Can I still grow deceased spouse's Social Security benefit to age 70 after filing for survivor benefits at FRA?

I went through this EXACT situation last year! The survivor benefit maxes out at YOUR full retirement age, not at age 70 like your own retirement benefit. So unfortunately, you can't grow the survivor benefit beyond your FRA of 66+6 months. BUT, what you can do is take the survivor benefit at your FRA and let your OWN retirement benefit grow until 70. That's what I did, and it worked out great since my own benefit ended up higher than my late husband's would have been. Definitely get the benefit comparison though, because if your own benefit won't exceed the survivor benefit even at age 70, then there's no point in waiting.

There seems to be some confusion here about how survivor benefits work. Let me clarify: 1. Survivor benefits reach their maximum when YOU reach your FRA (66+6 months in your case) 2. These benefits are based on what your deceased spouse would have received at HIS full retirement age (or what he was receiving if he had already filed) 3. Your survivor benefit CANNOT grow beyond your FRA - there's no option to delay survivor benefits past your FRA for increased amounts 4. However, your OWN retirement benefit CAN grow until age 70 So your strategy should be determined by comparing these two amounts: - Maximum survivor benefit (available at your FRA) - Your own retirement benefit at age 70 If your own benefit at 70 will be higher, take survivors at FRA and switch to your own at 70. If the survivor benefit will always be higher, just take it at FRA and forget about your own benefit.

Correct - since your husband passed at 61 (before his FRA), your survivor benefit would be based on what he WOULD have received at his FRA. So his benefit amount is already calculated at its maximum for survivor purposes. There's no additional growth potential in the survivor benefit. If your own retirement benefit at age 70 would be higher than the survivor benefit, then the strategy is clear: take survivor benefits at your FRA (66+6mo) and switch to your own at 70. If not, simply take the survivor benefit at your FRA and stay with it. The confusion from SSA reps might be because they're looking at current values rather than projected values. When you request the benefit comparison, specifically ask for: 1. Your survivor benefit amount at your FRA 2. Your own retirement benefit projected at age 70 These two numbers will tell you everything you need to know to make your decision.

my cousin did the thing where she took survivors at 66 (her FRA) and then switched to her own at 70. worked out real good for her. she gets like $600 more per month that way. but everyones situation is different

she had to call them and fill out a form i think. wasn't automatic. she said it was kinda a pain but worth it for the extra $$$

Just wanted to share my frustration with trying to get clear answers from the SSA as well. I spent HOURS trying to get through on their 800 number when I needed to resolve a similar issue last year. After dozens of calls over several weeks and getting disconnected repeatedly, I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It saved me so much time and frustration! I was able to get the benefit comparison I needed and make an informed decision about switching from survivor to retirement benefits.

The agent I spoke with was actually really knowledgeable. I think the key was that I got through to the specialized survivor benefits department rather than just a general rep. The service just got me past the hold times, but once I was connected, I made sure to ask for someone who specializes in survivor benefits specifically. Made all the difference!

Ohhh this topic is so confusing! I'm in a similar situation but I'm only 60. Does anyone know if the same rules apply if I take survivor benefits early at 60? Can I still switch to my own at 70? Or does taking survivor benefits early lock me into something? The SSA website is SO confusing on this topic.

Thank you all SO much for these detailed explanations. This makes much more sense now. I'm going to call SSA again and specifically request a comparison between my survivor benefit at FRA and my own benefit projected to age 70. I'll make sure to ask for someone in the survivor benefits department too. It sounds like my best approach is to: 1. Take survivor benefits at my FRA (Feb 2025) 2. Let my own benefit grow until 70 3. Switch to my own benefit at 70 *only if* it exceeds the survivor benefit I feel so much more confident now! I'll update when I get the actual numbers from SSA.

Sounds like you've got the perfect plan! And don't worry if the first SSA rep you talk to seems confused - ask for a supervisor or someone who specializes in survivor benefits if needed. Good luck!