Social Security survivor benefits dilemma after job loss - rethinking filing at FRA vs. 70

I'm sorry you're going through this stressful situation. The strategy of claiming survivor benefits and then switching to your own retirement benefits at 70 is often a smart approach, but job loss definitely complicates things. Regarding the appointment issue - most SSA offices have limited in-person appointments to essential services only. For benefit projections, you actually have a few options that might be better than phone: 1. Create a my Social Security account online (ssa.gov/myaccount) where you can view retirement benefit estimates based on your actual earnings history 2. For survivor benefit projections, request that they email or mail the projections to you before your phone appointment so you can review them together 3. Ask if they can do a video appointment instead of just phone As for your strategy, before changing course, consider whether you have enough savings to bridge the gap until your planned filing date. Sometimes taking benefits early due to temporary hardship can permanently reduce your lifetime benefits by tens of thousands of dollars.

They told me the same thing last month but I kept calling different field offices until I found one that would let me come in. Try calling offices that are a bit further away but still within driving distance. Some have different policies than others.

i had the same exact problem!!!! was on hold for 2 HOURS just to be told no in-person appts. ended up taking ss at 66 bcause couldnt wait. REGRET IT NOW!!! less money every month forever :

Have you considered using Claimyr to reach a Social Security agent faster? I was in a similar situation trying to get answers about my widower benefits last month. Used their service at claimyr.com and they got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU About your benefit strategy - since you're already 67 (at your FRA), you're entitled to 100% of your survivor benefit amount. Taking it now while looking for a job and then switching to your own retirement at 70 could still be a good plan. The survivor benefit gives you income now without affecting your own retirement benefit's delayed retirement credits.

Just want to add some info about benefit projections - when I had my phone appointment, the agent offered to email me secure PDF documents with benefit estimates during our call. They can actually show you numbers without an in-person meeting! I was surprised how helpful they were once I finally got someone on the line. Make sure to ask about this option specifically.

You mentioned your daughter gets benefits on her late mother's record - just checking, are you her legal guardian? Because if not, they might not discuss her benefits with you at all without proper authorization. They're super strict about privacy these days.

Regarding your overall claiming strategy, here's something important to consider: if you're already at FRA (67), you can claim survivor benefits NOW without any reduction and still let your own retirement benefit grow until 70. This is actually one of the smartest claiming strategies available. With your job loss, starting survivor benefits immediately could provide income while you're job hunting, without affecting your eventual retirement benefit. Your retirement benefit will still increase by 8% per year from FRA to 70 through delayed retirement credits. The projections matrix you want to see likely compares different claiming ages for both benefits. But the analysis is actually quite straightforward in your case: if the survivor benefit is available now at no reduction, and you need income, there's little reason to delay it further. Meanwhile, delaying your own retirement benefit to 70 will maximize that amount for the rest of your life.

Wait I'm confused... You said your son gets benefits but then said daughter... which one is it?

One other thing to keep in mind - if you start receiving survivor benefits now and then find a new job, you'll need to be careful about the earnings test if you're working before your FRA. But since you mentioned you're 67 already, the earnings test no longer applies to you! You can earn any amount without reduction of benefits. That's another reason why taking survivor benefits now while continuing your job search could be advantageous.