Can I switch from SS survivor benefits at 60 to my own benefits with spousal top-up at 70?

Yes, you absolutely can do this! It's called a restricted application strategy, and it's one of the best approaches for widows. By taking your survivor benefit at 60, you'll get 71.5% of your husband's full benefit amount (since you're claiming early). Then at 70, you can switch to your own retirement benefit which will have grown to 132% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). If your own benefit at 70 is still smaller than your husband's full benefit, you'll continue receiving the survivor benefit instead (whichever is larger). There isn't a "top-off" for combining the two though - you get either your own benefit OR the survivor benefit, whichever is higher. I did this exact strategy and it worked out great financially.

sorry but this is wrong info... you CANT combine benefits like that. its one or the other, not both. you get the higher of the two, but not both added together.

My condolences on losing your husband. I went through the same thing 3 years ago. The SSA makes everything SO COMPLICATED!!! I took my survivor benefits at 60 too but I wish I had waited because they reduce it by SO MUCH when you take it early. Now I'm stuck with a tiny check and can't afford anything!! Make sure you don't have any income that will reduce your benefits even more because of the earnings test!! That's what killed me - I didn't know I couldn't work and collect my full survivor benefit!

This strategy is often called the "widow(er)'s maximization strategy" and can be very effective. Here's an accurate breakdown: 1. At age 60, you can claim survivor benefits at a reduced rate (71.5% of your deceased husband's full benefit) 2. Your own retirement benefit continues to grow until age 70, reaching 132% of your full retirement age amount 3. At age 70, you can switch to your own retirement benefit IF it's higher than your survivor benefit But there are important considerations: - Earnings test applies before your full retirement age (approximately $22,320 in 2025 for early filers) - For every $2 you earn above the limit, benefits are reduced by $1 - The reduction from claiming survivor benefits early is permanent - There is no "spousal top-off" - you get either survivor OR your own benefit (whichever is higher) I recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to review your specific numbers before making this decision.

Try using Claimyr to get through to SSA. I was in the same boat trying to reach someone about my widow benefits for WEEKS with no luck. Used claimyr.com and they got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Way better than waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected constantly. The SSA rep was able to give me detailed numbers for both options in my case.

my sister tried this strategy and it worked great for her. but depends on ur own benefit amount vs. husbands. good luck!!

The SSA makes EVERYTHING so difficult!!! All these rules are IMPOSSIBLE to understand! I think they do it on purpose so people don't claim everything they're entitled to. Why can't they just EXPLAIN things clearly?? I've been fighting with them for 2 years about my own widow benefits and keep getting different answers every time I talk to someone!!!

To address the earnings test mentioned earlier: For 2025, if you're under Full Retirement Age (FRA) and receiving any Social Security benefit including survivor benefits, the annual earnings limit is approximately $22,320. For every $2 you earn above that limit, SSA withholds $1 from your benefits. However, there's good news - in the year you reach FRA, the limit increases to about $59,520 (for 2025), and the reduction is only $1 for every $3 above the limit. Once you reach FRA, there's no earnings test at all. Also important: Benefits withheld due to excess earnings aren't truly "lost" - they're credited back once you reach FRA, resulting in a permanent increase to your benefit amount. This recalculation helps offset some of the reduction from claiming early.

After reading all these comments, I want to emphasize something important: Make sure you know EXACTLY what your own retirement benefit would be at 70 versus what your survivor benefit is. When I did this strategy, my financial advisor helped me calculate that my own benefit at 70 would be about $3,890/month while my survivor benefit (even at the reduced amount) was only $2,640/month. That $1,250 monthly difference adds up to $15,000 per year - definitely worth waiting to switch! But everyone's situation is different based on both earning records. Without those specific numbers, it's impossible to know if this strategy works for your situation.

I found the SSA's benefit calculators online to be frustratingly inaccurate for complicated situations like survivor benefits with delayed retirement credits. When I finally got through to SSA using Claimyr, the agent pulled up both my deceased husband's record and my own to give me exact projections with different claiming ages. Totally worth it to get the real numbers instead of estimating. The agent spent almost 40 minutes going through all my options.