Can I switch from widow benefits to my own SS retirement after years of collecting? Cancer survivor working full-time

Congratulations on beating those terrible odds! That's truly amazing. About your benefits question - unfortunately once you've started receiving any kind of Social Security benefit after your 62nd birthday, you're generally locked into that benefit type with just the annual COLAs. The only exception would be if you were receiving reduced benefits before your FRA and then reached FRA - but it sounds like you started just 2 months before FRA, so you're likely already getting close to the maximum widow benefit possible.

wait im confused - i thought u could definitely switch between widow and ur own? my mom did that last year. she was on my dads for a while then switched to hers when she turned 70. anyone else know for sure??

I went through something similar (though not with cancer - glad you're beating it!). Here's what I've learned: survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits are actually separate entitlements. The SSA should automatically give you whichever is higher, but with your continued working, you need to make sure they're recalculating your own benefit. BUT - and this is important - since you're still working, be aware of how your earnings might affect your benefits. There's no earnings limit once you reach your full retirement age, but if you started benefits before your FRA, there might have been an earnings limit for those months. Did you have any benefits withheld during that time?

THE SSA DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY DO ANYTHING HELPFUL!!! You have to advocate for yourself with these people. They're not going to call you up and say "hey we noticed you could get more money!" CALL THEM and ask for a benefit recalculation based on your additional work years. But good luck actually reaching anyone - I spent 3 WEEKS trying to get through to a human!!!

I work with retirees on their finances and see this situation more often than you'd think. Here's what you need to know: 1. The SSA does NOT automatically recalculate your retirement benefit based on additional work years. You need to request this. 2. For widow(er) benefits, you can absolutely switch to your own retirement benefit if it would be higher, regardless of when you started the survivor benefit. 3. Each additional year of substantial earnings can replace a lower-earning year in your 35-year calculation for your own benefit. 4. Since you're past your FRA now, your own benefit calculation would include delayed retirement credits for any months between your FRA and when you switch to your own benefit. Contact the SSA and request a benefit recalculation AND ask what your own retirement benefit would be now vs. your current widow benefit. This could potentially mean a significant increase in your monthly payment.

btw congrats on beating cancer!!! my aunt had stage 4 too and shes in remission 5 yrs now. keep fighting!!

I'm so confused about all the advice here. My sister was told she couldn't switch from one type to another after she already started. Why is widow benefits different???

I need to apologize for my earlier incorrect information! I was confusing the rules for spousal benefits with survivor/widow benefits. The other commenters are correct - you CAN switch from widow benefits to your own retirement benefits if yours would be higher. I'm so sorry for the confusion I caused.

When you contact SSA, make sure you have your recent tax returns handy. They may want to verify your earnings for the recalculation. Also make sure to specifically ask about: 1. What your current widow benefit amount is (with exact figures) 2. What your own retirement benefit would be if you switched now 3. Whether waiting longer to switch would increase your own benefit further Get all three numbers so you can make an informed decision. And consider asking them to document this in your file, even if you don't make a change immediately.