Can widow switch to husband's higher SS benefits at age 70 when he filed early at 65?

I'm sorry about your neighbor's loss. Unfortunately, she cannot get what he would have received at 70. As a widow, she can receive survivor benefits based on what he was actually receiving when he died (with possible small increases if he had delayed credits). But there's no "what if he had lived to 70" calculation. She can either take her own benefit or the survivor benefit based on his actual benefit at death, whichever is higher. Since his benefit was already higher than hers, she should apply for survivor benefits right away at the SSA.

im pretty sure she gets whatever he was gettin when he died. my mom went thru this and thats how it worked. but tell her to ask when she goes to ssa office cause they know all the rules better than anyone here does

Social Security survivor benefits are calculated based on several factors, but to address your specific question: No, your neighbor cannot wait until her husband would have turned 70 to get what would have been his age 70 benefit. The survivor benefit calculation uses what's called the "RIB-LIM" rule (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limitation). Since her husband filed early at 65, her maximum survivor benefit would generally be limited to the higher of: 1. The benefit he was receiving at death ($2,100/month) 2. 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - which is what he would have received at his full retirement age However, she does have flexibility in WHEN she claims these benefits. She can: - Take reduced survivor benefits now and switch to her own later if it would be higher - Take her own reduced retirement benefit now (which she's already doing) and switch to survivor benefits at her full retirement age for survivors Since her benefit is already lower than his, she should contact SSA immediately to apply for survivor benefits, as this would give her the higher amount.

Sorry for your neighbors loss. My husband died last year and dealing with SS was AWFUL!!! Waited on hold for 3 HOURS and then got disconnected!!! Tried calling back 5 times and couldn't get through. Ended up having to take a day off work to go to the office and waited ANOTHER 3 hours there!! The whole system is broken. Tell your neighbor to be prepared for a frustrating experience on top of her grief.

Please tell your neighbor I'm very sorry for her loss. When my wife passed last spring, I found myself in a somewhat similar situation. I was 64 and had been claiming early, while she died at 66 and had a higher benefit. There's a common misconception about survivor benefits that I had too. Your neighbor will receive the higher of: 1. Her own benefit 2. Her husband's actual benefit at the time of death BUT... and this is important... there's an exception if she waits until her Full Retirement Age to claim survivor benefits. At that point, she could receive 100% of what he was receiving. If she claims survivor benefits before her FRA, they'll be reduced. In my case, I found it beneficial to switch to survivor benefits immediately since my wife's benefit was substantially higher than mine, even with the reduction for claiming before my FRA.

Condolences to your neighbor. Something no one mentioned yet - she needs to return the check SSA sent for the month her husband died! This catches many people by surprise. SSA doesn't pay benefits for the month of death, so if he died in May, the May payment that arrives in June must be returned. She should NOT spend this money as SSA will want it back.

One more important thing to mention: Your neighbor needs to apply for the survivor benefits promptly. These benefits are not automatically granted when someone dies, even if SSA is notified of the death. The funeral home likely reported the death, but she still needs to contact SSA to switch to survivor benefits. And unlike most SS benefits, survivor benefits can include up to 6 months of retroactive payments even if you're under FRA, so applying quickly helps ensure she doesn't miss out on any payments she's entitled to.

tell her to bring EVERYTHING when she goes to SS office. death certificate, marriage license, birth certificates, tax returns. they asked my mom for everything plus the kitchen sink lol

Just to clarify one more point in your original question: The concept of "switching" from one's own benefit to a spousal benefit at age 70 was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 for anyone born after January 1, 1954. That strategy (called "file and suspend" or "restricted application") is no longer available for most people. However, survivor benefits operate under different rules. Your neighbor can switch between her own retirement benefit and survivor benefits at any age, choosing the higher of the two. This flexibility is unique to survivor situations and remains available despite the 2015 law changes.