Social Security claiming strategy if spouse dies - will survivor benefits change our optimal filing ages?

Thank you for the clear explanation! So in our case, if my husband claims at 62 but I wait until 70, I'd potentially get a higher survivor benefit if he dies after I've started claiming. And if I die first, he gets my age-70 enhanced benefit regardless of when he claimed his own. That makes sense and confirms the strategy seems sound for our situation.

This is exactly why I HATE dealing with SS!!!! My sister went through the same nightmare when her husband passed. They told her one thing on the phone then something completely different when she went to the office. The whole system is designed to CONFUSE people and deny benefits!!! 😡

Sorry to hear about your mother's experience. Unfortunately, survivor benefit calculations can be complex depending on multiple factors. For anyone dealing with this, I always recommend getting everything in writing and asking specifically about any reductions for early claiming, delayed retirement credits, and whether the Government Pension Offset applies.

I'm sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing that resource - I've been trying to call SSA with some questions and keep getting disconnected after waiting forever. I'll check out that service. And I'm glad to hear you were able to switch to your wife's higher benefit - that's exactly the situation I'm trying to plan for.

did this actually work? ive been trying to get through to ssa for 3 weeks now to fix my direct deposit info. keep getting disconnected

Yes, it definitely worked for me. I was skeptical too after wasting so much time on hold, but I got through to an actual person at SSA within about 15-20 minutes. The agent was able to process my survivor benefit claim and answer all my questions about how the amounts were calculated.

wait doesnt the survivor benefit get reduced if you claim it early? my neighbor said her survivor benefit got reduced bc her husband claimed at 62

There's a common misunderstanding here. The reduction in survivor benefits depends on when the SURVIVING spouse claims them, not when the deceased spouse claimed their own retirement benefit. If the deceased claimed early, their benefit is permanently reduced, which means the base amount for survivor benefits is lower. But the survivor benefit itself isn't further reduced because the deceased claimed early. In your neighbor's case, either she claimed survivor benefits before her full retirement age (causing a reduction), or her husband's early claiming resulted in a lower base amount for the survivor benefit calculation.

Survivor benefits are NOT automatic - the surviving spouse must apply. SSA is not notified of deaths unless reported to them. You should apply for survivor benefits promptly as they're only retroactive for up to six months. To prepare: 1. Keep marriage and birth certificates accessible 2. Have Social Security numbers for both spouses documented 3. Keep recent tax returns available 4. Have death certificate info ready (you'll need multiple copies for various purposes) Also, be aware that you cannot apply for survivor benefits online - must be done by phone or in person at your local SSA office.

This is an excellent point about flexibility in claiming strategies. You're absolutely right that a person can't receive both their own retirement and survivor benefits simultaneously (you get the higher of the two), but the ability to switch between them can be a valuable planning tool. For example, someone could claim reduced retirement benefits at 62, then switch to full survivor benefits at their FRA. Or claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (reduced), then switch to their own retirement benefit at 70 (maximized with delayed credits). This sequencing strategy can significantly increase lifetime benefits in many cases.

You raise a good point about calculators sometimes being inaccurate. Though in the OP's case, WEP/GPO would only apply if either of them had certain government pensions where they didn't pay Social Security taxes. And the family maximum typically affects families with multiple children claiming benefits, not just a surviving spouse. But you're right that it's always good to be conservative in estimates and perhaps consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies for a more precise calculation.

Thanks for the warning. We don't have government pensions, just private ones, so I don't think WEP/GPO would apply to us. But you're right that it's good to be conservative with estimates. I'll definitely consider consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in this area.

That's good to know they might contact you! When my grandfather died, no one told my grandmother she could get his higher benefit. She spent 3 years getting less money than she should have before someone at church mentioned it to her! She did eventually get backpay but it was such a hassle.

That's a great point about taxation that I hadn't considered! We do have a mix of traditional and Roth accounts, so we'll need to be strategic about which ones we draw from once Social Security benefits start. I'll make sure to discuss this with our financial advisor. Thanks for bringing this up!