Can I keep part of my Social Security survivor benefits after switching to my own retirement benefits?
I turned 62 last month and I've been collecting survivor benefits since my husband passed away 3 years ago. I'm planning to wait until my Full Retirement Age (67) or maybe even 70 to claim my own Social Security retirement benefits to maximize my monthly amount. What I can't figure out is whether I'll get to keep any portion of my survivor benefits when I switch to my own retirement benefits? Right now I get about $1,850/month from survivors. My own benefit at FRA is estimated around $2,400. Will I get both amounts combined or just the higher one? The SSA website is so confusing and I can't get through on the phone. Has anyone here made this transition?
18 comments
Join the conversation
Ally Tailer
Unfortunately, you won't be able to receive both benefits simultaneously. Social Security will pay the higher of the two benefit amounts, not a combination of both. So when you switch to your own retirement benefit at FRA or age 70, you'll lose the survivor benefit completely. The good news is that your strategy of waiting to claim your own benefits while collecting survivors is exactly right - it's one of the few ways you can actually claim one benefit now while letting another one grow.
0 coins
Callum Savage
•That's so disappointing. I was hoping there might be some partial survivor benefit I could keep. Thanks for clarifying. Is there ANY situation where someone can get both types of benefits?
0 coins
Aliyah Debovski
my mom did this exact thing!!! waited til 70 for her own benefit and just got the bigger amount. no combo sadly
0 coins
Miranda Singer
•Wait are u sure about that? My neighbor gets both her disability and widows benefit combined! The rules are so confusing and SSA never explains anything clearly 😡
0 coins
Cass Green
You're doing exactly the right thing by delaying your own retirement benefit while collecting survivors. This is one of the smartest claiming strategies available. To clarify what others have said: 1. You can only receive one benefit - the highest one you're entitled to 2. When you switch to your own retirement benefit (at 67 or 70), you'll stop receiving the survivor benefit 3. The only scenario where you could receive a portion of both would be if your own benefit was LOWER than your survivor benefit (which isn't your case) If your own benefit at FRA will be around $2,400, waiting until 70 would increase it by 32% to approximately $3,168 per month. That's significantly more than your current survivor benefit.
0 coins
Callum Savage
•Thank you for such a clear explanation. That 32% increase is huge! I think I'm definitely going to try to hold out until 70 then. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on additional money if there was some way to get both.
0 coins
Miranda Singer
The SSA ALWAYS makes this stuff IMPOSSIBLE to understand!!! I've been on hold with them for 2 HOURS today trying to figure out my husbands disability claim. Why can't they just hire more people??!! And their website is from like 1995 I swear!!!
0 coins
Finley Garrett
•I had the same problem trying to get through to Social Security about my disability review last month. After three days of trying, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it just to avoid the endless hold music and getting disconnected. The agent I spoke with was able to fully explain how my benefits would change when I reached retirement age.
0 coins
Madison Tipne
i think u can get both if ur husband was a veteran check with VA office
0 coins
Ally Tailer
•That's not quite accurate. VA benefits and Social Security benefits are completely separate systems. You can receive full benefits from both simultaneously because they're administered by different federal agencies. However, within the Social Security system itself, you generally can't receive both survivor and retirement benefits - just the higher of the two.
0 coins
Holly Lascelles
My sister was in the same boat as you. She was collecting survivor benefits after her husband died and then switched to her own retirement benefit at 70. It worked out great for her because her own benefit ended up being almost $1,000 more per month than what she was getting from survivors! But yeah, she only got the higher amount, not both combined. She wishes she could get both too, trust me lol.
0 coins
Callum Savage
•That's really helpful to hear a real example. $1,000 more per month is significant! I'm hoping for a similar outcome. Thanks for sharing your sister's experience.
0 coins
Miranda Singer
This whole system is SO CONFUSING!! Like why can't they just let us have both?? We EARNED it! My husband worked for 45 YEARS and I worked for 30 and now they tell me I can only have one benefit?? It's OUR MONEY they took from every paycheck!!
0 coins
Cass Green
•I understand your frustration, but it's important to understand how Social Security was designed. It's not a savings account where you get back exactly what you put in. It's insurance against loss of income in old age or due to death/disability. The dual-entitlement rule (limiting you to essentially one benefit) has been part of the system since 1939. The policy rationale is that Social Security aims to provide a basic floor of protection, not multiple full benefits for the same person. There are definitely valid criticisms of this approach, but that's the current policy framework.
0 coins
Madison Tipne
you should just take ur own benefit now why wait?
0 coins
Ally Tailer
•Waiting is usually the better financial strategy in this situation. By collecting survivor benefits now and delaying her own retirement benefit until 70, she can get the maximum possible retirement benefit. Each year she delays past her FRA increases her benefit by 8%, up to age 70. That's a guaranteed 32% increase over her FRA amount if she waits until 70. This is one of the few situations where you can actually claim one benefit while letting another one grow.
0 coins
Aliyah Debovski
totally off topic but does anyone know if they look at your income for the survivors benefit? my aunt is working part time and collecting survivors from my uncle but she's worried about making too much
0 coins
Cass Green
•Yes, survivor benefits are subject to the earnings test if you're under Full Retirement Age. In 2025, you can earn up to $22,320 without any reduction in benefits. For every $2 earned over that limit, $1 in benefits is withheld. Once you reach your Full Retirement Age, there's no earnings limit, and you can work and earn as much as you want with no effect on your survivor benefits.
0 coins