Social Security survivor benefit timing question - will taking spousal benefits early affect maximum survivor benefits at my wife's FRA?

Thank you for explaining this! That's a huge relief to know that her taking spousal benefits early won't mess up the survivor benefit timing strategy. I was really worried there might be some obscure rule that would force her into a reduced survivor benefit if she'd already taken spousal benefits.

That's not entirely accurate. The reduction for taking survivor benefits early is separate from whether she was already receiving benefits. She has the CHOICE to either take reduced survivor benefits immediately OR continue with her existing benefit and switch to full survivor benefits at her FRA. The SSA doesn't automatically switch her or force her into a permanently reduced survivor benefit just because she was already collecting other benefits. This is one of the few areas where beneficiaries have flexibility to maximize their lifetime payout by choosing when to switch to survivor benefits.

That's concerning to hear. Did you ever get a definitive answer? What did you end up doing?

I finally got someone at my local office who seemed to really know what they were talking about. She confirmed I could continue with my reduced retirement benefit and then switch to the full survivor benefit at my FRA. That's what I'm doing now - still on my own benefit until next year when I hit 67. The difference between taking survivors reduced (at 63 when he passed) vs waiting to FRA was almost $900/month for me! So yeah, it's definitely worth getting the right info.

This is extremely helpful - thank you! So to make sure I understand: 1. If she takes her own benefit at 62 (reduced to about $1,260), then when I pass away, she can continue with that amount until her FRA, then switch to my full $4,250. 2. But while I'm alive, she would automatically get the higher of her reduced benefit OR her reduced spousal benefit (which would be about 35% of my PIA at that age). Does that sound right?

That's exactly right. Once she files at 62, she'll automatically receive the higher of her reduced retirement benefit or her reduced spousal benefit while you're alive. Then if you pass away before her FRA, she has the choice to either: - Switch immediately to a reduced survivor benefit - OR continue with whatever she was receiving and switch to the full survivor benefit (100% of what you were receiving) at her FRA The second option is typically better financially in the long run, as you suspected.

Have you tried using Claimyr? It's a service that gets you through to a Social Security agent usually within 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I used it when I had a complicated survivor benefit question similar to this. The service connects you directly to SSA but bypasses the wait times. Just go to claimyr.com or check out their demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're curious how it works. Saved me a ton of frustration, especially for complicated questions where you need to speak to a real person.

Thank you for adding the information about the earnings limit. My wife plans to work until 65 or so, and her salary is about $75,000. I didn't realize that would impact her benefits before FRA. Would that make it better for her to just wait until FRA to claim any benefits at all? Or would she still come out ahead claiming at 62 despite the reduction due to the earnings limit?

With earnings of $75,000, she would essentially have all of her age 62 benefits withheld due to the earnings test. She'd be about $52,680 over the limit, which would mean approximately $26,340 in benefits withheld - likely more than her entire annual benefit amount at 62. In this specific situation with her high earnings, she might want to consider waiting until her planned retirement at 65 to file for benefits. At that point, the earnings limit is higher in the year of FRA, and then disappears entirely at FRA. This doesn't change the survivor strategy though - if you pass away before her FRA, she could still choose between immediate reduced survivors or waiting until FRA for maximum survivor benefits.

I recommend getting an appointment for a benefits review rather than trying to get complex questions answered over the phone. You can request a phone appointment on ssa.gov or call the national number to schedule one. Ask specifically for someone who specializes in retirement and survivor planning. Come prepared with written questions and take detailed notes. If something doesn't make sense, ask them to explain it differently. You have the right to understand your benefits!