Social Security survivor benefits timing - can I delay until FRA after taking my own SS early?
I'm turning 62 next month and plan to start my Social Security retirement benefits early. My situation is a bit complicated though. My husband is 74 (we have a 12-year age gap) and already collecting his benefits since his full retirement age. His benefit amount is significantly higher than mine will be. I work part-time at a local craft store, making well under the annual earnings limit (about $14,000/year). My main concern is about survivor benefits. If my husband passes away before I reach my full retirement age, I've been told I can choose to switch to survivor benefits at my FRA to get 100% of his amount instead of taking reduced survivor benefits immediately. I called SSA last week and a representative confirmed this, but I've heard so many conflicting things about Social Security rules that I'm not completely confident. If this is correct, I plan to notify the funeral home and call SSA directly to prevent any automatic benefit conversions when the time comes. Financially, I have enough savings to wait until FRA for the higher survivor amount if needed. I've done calculations using the statements SSA provided, and it would take until my husband reaches age 92 for me to break even by waiting until my FRA to claim my own benefits instead of taking them early. This seems to support my plan to file early. Am I missing anything important I should consider before submitting my application? Any other factors that could affect this strategy?
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Joshua Hellan
Yes, your understanding is correct. If you take your retirement benefit early and your husband passes away, you CAN wait until your FRA to claim the full survivor benefit (100% of what he was receiving). This is one of the few exceptions to the "deemed filing" rules. Survivor benefits can be claimed independently from your own retirement benefits. Make sure you have all the documents you'll need when the time comes - death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificates, and your husband's Social Security number. One thing to consider: if you're still working when you turn FRA, your earnings won't affect your survivor benefits at that point, as the earnings test no longer applies once you reach FRA.
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Olivia Kay
•Thank you so much for confirming! This makes me feel better about my plan. I hadn't thought about having all those documents ready, but that makes sense. I'll put together a folder with everything now so it's all in one place if needed.
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Jibriel Kohn
my sister did something like this. she took her own benefit at 62 and then when her husband died she switched to survivor at her FRA. worked out good for her. but make sure you call ssa right away when he passes cause they dont automatically know.
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Olivia Kay
•Thanks for sharing your sister's experience. It's reassuring to hear from someone who actually followed this strategy successfully. And good reminder about contacting SSA promptly!
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Edison Estevez
I'm confused about one thing - I thought once you file for ANY social security benefit, you have to take ALL benefits you're eligible for at that time??? How can you choose to delay the survivor benefit? Are you sure the SSA rep wasn't confused?
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Joshua Hellan
•That's a common misunderstanding. The "deemed filing" rule you're thinking of applies to retirement and spousal benefits, but survivor benefits are treated differently. Survivor benefits can be claimed independently from your own retirement benefits. You can absolutely take one early and the other at FRA or later. This is one of the few remaining claiming strategies that gives beneficiaries flexibility after the 2015 rule changes.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
Just make sure your part time job doesn't increase too much in hours! If you go over the earnings limit (I think it's around $21,750 for 2025), they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over the limit. And congrats on having enough savings to be flexible with your claiming strategy!
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Olivia Kay
•Yes, I'm being careful about the earnings limit! My employer knows I can't exceed a certain number of hours. The limit is actually $22,320 for 2025 (I just double-checked), but I'm staying well below that at around $14,000 annually. And thank you - I'm fortunate to have options.
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James Johnson
Your strategy sounds solid based on the information you've provided. Here are a few additional considerations that might be relevant to your situation: 1. Tax implications - If you have other income sources, taking SS early might push you into a higher tax bracket. Up to 85% of your benefits can be taxable depending on your combined income. 2. Potential COLA differences - By taking your benefit early, you'll receive Cost of Living Adjustments on your reduced amount. However, when you eventually switch to survivor benefits, those would be based on your husband's benefit amount plus any COLAs applied since he began receiving benefits. 3. Have you considered the "restricted application" strategy? This might not apply in your situation, but worth mentioning. Did the SSA representative provide you with exact benefit amounts for both scenarios? Having those exact figures can help validate your break-even analysis.
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Olivia Kay
•I hadn't thought about the tax implications! Currently our combined income keeps us in the same bracket whether I take SS now or later, but that's something I should revisit. And yes, the SSA rep gave me specific amounts - my reduced benefit at 62 would be about $1,460 monthly versus $2,085 at my FRA. My husband currently receives $3,240 monthly. Those were the figures I used for my break-even calculation.
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Sophia Rodriguez
Try calling SSA again and ask a DIFFERENT rep the same question!!! I've gotten completely different answers from different people at SSA. Sometimes they DON'T KNOW their own rules!!! I had to call 3 TIMES to get the right answer about my divorced spouse benefits. Don't trust just one person's answer!!
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Mia Green
•This is actually great advice. I'm a former SSA employee, and while most reps are knowledgeable, the rules around survivor benefits and early filing can be complex. Getting confirmation from a second representative is always wise for complicated situations like this. I'd recommend calling the national number (1-800-772-1213) during off-peak hours (Wednesday-Friday afternoons tend to be better) for shorter wait times. Or if you're still running into long wait times, you might want to try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you skip the phone queue and connect with an SSA agent quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Many people in this community have had success with it when they need to verify complex benefit questions like yours.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
Just wondering - does your husband have any health issues? I know its not pleasant to think about but since your strategy depends on potentially claiming survivor benefits, his current health might make one approach better than another...
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Olivia Kay
•That's a fair question. He's in good health currently, but has some family history of heart disease. We're just trying to be prepared for all scenarios. His parents both lived into their early 80s, so longevity isn't exceptional in his family. This is partly why I'm planning around having options rather than making assumptions about timing.
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Jibriel Kohn
make sure u keep good records of everything!!! my friend had her husband die and they kept saying she already applied for survivor when she hadn't!! took months to fix and she didn't get backpay!!!
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Olivia Kay
•Oh no, that sounds awful for your friend! I'll definitely keep records of everything - dates of calls, names of representatives, and any paperwork. Thanks for the warning.
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Joshua Hellan
One more thing to consider: if your income increases significantly in the future, your early filing reduction is permanent on your own benefit, but it wouldn't affect your survivor benefit amount. So if you expect your earnings to increase substantially in the next few years, that might change your break-even analysis. Also, make sure both you and your husband have created your my Social Security accounts online. This makes it much easier to track benefits and provides better documentation.
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Olivia Kay
•That's a good point about potential income increases. I don't expect my income to change much - I plan to keep the same part-time schedule until I fully retire in a few years. We both do have our my Social Security accounts set up! I check mine regularly to verify my earnings record is accurate.
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