Confused about widow benefits - can I collect my own SS now and switch to deceased husband's higher benefit later?

First, I'm very sorry for your sister's loss. The strategy you're describing is actually possible. As a widow, she has options that married or divorced people don't have. Your sister can claim her own retirement benefit now and switch to the survivor benefit later, OR claim the survivor benefit now and switch to her own retirement benefit later (whichever makes more financial sense). This flexibility is unique to widow(er)s. If she waits to claim the survivor benefit, it does NOT grow beyond COLA adjustments. Unlike retirement benefits that grow with delayed retirement credits, survivor benefits max out at the deceased's full benefit amount (or what they were receiving at death). So waiting doesn't increase the base amount beyond inflation adjustments.

So sorry about your sister's husband! When my husband died 2 years ago, I was SO confused about all this too. The SSA people told me different things each time I called!! But I can tell you what worked for me - I kept my job and took the survivor benefits right away because they were higher than my own benefit. I didn't know you could switch back and forth!!! Is that really true?? I think the SSA reps don't even know all the rules sometimes. THEY NEED BETTER TRAINING!!!

The best strategy depends on your sister's full retirement age (FRA) and whether she plans to continue working past age 70. If she claims her own benefit while working before her FRA, she'll be subject to the earnings test, which could reduce her benefits. If she's already at her FRA (66-67 depending on birth year), the earnings test no longer applies. Here's what I would consider: 1. If her own benefit at age 70 would be higher than her survivor benefit (after 4 years of 8% annual increases), she might want to take the survivor benefit now and switch to her own at 70. 2. If her survivor benefit will always be higher, she could take her own reduced benefit now (if she's still under FRA) and switch to the survivor benefit at her FRA when it's unreduced. This is definitely a case where she should schedule an appointment with SSA to review her options with her specific numbers and birth date.

When I was trying to help my mother with this exact situation, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through to Social Security on the phone. We tried for weeks! Finally, I found this service called Claimyr that got us through to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The website is claimyr.com - definitely worth it for complex situations like survivor benefits where you really need to talk to someone who can look at the specific numbers in the system. The SSA representative was able to calculate exactly what my mom's various options would be at different ages, which made the decision much clearer.

My neighbor works at the SS office and she says people mess this up ALL THE TIME! The thing nobody told me when my husband died is that you dont automatically get survivor benefits - you have to actually apply for them! And do it quickly because they only backpay for a limited time. Tell your sister to apply RIGHT AWAY even if she isn't sure what strategy to use yet.

I don't know about the switching back and forth thing but when I went through this they said if ur still working they subtract some of ur check. once I hit 'full retirement age' (mine was 66+8mo) I could earn whatever and they dont subtract anymore. ur sister's FRA depends on what year she was born.

One thing to consider is that taxes might be different with survivor benefits vs her own retirement benefit. When I was getting survivor benefits after my husband died, I had to pay taxes on 85% of them because my other income was too high. It might be worth talking to a tax person too before deciding.

Since your sister is already 66, if she was born in 1957 or earlier, she's already at her full retirement age. This means: 1. She can take her own retirement benefit with no reduction (though it would continue growing if she waited until 70) 2. She can take the full survivor benefit with no reduction 3. The earnings test no longer applies, so her work income won't reduce either benefit In this case, the optimal strategy is likely to take the higher of the two benefits now. If her own benefit at age 70 would exceed the survivor benefit due to delayed retirement credits, she could take the survivor benefit now and switch to her own at 70. This is definitely a situation where she should get her exact numbers from SSA before deciding.