Does my deceased husband's Social Security benefit still grow if I delay survivor benefits until after 60?

I'm very sorry for your loss. To answer your specific question: No, your husband's Social Security benefit does not continue to grow after his death. The survivor benefit is calculated based on what he would have received at his full retirement age (or what he was actually receiving if he had already claimed) at the time of his death. If you wait until your full retirement age (probably 67 for you) to claim the survivor benefit, you would receive 100% of his benefit amount. If you claim at 60, you'd receive about 71.5% of his full benefit. One strategy to consider: you can actually claim different benefits at different times. For example, you could claim your survivor benefit at 60 and then switch to your own retirement benefit later if it would be higher (which is unlikely if he was the higher earner, but worth checking). Or claim your own reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to the full survivor benefit at your FRA.

sry about ur husband. my mom went thru similar thing when dad died. the SSA ppl told her the benefit is frozen when he died. it doesnt grow anymore. she took it at 60 cuz she needed money then. but if u can wait til later u get more per month

The most important thing to understand is that you have OPTIONS with survivor benefits that you don't have with regular retirement benefits. I was in a similar situation after my husband died. Here's what the SSA doesn't always explain clearly: you can claim YOUR OWN reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to the FULL survivor benefit at your FRA (probably 67). OR you can claim the reduced survivor benefit at 60 and switch to your own benefit later if it would be higher (especially if you keep working). This flexibility is UNIQUE to survivor benefits! With regular spousal benefits you can't do this switching strategy anymore. Since you're only 52, you have time to plan. Keep working if possible to increase your own benefit. When you're closer to 60, call SSA and ask for a benefits calculation for BOTH scenarios to see which claiming strategy gives you more money over your lifetime.

Trying to get accurate info from SSA is IMPOSSIBLE. I spent 3 weeks calling about my widow benefits and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!!! Their website is confusing and the calculators don't work right for survivor situations. The whole system is broken!!!!

One thing no one has mentioned yet - since you have minor children, be aware that there's a "family maximum" limit on the total benefits payable on one worker's record. Right now, your children are receiving benefits, but there's a cap on the total your family can receive (usually 150-180% of your husband's benefit). If you were to claim survivor benefits now (which you can't until 60 anyway), it might reduce what your children receive due to this family maximum. Once they age out of benefits at 18, this won't be an issue for you.

I should add something important - make sure you're considering ALL possible benefits. If you're caring for children under 16, you might qualify for mother's/father's benefits NOW (before 60), which are separate from widow(er)'s benefits. Have you looked into this? It's different than survivor benefits at 60.

My aunt took her husbands SS right at 60 becuz she needed money and regrets it now. She gets way less than if she waited till her FRA. Just saying think carefully about when u claim!!!

One more thing to consider as you plan: Keep track of your own earnings. If you continue working, your own benefit may grow. You should request a Social Security statement annually to monitor both your potential retirement benefit AND your potential survivor benefit. This helps you optimize your claiming strategy as you approach age 60-62. Also, survivor benefits and retirement benefits have different rules. You can claim survivor benefits as early as 60 (or 50 if disabled), but your own retirement benefit can't be claimed until 62. This creates those strategic claiming opportunities others have mentioned.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Connor. You're asking really smart questions about planning ahead. Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful as you think about your timeline: if you're still working and earning income, there's an earnings test that applies to survivor benefits claimed before your full retirement age. If you claim survivor benefits at 60 but are still working, you might have benefits reduced if you earn over the annual limit (around $22,320 for 2024). This is temporary though - any benefits withheld due to earnings get added back to your benefit amount once you reach full retirement age. This might factor into your decision about when to claim, especially if you plan to keep working. The good news is you have 8 years to plan this out and see how your financial situation evolves. Your kids will be 16 and 19 by then, so your expenses and needs may be quite different.

I'm truly sorry for your loss, Connor. You're being so thoughtful in planning ahead for your family's financial security. I wanted to add something that might help with your long-term planning: since you're 52 now, you have time to potentially maximize your own Social Security benefit by continuing to work. Social Security calculates your benefit based on your highest 35 years of earnings, so if you're currently earning more than you did in some earlier years, those additional work years could replace lower-earning years in your calculation. This is especially relevant given the claiming strategies others mentioned. If you can build up your own benefit significantly over the next 10-15 years, you might be able to claim a reduced survivor benefit at 60, then switch to your own (potentially higher) benefit at your full retirement age of 67. Also, don't forget that both benefits will receive annual cost-of-living adjustments, so even though your husband's benefit won't "grow" in the traditional sense, it will keep pace with inflation. You're asking all the right questions and planning well ahead. Consider meeting with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security strategies when you get closer to 60 - they can run detailed scenarios to help you optimize your claiming strategy.