Can I get my ex-husband's full Social Security survivor benefits if he took early retirement at 62?

Good news! As a survivor (even as an ex-spouse since your marriage lasted more than 10 years), you would be eligible to receive what your ex-husband would have received at his full retirement age, even though he took reduced benefits at 62. The early filing reduction doesn't carry over to survivor benefits. However, the benefit might be reduced if you claim survivor benefits before your own full retirement age, but since you're already 68, that's not an issue for you. Also, you made the right call not taking spousal benefits if your own benefit is higher.

The last time I called the Social Security office to ask a question like this, I was on hold for almost 3 hours and then got disconnected! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a rep in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. For complicated questions about survivor benefits like yours, actually speaking to an SSA representative is probably your best bet. They can look at your specific record and give you the most accurate information.

There's a special rule for survivor benefits that many people don't know about. Even though your ex took his benefits early at 62, survivor benefits are based on his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - what he would have received at his full retirement age - with certain adjustments. Specifically, since you're over your FRA, you can get the higher of: 1. What your ex was actually receiving when he died, OR 2. 82.5% of his PIA However, since he filed at 62, he was already getting approximately 75% of his PIA, so option #2 would be better. This is one of the few instances where someone's early claiming decision doesn't permanently reduce benefits for survivors. You're smart to ask this question now so you can plan accordingly.

my husband passed last year and i got survivors benefits but they definitely gave me exactly what he was getting, not some higher amount. he also took benefits at 62. maybe the rules r different for divorced couples??

I talked to an SSA rep about something similar last month. They said something about a "special minimum benefit" for survivors even when the worker claimed early. But honestly the rep seemed confused and gave me different answers each time I asked for clarification. The whole system is a mess. Get ready for tons of paperwork and waiting FOREVER for them to process anything!!! And don't even get me started on their website...

Thank you all for these helpful responses! I think I understand now that survivor benefits would be based on his Primary Insurance Amount rather than his reduced benefit, which is a relief. I'm going to try to speak with someone at SSA directly to confirm based on our specific situation. Hearing about that Claimyr service is helpful since the last time I tried calling SSA, I gave up after being on hold for over an hour.

I just wanted to add one thing - make SURE you keep a copy of your marriage certificate and divorce decree!!! My aunt went through this last year and SSA rejected her claim TWICE because they said they needed "original" copies even though she sent certified copies. The whole process took her 9 months to resolve and she almost lost her house waiting for the benefits to start!!! The system is HORRIBLE for widows and survivors!!!