When to tell Social Security about switching from retirement to survivor benefits at FRA?
I'm turning 65 next month (January) and trying to figure out this two-step strategy with Social Security. My plan is to claim my own retirement benefits now, then switch to my late husband's survivor benefits when I reach my full retirement age of 66 years and 8 months since his benefit would be about $825 more per month than mine. My questions: 1. When I apply for my own retirement benefits, do I need to tell SSA upfront that I plan to switch to survivor benefits at my FRA? Or do I just apply for retirement now and then file a separate application for survivor benefits when I reach FRA? 2. Is it better to apply online or make an in-person appointment? I've heard horror stories about both. 3. When would I actually receive my first payment? Would it be in February since I turn 65 in January? 4. Does it make any difference if I apply now versus waiting until right before my birthday in January? I've read so many conflicting things online and just want to make sure I don't mess this up. Thanks for any help!
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Jeremiah Brown
You don't need to tell SSA now about your future plans to switch to survivor benefits. These are completely separate applications. Apply for your retirement benefits now, then when you reach your FRA (66 and 8 months), file a separate application for survivor benefits. As for applying online vs. in person - online is generally faster and more convenient for retirement benefits. The survivor benefit application will need to be done either by phone or in person when that time comes. If you apply now for benefits to start in January (your birth month), you'll receive your first payment in February (SS pays a month behind). Whether you apply now or right before your birthday doesn't matter much as long as you're applying for benefits to begin in January. Just make sure you have all your documents ready: birth certificate, marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, and your bank information for direct deposit.
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JacksonHarris
•Thank you so much for this clear explanation! So to confirm, I should just focus on my retirement application now and not mention anything about survivor benefits until I reach 66 and 8 months? That makes it simpler for sure. One more question - when I DO apply for survivor benefits at my FRA, will my retirement benefits automatically stop or do I need to specifically request to switch from one to the other?
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Royal_GM_Mark
hi there! i did something similar last yr but opposite way, started w/ reduced survivors at 60 then switching to my own at 70. the SSA ppl never asked about future plans when i applied for survivors so dont think you need 2 mention the switch now. just do your own retirement application and worry about survivors later when u hit FRA.
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JacksonHarris
•Thanks for sharing your experience! That's reassuring to hear. Did you apply online or go to the office for your initial application?
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Royal_GM_Mark
•started online for survivors but ended up having to call them anyway. they need to see the death certificate and stuff so survivors is hard to do completely online. but your retirement should be easier to do online now!
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Amelia Cartwright
I'd like to add some important context about the strategy you're planning. This approach (taking your own retirement benefit first, then switching to the higher survivor benefit at FRA) is indeed the optimal strategy in your situation. The reason this works is that survivor benefits reach their maximum at your FRA, while your own retirement benefits don't reach their maximum until age 70. Since you mentioned your survivor benefit will be higher, it makes perfect sense to: 1. Take your own reduced retirement benefit at 65 2. Switch to your maximum survivor benefit at your FRA (66+8mo) This is different from spousal benefits, which work differently. You're on the right track! Just make sure when you reach your FRA that you actually follow through with the application for survivor benefits, as SSA won't automatically make this change.
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Chris King
DON'T apply online!!!! My sister tried that and it was a DISASTER!!! The website crashed halfway through and when she called they had NO RECORD of her application!!! She had to start all over AND lost a month of benefits!!!! Go to the office in person where you can get PROOF that you applied!!!!!
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Jeremiah Brown
•While I understand your sister had a bad experience, many people successfully apply online without issues. If you're concerned about the online application, you can always apply online and then call SSA to confirm they received your application. They can provide a confirmation number over the phone. Just save your application receipt number if you apply online.
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Chris King
•Maybe it works for SOME people but why take the risk???? Too many horror stories out there. And good luck trying to CALL them - I was on hold for TWO HOURS last time I tried!!!! In-person is the ONLY way to be SURE!!!!!!
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Rachel Clark
I had a similar situation last year trying to call SSA about switching benefits. Spent days trying to get through - constant busy signals, disconnections, etc. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration. The agent I spoke with was able to explain exactly when and how to apply for the switch to survivor benefits.
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Royal_GM_Mark
•does that thing really work? ive never heard of it before but man those hold times are brutal
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Rachel Clark
•Yes, it worked surprisingly well for me. After trying for 3 days to reach someone, I was connected in minutes. The agent walked me through all the documentation I'd need for both applications. Much better than waiting for hours or trying to piece together info from the website.
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Zachary Hughes
just wondering does it matter when in january your actual birthday is? like if its early january vs end of month? might affect payment timing
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Jeremiah Brown
•Good question. For Social Security purposes, you're considered to be the age you're turning for the entire month of your birthday. So whether your birthday is January 1st or January 31st, you're considered 65 for the entire month of January. Benefits would start for January (paid in February) regardless of which day your birthday falls on.
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Mia Alvarez
I went through something similar last year when I was deciding between my own benefits and my late husband's. I found that applying at least 3 months before you want benefits to start gives SSA enough time to process everything. I applied in March for a June start date, and everything went smoothly. One thing to consider: when you switch to survivor benefits, you'll need to provide your marriage certificate and your spouse's death certificate if you haven't already done so for any prior SSA business. Having these documents ready ahead of time will make the process much smoother when you reach your FRA. In my case, I found applying online for my retirement benefits was straightforward, but I had to call for the survivor benefits part. Hope this helps!
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JacksonHarris
•Thank you for sharing your experience! I do have all those documents ready. Did you end up switching from one benefit to another like I'm planning to do? If so, was there any gap in payments during the transition?
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Mia Alvarez
•Yes, I switched from my own to survivor's when it made sense financially. There was no gap in payments, but there was about a 6-week processing time for the survivor application. The key was applying for the survivor benefits about 3-4 weeks before I wanted the switch to happen. The SSA representative told me they'd automatically stop my retirement benefit when the survivor benefit began. Just make sure you follow up if you don't see the change after a couple of months.
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JacksonHarris
Thank you all so much for this helpful information! I feel much better about my plan now. I think I'll apply online for my retirement benefits this week (aiming for a January start date) and then set a reminder in my calendar for 3 months before my FRA to start the survivor benefits application process. It's reassuring to know I don't need to mention my future plans during this initial application. And I'll make sure to have all my documents ready when it's time to apply for survivor benefits. If anyone has additional advice about the actual application process or things I should watch out for, I'd still love to hear it. Thanks again to everyone who responded!
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