Can my wife claim my full $4,000 Social Security survivor benefit or must she wait until her FRA?

Your wife can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, but she would receive a reduced amount if claimed before her FRA. At age 60, she'd get approximately 71.5% of your $4,000, which would be about $2,860/month. This increases gradually until her FRA when she'd get the full $4,000. As for her own retirement benefit, she can actually switch between benefits. Many widows don't realize this strategy: she could take reduced survivor benefits at 60, then switch to her own benefit at 70 if it's grown larger through delayed retirement credits. Or take her own reduced retirement benefit at 62 and switch to full survivor benefits at her FRA. The SSA doesn't always explain these options clearly, so make sure she gets a thorough benefits analysis before making any decisions.

when my husband passed i was 63 and got 78% of his benefit. they told me i couldnt wait til my FRA for the full amount, i had to take it right away or lose it completely!! was i given wrong info?? this was 2 years ago

Sorry about your health concerns. My mom just went through this last year when my dad died. The funeral home actually notified Social Security. Then mom had to go to the SS office with their marriage certificate, his death certificate, and her ID. She was already past FRA so she got his full amount since it was higher than hers. They did reduce her payment for the first month though for some reason I didn't understand.

To directly answer your question: No, your wife does NOT have to wait until her FRA to collect survivor benefits, but she WILL receive a reduced amount if claimed before her FRA. Survivor benefits can be claimed as early as age 60 with a reduction of approximately 28.5% at that age, gradually decreasing as she approaches her FRA. At her FRA, she would receive 100% of your $4,000 benefit. Important points: 1. Survivor benefits do NOT earn delayed retirement credits past FRA (unlike retirement benefits) 2. She can switch between her own retirement benefit and the survivor benefit 3. If she's still working when claiming before her FRA, the earnings test may reduce her benefits temporarily This is definitely a situation where careful planning can make a significant difference in lifetime benefits.

My husband died last year and I had THE WORST time trying to get through to Social Security!!! I called for WEEKS and either got disconnected or was on hold for 3+ hours only to get someone who couldn't help me. I was about to give up when my neighbor told me about Claimyr. It got me through to a real person at SSA in under 10 minutes! I was skeptical but desperate - you can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally got through, I found out I could get my husband's full benefit amount since I was already past my FRA. The rep explained everything and helped process my survivor application right over the phone. Without that service I might still be trying to get through!

I think everybody's missing something important here - survivors benefits are completely different than retirement!! My sister-in-law got reduced benefits because she claimed at 60 and it's PERMANENT. She can't switch to full benefits later like someone said above. Once you claim survivor benefits early, you're STUCK with that reduced amount FOREVER!!!!

Just wanted to add - make sure your wife knows exactly what paperwork she'll need if something happens. My mom had to provide: death certificate (certified copy), marriage certificate, both their Social Security cards, birth certificate, and photo ID. The SSA website lists everything but having it all ready saved her a second trip. Also tell her she should apply in the month of death - they don't pay benefits retroactively beyond a certain point.

To answer your follow-up question about optimal strategy: Generally, yes - claiming the lower benefit first then switching to the higher one later can maximize lifetime benefits. For example, if your wife's own benefit at age 70 would be higher than your survivor benefit (unlikely with the numbers you provided, but possible for others), she could take reduced survivor benefits at 60, then switch to her own maximized benefit at 70. More commonly for couples with disparate earnings like yours, she might take her own reduced retirement benefit at 62, then switch to the full survivor benefit at her FRA. The optimal approach depends on: 1. Both benefit amounts 2. Her life expectancy 3. Whether she's still working (earnings test) 4. Any other income sources during potential gap years The SSA won't automatically tell her about these strategies, so it's good you're researching now.