Can I switch from my own Social Security to my husband's survivor benefits after taking SS early at 65?
I'm turning 65 in a few months and planning to claim my Social Security retirement benefits then. My husband is 68 and already collecting his benefits, which are about $800 more per month than what I'll receive. I've been trying to understand what happens if he passes away before me - would I be able to switch to his higher benefit amount as a widow? Or am I stuck with my reduced benefit forever because I claimed early? I specifically want to know if I can start my own benefit at 65 but then switch to his higher amount at my full retirement age (which is 67). The SSA website is confusing me and I can't get through on the phone!
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Honorah King
Yes, you absolutely can switch to your husband's higher benefit amount as a survivor if he passes away, even if you've already started your own benefits early. The reduction for taking your own benefits early doesn't affect your survivor benefits. If he passes away, you would receive your own reduced benefit until you reach your full retirement age (FRA), and then you could switch to 100% of what he was receiving. The key thing to remember is that survivor benefits and retirement benefits are completely separate. Taking one early doesn't necessarily affect the other. But you should know that survivor benefits reach their maximum at your FRA, not age 70 like regular retirement benefits.
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Brielle Johnson
•Thank you so much for clarifying! So just to make sure I understand - I can claim my own SS at 65 (even though it'll be reduced), and if my husband passes away, I can then switch to his full amount once I hit 67? That's a relief. Does it happen automatically or do I need to apply for the survivor benefits?
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Oliver Brown
I went thru this last yr. My husband died and i was already on my own ss. You have to CALL them when your husband dies, they dont just know!! And be prepared to fax death certificate. Took me 3 months to get everything switched over and they only gave me 6 months backpay even tho it was their delay!!
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Brielle Johnson
•I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your experience - I had no idea there could be such delays. Did you have trouble getting through to someone on the phone? That's been my biggest challenge whenever I try to contact them.
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Mary Bates
I found a service called Claimyr that helps you get through to a Social Security agent without the usual wait times. I was in a similar situation about my survivor benefits and was getting nowhere with the regular phone line. Used their service at claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful.
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Clay blendedgen
•does this actually work?? ive been trying to talk to a real person for weeks now!!!!
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Mary Bates
•It worked for me! I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for days to get through about my husband's survivor benefits. Got connected to an actual person who answered all my questions about the switch from my benefits to his.
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Ayla Kumar
Actually the advice above isn't quite right!! I work in financial planning and deal with SS all the time. The GOOD news is yes you can switch to survivor benefits when your husband passes. But there's a BIG catch nobody mentioned - if you take your retirement at 65 (before FRA) AND your husband passes away before you reach your FRA, your survivor benefit will be REDUCED based on YOUR age when you claim it!!!! If you wait until your FRA to claim survivor benefits, you get 100% of his benefit. But if you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, they're reduced permanently. This is DIFFERENT from what happens if he passes after you reach FRA. THIS is why Social Security is so complicated!!!!
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Honorah King
•You're partially right, but I think you're conflating two situations. If she's already on her own reduced retirement benefit and her husband passes away before her FRA, she can still wait until her FRA to claim the survivor benefit to get the full amount. She doesn't have to take the survivor benefit immediately upon his death. She would continue receiving her own reduced benefit until reaching FRA, then switch to the full survivor benefit. The key is when she claims the survivor benefit, not when he passes away.
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Brielle Johnson
•This is all so confusing! So to make sure I understand - even if my husband passes away before I reach my FRA, I can choose to WAIT to claim the survivor benefits until I reach my FRA (while continuing to receive my own reduced benefit), and then I'll get his full amount? Is that right?
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Honorah King
Yes, that's exactly right. If your husband passes away before you reach your FRA, you have options: 1. Continue receiving your reduced retirement benefit until you reach your FRA, then switch to the full survivor benefit (100% of what he was receiving). 2. OR switch to a reduced survivor benefit immediately (this would be reduced because you're taking it before your FRA), but only if that reduced amount is still higher than your current benefit. The important thing is that you have a CHOICE about WHEN to switch to survivor benefits. Taking your retirement early doesn't force you to take survivor benefits early too.
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Brielle Johnson
•Thank you, this makes so much more sense now! I've been stressing about this decision for months. I'll go ahead with my plan to claim at 65, knowing that I still have options if something happens to my husband. I really appreciate everyone's help!
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Lorenzo McCormick
One thing I learned when dealing with my mom's Social Security after my dad died - make sure all your contact information is updated with SSA. They tried to contact her about survivor benefits but had an old phone number. Also, gather all important documents now (marriage certificate, both birth certificates, his SS number) and keep them somewhere accessible. Makes the process smoother when the time comes.
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Carmella Popescu
my situation was totaly differnet they told me i couldnt get my husbands benefit even tho it was higher because of something called GPO and WEP because i had a pension from teaching!!!! so make sure you dont have any pensions that could affect things, the rules are not the same for everyone and its SO UNFAIR!!!!
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Honorah King
•You're referring to the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). These only affect people who worked in jobs that didn't pay into Social Security (like some teachers, police officers, and other government employees). For most people who paid Social Security taxes throughout their careers, these provisions don't apply. But it's a good point to mention for awareness.
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Clay blendedgen
why is everyone making this so complicated?? just take the higher benefit lol. thats what my mom did when my dad died, she just called them up and got his payment instead of hers. simple.
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Ayla Kumar
•It's not always that simple. The timing of when you claim affects the amount you receive, there are different rules for different situations, and factors like other pensions can complicate things. Social Security benefits represent thousands of dollars in lifetime income - worth understanding the details to maximize what you're entitled to.
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