Confused about survivor benefits now vs. my own Social Security at 70 - can I get both?

First, I'm very sorry for your loss. You're making a smart decision by waiting until 70 to claim your own retirement benefits. To answer your question directly: at 70, you can switch from survivor benefits to your own retirement benefits IF your own benefit will be higher than what you're receiving as a survivor. However, you cannot receive both your own benefit AND half of your husband's - that's a common misconception. You'll receive whichever is higher: either your own benefit OR your survivor benefit (which is up to 100% of what your husband was receiving or would have received at his FRA, not half).

ur neighbor is wrong, social security NEVER lets u collect both ur own AND survivor at same time. they give u whichever is bigger. thats it.

I went through THE EXACT SAME THING last year!!! My husband passed after 38 years married and I started survivor benefits at my FRA (66 and 2 months). I was also told by my sister that I could collect BOTH benefits - my own retirement AND my husband's!! When I finally got through to SSA (took 3 days of calling!!!), they told me that's COMPLETELY WRONG. You get whichever is HIGHER - your survivor benefit OR your retirement benefit. NOT BOTH!!!!

You're absolutely making the right move by claiming survivor benefits at your FRA and then switching to your own retirement benefit at 70. This strategy allows you to receive 100% of your husband's benefit now while your own benefit grows by 8% per year from 66-70 (for a total of 32% increase). When you reach 70, SSA will automatically review both amounts and pay you the higher of the two. You won't need to make a special request. If your own benefit at 70 exceeds your survivor benefit, they'll switch you. If not, you'll continue receiving the survivor benefit. One important note: If you're working while receiving survivor benefits before your FRA, you would have been subject to the earnings test (where benefits are reduced if you earn above certain thresholds). But since you're at your FRA now, you can earn any amount without reduction of your survivor benefits.

They should send you a notice if they're switching your benefit type, but honestly, the SSA isn't always consistent with their communications. I recommend calling them when you approach 70 to confirm they're reviewing your case for the potential switch. You can also check your MySocialSecurity account online, as it will show which benefit type you're receiving.

I had to help my mom with this exact situation last year. We spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone at Social Security to confirm her benefits would switch correctly at 70. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got us through to an agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed that yes, at 70, they'll automatically review and pay the higher benefit amount. In my mom's case, her own retirement benefit at 70 ended up being about $580 more monthly than her survivor benefit, so it was definitely worth the wait.

just remember that whatever benefit ur getting will have medicare Part B premium taken out when u turn 65. that surprised my aunt, her check went down by like $175 when that kicked in

My condolences on losing your husband. It's such a difficult time emotionally, and then having to figure out all this benefit stuff makes it even harder. When my dad passed, my mom was so confused about all of this too.

WHATEVER YOU DO make sure you keep MULTIPLE COPIES of your husband's death certificate!!! SS needed one copy, then the pension people needed one, then insurance needed one, then the BANK needed one...I ended up having to order MORE certificates because everyone wanted an original copy and some places KEPT THEM instead of returning them to me!!! Get AT LEAST 10 copies!!!

I work with retirees, and I find many people confuse spousal benefits and survivor benefits. With spousal benefits (when both spouses are alive), you can get up to 50% of your spouse's FRA benefit. With survivor benefits (after a spouse dies), you can get up to 100% of what they were receiving. The strategy you're using - taking survivor benefits at your FRA and switching to your own at 70 - is optimal if your own benefit at 70 will exceed your survivor benefit. The SSA should automatically pay the higher amount, but definitely verify this is happening correctly when you reach 70.

Thank you all for the helpful information. I think I understand now - I'll receive my survivor benefits until 70, and then either continue with those OR switch to my own retirement benefits, whichever is higher. I won't get both. I've been planning my retirement budget based on getting both, so I'll need to rethink some things. I appreciate all the advice about contacting SSA too - I'll try that Claimyr service since I still have some questions I'd like to ask an agent directly.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. It sounds like you've gotten some great clarification here from the community. Just wanted to add one more piece of advice - when you do reach 70 and want to confirm everything is switching correctly, you might also consider visiting your local Social Security office in person if phone calls aren't working out. Sometimes face-to-face conversations can be more effective, and you can bring documents with you if needed. Also, keep records of all your communications with SSA (dates, times, names of representatives you speak with) in case there are any issues later. The strategy you're using is definitely the right one financially - you're maximizing your benefits by letting your own retirement benefit grow those extra 4 years while receiving the survivor benefits now.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. Losing your spouse after so many years together is incredibly difficult, and having to figure out Social Security benefits on top of everything else must feel overwhelming. You've received excellent advice from this community, and I want to reinforce that you're making the absolutely right financial decision. Your strategy of taking survivor benefits now while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70 is textbook optimal planning. One thing I'd like to add that might help with your long-term planning: once you do switch to your own retirement benefit at 70 (if it's higher), that higher monthly amount will be your base for any future cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). So not only will you get the maximum benefit from delayed retirement credits, but all future increases will be calculated on that higher amount too. Also, I know you mentioned the SSA website being confusing - you might find it helpful to use the retirement estimator tool on ssa.gov. It can give you a rough projection of what your benefit would be at 70, which will help you compare it to your current survivor benefit amount. Hang in there, and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions as you approach 70. This community is really supportive and knowledgeable.