Social Security survivor benefits at 63 vs. waiting until 70 - remarried after 60

You've got the right idea! Since you're eligible for both benefits, you can definitely use a strategy to maximize your lifetime payout. Generally, the best approach is to take the lower benefit first and switch to the higher one later. In your case, since your survivor benefit ($2,200) is lower than your own benefit at FRA ($2,600), taking survivor benefits now and switching to your own at 70 makes the most financial sense. Your own benefit increases by 8% per year from FRA to 70, so waiting would give you about 24% more than at 67. That would put your age 70 benefit around $3,224 monthly - a significant difference over your lifetime.

i did similar thing when my husband died. took survivors at 62 and switched to mine at 70. working GREAT for me now. get almost $1000 more a month than if i hadnt waited!!

This isn't as straightforward as some people make it seem. Yes, if you take survivor benefits before your FRA, they'll be permanently reduced. At 63½, you'll get approximately 81.375% of the full survivor benefit - so more like $1,790 instead of $2,200. BUT this reduction only affects your survivor benefit, not your own retirement benefit. Also, consider your immediate income needs. If you need the money now for living expenses, taking reduced survivor benefits might make sense despite the reduction. If you can live comfortably without them until FRA, waiting until 67 for full survivor benefits and then switching to your own at 70 could be better. You might want to run different scenarios through the SSA calculator on their website. Every situation is unique.

I tryed calling SS for WEEKS about my widows benefits and couldnt get thru. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in 20 mins! They have a video of how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Worth it to get actual answers from a real agent about ur specific situation.

DONT LISTEN TO ANYONE HERE!!! Go talk to a PROFESSIONAL financial advisor who specializes in Social Security benefits!!! I listened to people online and made a HUGE mistake with MY benefits that I can't fix!!! This is too important to get wrong!!!

Something important that nobody's mentioned yet - you need to be careful about the earnings test if you're planning to work at all between now and your FRA. In 2025, if you earn more than $22,500 (approximately), they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. This doesn't apply once you reach FRA. Also, have you considered whether your current husband's benefits might be higher than your former husband's survivor benefits? If your current husband is already claiming or when he does claim, you might be eligible for spousal benefits on his record instead if they're higher than the survivor benefits.

one more thing nobody said is about TAXES!! if u take both benefits you might push urself into higher tax bracket. thats what happened to my friend Judy and she was so mad!!

After reading through this whole thread, here's what I'd suggest based on what you've shared: 1. Since you don't need the immediate income (you have your teaching pension) and won't exceed the earnings limit with your consulting work, waiting until your FRA (67) to claim unreduced survivor benefits makes sense. 2. Then at 70, switch to your own retirement benefit which will have grown to approximately $3,224/month. 3. Before making a final decision, schedule an appointment with SSA to get a personalized analysis. They can run exact calculations based on your earnings record. 4. Consider meeting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies to factor in your complete financial picture, including tax implications. This strategy should maximize your lifetime benefits while providing income security.