Switching from Social Security survivor benefits to retirement at FRA - is my plan financially sound?

First, I'm so sorry for your loss and your health challenges. Your plan is actually quite solid. Since survivor benefits reach FRA earlier than retirement benefits (a detail many people miss), you're right about being able to file for survivor benefits in December 2024 and then switch to your own retirement benefits in April 2025.This is one of the few remaining opportunities for \

Thank you for confirming my understanding! I was worried I might have misunderstood how the FRA works differently for survivor benefits vs retirement. Do you happen to know if there's any special paperwork I need to complete when switching from survivor to my own benefits in April? Or is it a straightforward process?

sry bout ur husband. my mom did something like this after dad passed. she took survivors at 60 (i think??) then switched to her own at 67. but SSA messed up her payments for like 3 months when she switched!! she kept calling and nobody would help her. just fyi the switching part can be a headache.

I had the EXACT same experience when I tried to switch from survivor to retirement benefits! Called the SSA for WEEKS with no luck - always busy signals or disconnects after waiting on hold forever. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent within 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUIt was seriously the only way I got my benefit switch processed correctly. With your health challenges, you definitely don't need the added stress of trying to reach someone at SSA.

I think your ACTUALLY making this harder than it needs to be!!! If you wait until your FULL retirement age in April you can just file for BOTH benefits at the same time and they'll automatically give you whichever is higher. Why bother with all this switching nonsense??

That's not quite accurate. The OP's plan to take survivor benefits a few months earlier than her own retirement benefit is financially advantageous. By taking the survivor benefit in December (when she reaches survivor FRA) and then switching to her own higher benefit in April (when she reaches her retirement FRA), she'll collect 4 months of benefits she would otherwise miss out on if she waited until April to file for both. Since she plans to reduce her work hours during medical treatment, those 4 months of income could be quite important.

Oh i didnt realize that! Sorry for the confusion!

First off, I am SO SORRY for everything you're going through! Life can be so unfair sometimes!!! I went through something sort of similar when my husband passed (not the health issues thank goodness) and I can tell you that dealing with Social Security while grieving is BEYOND STRESSFUL!I tried doing exactly what you're planning - started my survivor benefits at 66 (my survivor FRA) and planned to switch to my own higher benefit at my regular FRA. But when the time came to switch, I ran into SO MANY PROBLEMS!!! They kept telling me different things every time I called! One agent said I was already getting the higher benefit (WRONG!), another said I had to file a new application (also wrong!), and a third told me I could never switch (COMPLETELY WRONG)!!I don't want to scare you, but PLEASE start the process of requesting the switch at least 2-3 months before April. Document EVERYTHING. Get names and employee IDs of everyone you talk to. The system is a NIGHTMARE!

Oh no, that sounds incredibly frustrating! I definitely don't need that kind of stress on top of everything else. I'll make sure to start the process well before April and keep detailed records of all communications. Did you eventually get it sorted out correctly? And about how long did it take once you got through to the right person?

Your strategy is sound and demonstrates good planning. I'd like to add a few technical points that might help:1. The survivor benefit at your FRA will be 100% of your husband's benefit amount, including any cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that have been applied since his passing.2. Regarding the earnings test between December 2024 and April 2025: For 2024, the annual exempt amount is $23,400 (likely to increase slightly for 2025). However, in the calendar year you reach full retirement age, a higher exempt amount applies ($62,760 in 2024) AND only earnings before the month you reach FRA count.3. Once you reach your retirement FRA in April 2025, the earnings test disappears completely - you can earn any amount without reduction to benefits.4. For the actual switch in April 2025, contact SSA about 2-3 months in advance. This isn't an automatic process; you need to specifically request to switch from the survivor benefit to your retirement benefit. The technical term is \

this is all great info but most people i know who try calling SSA just get busy signals or disconnected. ive heard they're shortstaffed by like 5000 workers and cant keep up with calls. maybe try going to the local office instead?

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice and support! I feel much more confident about my plan now, but also prepared for the potential hurdles when it comes time to switch benefits.I'm going to start gathering all my documentation now, including my husband's death certificate, our marriage certificate, recent tax returns, and my birth certificate. Is there anything else I should have ready?Also, should I try to schedule an appointment at my local SSA office for December, or is this something I can do entirely online?

For documentation, you've covered the basics. You might also want to have your husband's Social Security number and your most recent W-2 or 1099 forms.As for application method, you can start the survivor benefit application online, but in complicated situations like yours (planning a future switch), I'd recommend at least a phone appointment to ensure everything is noted correctly in your record. You can try to schedule an in-person appointment at your local office, but they're often booked months in advance.Given your health situation, start the process early - perhaps in October. And when you speak with an agent, explicitly state that you want to restrict your application to ONLY survivor benefits because you plan to switch to your own higher retirement benefit at your FRA in April. Ask them to note this in your file and get confirmation that they understand your intention.

Great advice - thank you! I'll definitely start in October and make sure to be very clear about restricting my application to survivor benefits only. With everything going on with my health, I want this process to be as smooth as possible.

my friend got cancer last year and couldnt work anymore she applied for disability instead of retirement even tho she was 63. maybe thats something to look into? if ur doing chemo and stuff maybe u qualify for SSDI and then switch to retirement later?? just an idea

While that's worth considering, SSDI applications typically take 3-5 months for initial decisions, and many first-time applications are denied, leading to appeals that can take a year or more. Given that the original poster will be eligible for survivor benefits in December 2024 and her own retirement benefits in April 2025, pursuing SSDI might not be the most efficient path in her specific situation.Additionally, SSDI benefits are calculated similarly to retirement benefits, so at her age, the benefit amount would likely be comparable to her retirement benefit. The main advantage would be Medicare eligibility after 24 months of SSDI entitlement, but that's a longer timeframe than her path to full retirement age.

oh that makes sense! i didnt realize SSDI takes so long to get approved, thats crazy! ur right that waiting for survivor benefits is probably faster

One thing nobody has mentioned - depending on when your husband started his benefits at 62, his benefit amount was likely reduced by about 25-30% from what he would have received at his full retirement age. When calculating your survivor benefit, SSA might use a higher amount than what he was actually receiving. They sometimes give survivors a special calculation called the

Thank you for that perspective and the information about the special calculation! I hadn't heard about that. You make a good point about treatment costs. I've been saving for unexpected expenses, but it's hard to know exactly what I'll be facing. My treatments start next week, so I'm thinking it might still make sense to stick with the December timeline since it's not that far away. I'm trying to balance immediate needs with long-term financial security.Thank you for the well wishes - it means a lot coming from someone who's been through it.

I want to echo everyone's condolences - dealing with loss, health challenges, and navigating Social Security all at once is incredibly difficult. Your plan shows remarkable foresight given everything you're facing. One additional consideration: since you're self-employed and will be reducing hours significantly during treatment, you might want to calculate your projected 2024 and 2025 earnings carefully. The earnings test calculations can be tricky when your income varies monthly, especially when you're transitioning between different benefit types. Also, I'd strongly recommend getting a recent Social Security statement (you can access it online at ssa.gov/myaccount) to verify your projected retirement benefit amount. This will help you confirm that your own retirement benefit is indeed higher than the survivor benefit you'll be receiving. Your approach of wanting to "work less and live more" resonates deeply. Sometimes life's challenges help us prioritize what truly matters. Wishing you strength through your treatments and a smooth experience with Social Security.