely check out that Claimyr service to help get through to SSA - I've been trying for weeks to speak with someone without success.
0 coins
Mei Wong
•That's a wise approach. One final tip: even with the earnings limit reduction, you might still come out ahead financially by taking reduced survivor benefits now. Here's why: let's say your reduced survivor benefit would be around $1,250/month ($15,000/year). Even if you lose $1,880 to the earnings test, you'd still receive about $13,120 in benefits each year until FRA. Over 4+ years, that's over $52,000 in benefits you wouldn't otherwise receive before switching to your own higher benefit at FRA. Worth doing the math for your specific situation!
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
just wanna say make SURE ur actually eligible for ex-spouse survivor benefits!!! the ssa worker told me you have to have been married at least 10 yrs AND not remarried before age 60 to get them. sounds like u qualify but double check!!
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•Yes, I triple-checked that part! We were married 17 years and I never remarried, so I do qualify. Thanks for pointing this out though - I'm sure other people reading might not know about these requirements.
0 coins
Liam McGuire
I want to emphasize something important that nobody has mentioned yet. When you apply, make it CRYSTAL CLEAR to SSA that you are applying ONLY for surviving divorced spouse benefits. Some SSA representatives will automatically process your application as applying for all benefits you're eligible for, which would force you to take your reduced retirement benefit now too (deemed filing). This defeats your entire strategy. Use the specific language: "I want to restrict my application to survivor benefits only." Get the representative's name and make notes of your conversation.
0 coins
Jamal Anderson
•This is incredibly helpful advice! I hadn't considered that filing could be misinterpreted this way. I'll be very explicit when I apply and make sure to use that exact phrasing. Thank you!
0 coins