Can I collect survivor benefits at FRA (67) then switch to my own SS at 70? Will mine keep growing?
My husband died unexpectedly in 2015 at only 52 years old. I'm turning 65 next year and trying to figure out the best strategy for maximizing my Social Security benefits. I've stayed single all these years and plan to continue working until 67 (my full retirement age). I've been researching survivor benefit strategies and wondering if this approach makes sense: Can I take survivor benefits based on my late husband's earnings when I reach my FRA at 67, then switch to my own retirement benefit at 70? The key question keeping me up at night: If I take survivor benefits at 67, will my own retirement benefit continue to grow with delayed retirement credits until I claim it at 70? Or am I misunderstanding something fundamental about how these benefits work together? My financial planner mentioned that survivor benefits don't grow after FRA (except for COLA adjustments), but my own benefit would continue increasing by 8% per year until 70. Is that correct? I've worked consistently my whole life, so my earning record is solid, but my husband also had a good income before his passing. I need to make the right decision here because there's no going back once I file!
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Nia Davis
You're absolutely right in your understanding. This is actually one of the smartest claiming strategies for widows/widowers! Here's how it works: 1. If you take survivor benefits at your FRA (67), you'll get 100% of your husband's benefit amount (what he would've received at his FRA) 2. Meanwhile, your own retirement benefit continues to earn delayed retirement credits of 8% per year from 67 to 70 3. At age 70, you can switch to your own retirement benefit if it's higher than your survivor benefit The key thing to remember is that survivor benefits don't grow after your FRA (except for annual COLA increases). So there's no advantage to delaying survivor benefits beyond your FRA of 67. This strategy is often called "survivor benefits first" and it works well for people like you who have solid earnings records of their own. By delaying your own benefit until 70, you'll maximize what you can collect for the rest of your life.
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Luca Marino
•Thank you so much for confirming this! I've been worrying about making the wrong choice. So to be crystal clear - even while I'm receiving my husband's survivor benefit from 67-70, my own benefit will still be growing those 8% per year delayed credits? That sounds almost too good to be true.
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Mateo Perez
my mom did exactly this when my dad passed and it worked out great for her. she took his benefit at her retirement age and then switched to hers at 70. shes getting almost $800 more per month now than if she had just stuck with the survivor benefit. definitely worth waiting those extra 3 years!!
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Aisha Rahman
•But that doesn't always work for everyone! My sister tried doing this and ended up with less money because her own benefit never grew bigger than her husband's. You really need to check your earnings record on the SSA website to see what YOUR estimated benefits will be. Not everyone has the same work history!
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CosmicCrusader
YES, YOURS WILL CONTINUE GROWING!!!!! The SSA doesn't tell people this strategy because they don't want to pay out the max benefits!! I knew someone who worked at SSA for 30 years and they confirmed they are trained NOT to volunteer this information to widows. You have to specifically ask for this option!!!
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Ethan Brown
•While it's true that this strategy can be beneficial, it's not accurate to suggest SSA representatives are deliberately withholding this information. The rules are publicly available, but Social Security is complex with hundreds of different rules and benefit combinations. That's why it's so important to do your own research or work with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning. Representatives are trained to answer the specific questions asked, so knowing what to ask is crucial.
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Yuki Yamamoto
After my wife died I spent weeks trying to get through to Social Security to figure out my survivor benefits. Constant busy signals, disconnections, and hour-long waits just to ask basic questions. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in less than 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Totally worth it to avoid the frustration of calling SSA directly, especially when dealing with something as important as survivor benefits. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what the first commenter said about being able to take survivor benefits at FRA and then switch to your own at 70.
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Luca Marino
•Thanks for sharing this resource! I've been dreading having to call them. Did they help you with all your questions in one call or did you need multiple calls to sort everything out? I'll definitely check out that video.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•I got most things sorted in one call, but had to call back once more for clarification on how my earnings would affect the survivor benefits before my FRA. The second time I used Claimyr again because it saved so much time versus trying to get through on my own.
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Aisha Rahman
im confused... i thought u couldn't get two benefits at once??? how can u be collecting survivor benefits AND letting ur own grow?? doesn't social security make u take the higher of the two?
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Nia Davis
•You're thinking of spousal benefits, which work differently. With survivor benefits, you CAN choose which benefit to take and when to switch. This is specifically for widows/widowers. You're correct that you can only receive one benefit at a time (the higher of the two), but you can strategically time WHEN you take each one to maximize your lifetime payout.
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Carmen Ortiz
A couple important points that haven't been mentioned: 1. Make sure you check the actual numbers before committing to this strategy. Request your Social Security statement through your my Social Security account to see your projected benefits. Then ask SSA what your survivor benefit amount would be. 2. If your own benefit won't exceed your survivor benefit even at age 70, then there's no advantage to waiting. 3. If you work between 67-70 while collecting survivor benefits, those earnings won't reduce your survivor benefit (since you're at FRA), and they might actually increase your own retirement benefit further. 4. The survivor benefit is based on what your husband would have received at his FRA (66), or what he was receiving if he had already started benefits. If he died quite young before starting benefits, the calculation can be more complex. The strategy is sound in theory, but you need the specific numbers to ensure it makes sense for your situation.
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Luca Marino
•This is extremely helpful! I do have my Social Security statement and based on the projections, my own benefit at 70 should be higher than my survivor benefit - especially since my husband passed away before he could earn his full 35 years of work credits. I plan to continue working until 67, so that should help boost my benefit too. I'll definitely verify the exact numbers with SSA before making my final decision.
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Mateo Perez
wait isn't there some rule about remarriage affecting survivor benefits?? i know u said u stayed single but just making sure u know that if u ever do remarry it can change things
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Nia Davis
•Good point. If you remarry before age 60, you generally cannot collect survivor benefits on your former spouse's record unless the later marriage ends. If you remarry after age 60, you can still collect survivor benefits based on your deceased spouse's record. The OP mentioned staying single since her husband passed away in 2015, so this wouldn't affect her situation currently.
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CosmicCrusader
ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER is how long you think you'll live!!! If your family has longevity, waiting till 70 for the bigger check makes sense. But if not, sometimes taking both benefits earlier is better. My neighbor waited till 70 and then only collected for 2 years before she passed away! She would've been better off taking everything earlier!!! NOBODY talks about this enough!!!
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Ethan Brown
•This is known as the "break-even analysis" in Social Security planning. Generally, if you live beyond your early 80s, waiting until 70 to claim your higher benefit will result in more lifetime income. The average life expectancy for a 65-year-old woman today is about 87 years, so statistically, most women benefit from waiting. But you're right that family health history and personal health conditions should factor into this decision. However, in this specific scenario, the OP would be collecting survivor benefits during the waiting period, not delaying all benefits, which changes the calculation significantly.
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Luca Marino
Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much more confident now in my plan to take survivor benefits at 67 and then switch to my own retirement benefit at 70. I'm going to: 1. Double-check my Social Security statement online to confirm my projected benefit at 70 2. Call SSA (using that Claimyr service someone mentioned to save time) to verify my survivor benefit amount 3. Do the math to confirm my own benefit at 70 will indeed be higher than the survivor benefit I really appreciate how this community has helped ease my anxiety about this decision. Social Security planning is so much more complicated than I expected, especially with survivor benefits in the mix.
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Carmen Ortiz
•Sounds like you've got a solid plan! One last tip: when you do call SSA, make sure to specifically ask for a detailed breakdown of both benefit calculations. Sometimes representatives will only give you the bottom-line numbers without explaining how they arrived at them. Understanding the calculation can help ensure everything is being factored correctly. Good luck with your planning!
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