Social Security early claiming affects spousal benefits but not widow benefits?

You've got it exactly right on all points! The early filing reduction does stick with you if you later switch to spousal benefits (which max out at 50% of your husband's FRA amount). But for survivor benefits, you can get 100% of what your husband was receiving when he died, regardless of when you started your own benefits. One clarification though - for survivor benefits, if your husband hasn't claimed yet when he passes, you'd get what he would have received at his full retirement age, not including any delayed retirement credits he might have earned by waiting beyond FRA.

ur slightly wrong about the spousal benfit part. when u claim early the reduction is based on YOUR age when YOU claim, not when u claim spousal. so if u claim at 62 and switch to spousal later its still reduced based on claiming at 62. but ur right about survivor- that's completely separate and not affected by when u claim ur own.

You've got the main concepts correct. Here's the technical explanation: 1. Early retirement reduction: When you claim at 62, your benefit is reduced by approximately 30% from your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). 2. Deemed filing: When you file for your own benefits early, you're deemed to have filed for any spousal benefits you're eligible for at the same time. The reduction percentage is based on your age when you file. 3. Survivor benefits: As a widow, you're eligible for up to 100% of your deceased husband's benefit amount, including any delayed retirement credits he earned. Your own filing age for retirement benefits doesn't impact this. However, if you claim survivor benefits before your own full retirement age, those survivor benefits would be reduced based on your age when you claim them.

NO NO NO! This is all WRONG! My sister claimed early and then when her husband died she got REDUCED survivor benefits! The SSA told her she was permanently reduced because she claimed early! They PUNISH you for claiming early no matter what!!!!!

I went through this exact situation last year. I had claimed early at 62, then my husband passed away when I was 67. I was able to switch to his full benefit amount with no reduction whatsoever. In fact, I got both his delayed retirement credits (he waited until 68 to claim) AND a one-time $255 death benefit. The confusing part was having to physically go into the SSA office with his death certificate and our marriage license. The phone lines were impossible - I spent 3 hours on hold then got disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person. They got me connected with an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - it really helped when I needed to confirm what I was eligible for before going to the office.

One thing nobody mentioned is that you need to be married for at least 9 months to get widow benefits. My friend's husband died 8 months after their wedding and she got NOTHING. Also my mom was married to my dad for 40+ years and they gave her a hard time about proving the marriage even with her marriage certificate!

just wanted to say im in the exact same boat! im 61 and trying to figure all this out too. i think im going to take mine early bc i need the money now, but its nice to know if my husband dies (hes got heart problems) i can still get his full amount. social security is so confusing!!

Just to add one more point - when you're making these decisions, consider your life expectancy and health status. If you have reason to believe you'll have a shorter-than-average lifespan, claiming early often makes mathematical sense. If you expect to live well into your 80s or 90s, waiting until FRA or even 70 (for your husband especially) can be better in the long run. Also, don't forget that if both of you are collecting benefits and one passes away, the survivor keeps the higher of the two benefits, not both. That's why it can be a good strategy for the higher earner to delay claiming as long as possible.

I'm 58 and going through similar planning right now! One thing that helped me was creating a spreadsheet with different scenarios - claiming at 62 vs FRA vs 70, and calculating the breakeven points. Also worth noting that if you do claim early and later become eligible for spousal benefits, you can't just "switch" - you get the higher of your reduced benefit OR the spousal benefit (also reduced if you claimed early). But as everyone confirmed, survivor benefits are completely separate from this calculation. Have you considered doing a Social Security statement review? You can create an account at ssa.gov and see your projected benefits at different claiming ages. It really helps visualize the long-term impact of early claiming decisions.

I'm also navigating this decision at 59, and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I learned from my financial planner that might be worth considering - if you do claim early at 62, make sure you understand the earnings test. If you're still working and earn over the annual limit (around $22,320 for 2024), they'll reduce your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above that threshold until you reach full retirement age. This doesn't affect the survivor benefit calculation later, but it's something that caught me off guard when I was initially planning to claim early while still working part-time. The good news is that once you reach FRA, there's no earnings limit and they recalculate your benefit to give you credit for any months they withheld benefits due to excess earnings. Just another factor to consider in your decision-making process!

As someone who just went through this decision-making process at 61, I wanted to share a few additional considerations that helped me. First, don't forget about Medicare planning - if you claim Social Security early, you'll still need to wait until 65 for Medicare eligibility, so factor in health insurance costs for that gap period if you're not working. Second, I found it helpful to think about this in terms of "insurance" vs "investment." Claiming early gives you guaranteed income now but reduces your lifetime benefits if you live a long life. Waiting is like buying longevity insurance - you get more if you live longer, but you risk getting less if you don't. One resource that really helped me was meeting with a Social Security specialist (not a salesperson, but someone who really understands the rules). Many financial planners don't fully grasp all the nuances, and the SSA representatives, while well-meaning, sometimes give conflicting information. Your understanding about survivor benefits is spot on though - that was one of the key factors that made me more comfortable with claiming early, knowing my husband's delayed retirement credits would still benefit me as a widow regardless of my own claiming decision.

As someone who's been researching this topic extensively for my own situation, I can confirm that your understanding is correct! The key distinction everyone has highlighted is that survivor benefits operate under completely different rules than spousal benefits. One thing that might be helpful to add is that when you do become eligible for survivor benefits, you actually have some flexibility in timing that doesn't exist with other benefits. You can claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled), and if they're higher than your own retirement benefit, you might even consider a strategy where you take your reduced retirement benefit now and then switch to survivor benefits later when they would be more advantageous. Also, just wanted to echo what others said about getting multiple opinions from SSA - I've called three times about my own situation and gotten slightly different explanations each time. The core rules are consistent, but the way they explain the details can vary. Having this community discussion with real experiences like StarSeeker's really helps clarify how things work in practice versus just reading the official publications. The peace of mind about survivor benefits not being affected by your early claiming decision is huge - it sounds like that's a major factor in your decision-making process, and rightfully so!

I'm 63 and actually just went through this decision last year. I can confirm everything you've heard is correct - I claimed my benefits early and the reduction did follow me when I later qualified for spousal benefits on my husband's record. But the survivor benefit rules are completely separate, which was a huge relief to learn. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is to really run the numbers on your specific situation. I used the calculators on ssa.gov, but I also found a fee-only financial planner who specialized in Social Security planning. It cost me $500 for a comprehensive analysis, but it was worth every penny to see all the scenarios laid out clearly. The other thing that helped me was realizing that there's no universally "right" answer - it really depends on your health, your financial needs, your husband's earnings record, and your risk tolerance. I ended up claiming early because we needed the income and I have some health concerns, but my neighbor in a similar situation decided to wait. Both decisions made sense for our individual circumstances. Your research sounds solid, and this thread has great advice. Just make sure whatever you decide, you're comfortable with it and it fits your overall retirement plan!

I'm 61 and facing this exact same decision! This thread has been incredibly helpful - I've been going back and forth on whether to claim early or wait, but knowing that survivor benefits won't be affected by my early claiming decision is a huge relief. Like many of you, I've gotten conflicting information from different SSA representatives, which has been frustrating. I think I'm going to follow the advice here about finding a Social Security specialist for a comprehensive analysis. The $500 fee mentioned seems reasonable given how much this decision impacts our long-term financial security. One question for those who have been through this - did any of you consider the tax implications? I'm wondering if claiming early while still working part-time might push us into a higher tax bracket, especially when combined with my husband's income. Just another factor to add to the already complex equation! Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and knowledge. It's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the SSA website alone.