Can I still claim ex-spouse survivor benefits after taking my own SS early due to cancer diagnosis?

You haven't messed anything up permanently. Here's what you need to understand about survivor benefits vs. your own retirement benefits: When you're eligible for both your own retirement and survivor benefits, you can take one first and switch to the other later if it would result in a higher benefit. If you take your own retirement benefit early (before FRA), it will be permanently reduced. However, this doesn't affect the full amount of your survivor benefit. What the SSA rep likely meant was that if you're already receiving your own reduced retirement benefit, they would pay the DIFFERENCE between that amount and your survivor benefit amount. So if your survivor benefit is $1,650 and your reduced retirement is $950, you'd receive your $950 retirement plus an additional $700 (the difference) for a total of $1,650. In your situation with the cancer diagnosis and financial needs, it might make sense to take your own benefit now, then switch to the higher survivor benefit once your divorce is final.

I went through something similar with cancer and Social Security last year. What the first commenter said is correct - you can take your own benefit now and switch to the survivor benefit later without losing money. However, you mentioned having trouble reaching SSA by phone. I was in the same boat and wasted WEEKS trying. A friend told me about Claimyr.com which got me through to a real person at Social Security in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Since you're in Alaska with limited office access, this might save you a lot of stress. It's worth it to get official confirmation on your specific situation instead of panicking.

my sister had cancer 2 yrs ago and took SS early. then her ex died and she got survivor benefits that were higher. SSA just pays the difference between your own benefit and the survivor benefit. you get the higher amount total not both added together. dont panic!!

STOP CANCELLING YOUR APPLICATION! The SSA representative was WRONG or you misunderstood. You absolutely CAN receive the full survivor benefit amount later even if you take your own benefit early. The SSA must pay you the higher of the two benefits. Many people don't realize you can claim one type first, then switch to another. Also - look into whether you qualify for Compassionate Allowance with your cancer diagnosis. This could potentially get you SSDI which might be higher than your retirement. The SSA doesn't always tell people all their options. The system is so BROKEN. I worked at SSA for 18 years and even I have trouble navigating it now. Don't give up your application - you need income for your medical expenses!

I think everyone is missing something important here - once you take your own benefit early, you ARE permanently reducing what you can get from survivor benefits. The reduction is based on your age when you apply. My cousin lost hundreds of dollars by making this mistake!!

DON'T TRUST WHAT RANDOM PEOPLE TELL YOU ONLINE!!! Go to the source! I recommend going to ssa.gov and reading their official publication about survivor benefits. It's called "Survivors Benefits" and you can find it here: https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10084.pdf SSA phone reps give WRONG information all the time. I had one tell me completely incorrect info about my widow benefits and I wasted months fixing it. If you can't get through by phone and can't visit an office, send a secure message through your my Social Security account asking SPECIFICALLY about your situation.

Let me clarify a few points about your specific situation: 1. You CAN take your own reduced retirement benefit now ($950) to help with medical expenses 2. After your divorce is finalized, you CAN switch to the higher survivor benefit from your first husband ($1,650) 3. The survivor benefit will NOT be reduced because you took your own retirement early 4. However, your survivor benefit could be reduced if you take it before your FRA - the reduction is based on YOUR age when you claim the survivor benefit, not when you claim your retirement 5. The paperwork to stop your application can be rescinded - call SSA immediately Don't panic about having messed things up permanently. This is fixable. The most important thing is to contact SSA right away to undo the stoppage of your application if you want to receive your own benefits now while waiting for the divorce to finalize.