When can I claim maximum survivor benefits if my husband died at 70? FRA confusion

I'm very sorry for your loss. To answer your question directly: survivor benefits have a different full retirement age rule than regular retirement benefits. You're right to be confused as this trips up many people! For survivor benefits only, you can receive the FULL amount (100% of what your husband was receiving) at your FRA for survivor benefits, which is indeed a few months earlier than your regular FRA. So if your regular FRA is 67 years and 2 months, your survivor FRA is likely around 66 years and 8 months, just as you heard. This is one of those quirks in the Social Security system that isn't well publicized. I'd recommend calling SSA directly to confirm the exact date for your specific situation, as they can look at your record and tell you precisely.

OK i went thru this exact thing last year when my wife died. IT IS SO CONFUSING!!!! The FRA for survivors is dfferent than regular retirement FRA and nobody bothers to TELL you that!!! I spent 3 months thinking one thing only to find out totaly different rules apply. The best thing is call SSA directly and MAKE THEM tell you the exact date you can file for 100% survivor benefits, get the persons name to, because sometimes they give wrong info!!

So sorry about your husband. When my mom was in your situation, she just went to the local office and they helped her figure it all out. Much easier than trying to understand all these complicated rules on your own.

The confusion is understandable, but I can confirm the information you received is correct. For survivor benefits, the FRA schedule is different than for retirement benefits. Here's the specific breakdown: If you were born in 1956-1957 (which seems likely given your FRA of 67y2m), your survivor benefit FRA would be 66y8m. Full retirement age for survivors follows this schedule: - Born 1939 or earlier: 65 - 1940: 65 and 2 months - 1941: 65 and 4 months - 1942: 65 and 6 months - 1943: 65 and 8 months - 1944: 65 and 10 months - 1945-1956: 66 - 1957: 66 and 2 months - 1958: 66 and 4 months - 1959: 66 and 6 months - 1960: 66 and 8 months - 1961: 66 and 10 months - 1962 or later: 67 So yes, you can claim the full survivor benefit 6 months earlier than your regular FRA.

For what it's worth, I went through this last year after losing my husband. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security on the phone - constant busy signals or being disconnected after waiting for hours. I finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) after someone in another widow group recommended it. They got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed my exact date for full survivor benefits. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're interested. It really helped me get a definitive answer without the endless phone frustration.

just wanted to say ur smart to even know about waiting. my sister took her survivors right away at 60 and now regrets it cuz she gets way less than if she had waited. dont know about the exact age tho sorry

The whole system is DESIGNED to be confusing so people mess up and get less money!!!! This is why the government websites never explain things clearly. Different FRAs for different benefits is just one more way they try to shortchange seniors. I waited until EXACTLY the right month for my survivors after my husband died and it made a $400/month difference compared to what they initially told me I would get. Don't trust anything they say without double-checking!

One important thing to consider in your situation: Since you're already receiving your own retirement benefits, when you apply for survivor benefits, you'll receive the higher of the two amounts, not both combined. So if your husband's benefit (which would become your survivor benefit at full survivor FRA) is significantly higher than your current reduced retirement benefit, the switch will be worthwhile. This is why timing is so important in your case.

Has anyone noticed how they changed the survivor rules lately?? My friend who just applied got different info than I did 2 years ago. The whole system changes constantly!

good luck with everything... losing a spouse is so hard... the benefits stuff is just extra stress nobody needs