Can I take reduced SS at 62 then switch to full survivor benefits at 67 after divorce?

This is a great strategic question! Yes, you CAN take your reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then later switch to the full survivor benefit at your FRA. The early claiming reduction only applies to the benefit you take early - it doesn't affect future benefits of a different type. So your survivor benefit at 67 would be 100% of what your ex-husband was receiving when he died. This is actually one of the few remaining "claim now, claim more later" strategies that still work after the 2015 rule changes. SSA specifically allows survivors to make this switch.

BE CAREFUL!!! I tried something similar and Social Security messed up my benefits SO BAD I'm still fighting to get it fixed after 8 months! They applied the wrong reduction factors and now claim I OWE THEM money!!! Make sure you get EVERYTHING in writing from them!!

Actually, have you considered taking the SURVIVOR benefit at 60 (reduced) and then switching to your OWN retirement benefit at 70? This is often better financially for many people, especially if your own benefit grows to be larger with delayed retirement credits. At 70, your own benefit would be 132% of your full retirement amount.

Since your ex-husband was a higher earner (twice your income) and waited until his FRA to claim, your best strategy is likely what you originally planned. Take your own reduced benefit at 62, then switch to the full survivor benefit at your FRA (67). Regarding the divorce: Yes, this strategy works for ex-spouses as long as you were married for at least 10 years (you were married 25) and haven't remarried before age 60 (which doesn't appear to be the case for you).

Have you got smething in writing from SSA about all this? They told me one thing on the phone then something diffrent when I went to the office. its all confusing!

I've been trying to reach SSA for weeks about my survivor benefits too! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in under 5 minutes after I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Finally got my questions answered about my situation, which was similar to yours but with different ages. Definitely recommend getting official confirmation directly from SSA on your specific situation.

my aunt did this exact thing. took her own SS at 62 then got her dead husbands benefit at 66 (her FRA was different i think). worked fine for her but that was back in 2019 so maybe rules changed? she said getting through to SSA was the hardest part lol

ANOTHER THING to watch out for: if you're still working when you take benefits at 62, you'll be subject to the EARNINGS TEST!!! They'll take back $1 for every $2 you earn above $22,560 (2025 limit). They don't tell you this upfront!!!! Ask me how I know...

One more thing to consider: You mentioned you just turned 60, so you could actually claim survivor benefits now (at a reduced rate), then switch to your own retirement benefit later. At 60, survivor benefits are reduced to about 71.5% of your ex's full benefit. Whether this makes sense depends on your current financial situation and earnings history. Have you created a my Social Security account online to see your estimated benefit amounts?

Based on those benefit amounts, your strategy makes perfect sense. Take your own benefit at 62 (around $1,240/month with the reduction), then switch to the survivor benefit at 67 (the full $3,200). This maximizes your lifetime benefits given your specific situation and the significant difference between your benefit amounts. Just be sure to explicitly tell SSA that you are restricting your application to retirement benefits only when you apply at 62.