Widow collecting Social Security since 61 - can I get additional benefits from my own work record at 73?

You absolutely should check if you're eligible for a higher benefit on your own record! At age 73, you're well past your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which means you'd get your maximum possible benefit if you switched to your own record. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to compare your widow's benefit to what you'd get on your own record. If your own benefit is higher, they'll switch you automatically. The good news is that there's no penalty for checking, and if your own benefit is higher, they'll give you the higher amount going forward.

my mom was in same situation widow at 60 got widow benifits and then at 70 they switch her to her own record which was like $430 more per month!! def worth checking

As someone who works with retirees, I need to provide some clarification here. The SSA does NOT automatically check if your own benefit would be higher than your survivor benefit. You need to explicitly apply for retirement benefits on your own record. If your own benefit amount would be higher than what you're currently receiving as a widow, then yes, SSA will pay you the higher amount. But they won't know to check unless you specifically apply. The good news is that, at 73, you're well past your Full Retirement Age, so you'd receive maximum delayed retirement credits on your own record. The bad news is that if your own benefit has been higher all along, you've potentially missed out on years of higher payments, as SSA generally only provides 6 months of retroactive benefits.

The SAME EXACT THING happened to my aunt!!! She collected widow's benefits for YEARS and then found out her own benefit would have been $300 more PER MONTH! But by then she could only get 6 months backpay which is RIDICULOUS!!! The SSA should be REQUIRED to tell people about this!!! They are counting on seniors not knowing the rules so they can save money!!!

I tried calling SSA about a similar situation last month and spent THREE DAYS trying to get through. The phone system is absolutely broken - I'd get disconnected after waiting on hold for an hour or more. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was the only way I could actually talk to someone about my benefits question. Might be worth checking out if you want to get this resolved quickly.

my aunt got widows benefits at 60 and then her own at 67 but i think thats different than what your asking

To clarify some misinformation in this thread: The SSA is supposed to check which benefit is higher when you apply initially. However, if your own benefit was lower than your widow's benefit when you applied at 61, but then grew higher (due to delayed retirement credits or earnings recalculations), they wouldn't automatically know to switch you. Regarding documents, you shouldn't need anything special for the call. They'll have your records in their system. Just have your Social Security number handy, and maybe a recent statement if you have one. I do recommend visiting an actual SSA office for this kind of review if possible, as it's a somewhat complex situation that's better handled in person. Schedule an appointment online to avoid the wait.

Just wondering but do u have to pay tax on the backpay if they owe you? my mom got a lump sum and it messed up her taxes that yr

I want to thank everyone for your helpful responses. I was able to get through to SSA (used that Claimyr service that someone suggested - worked great) and found out my own benefit would actually be about $370 more per month than my widow's benefit! They're processing the change now and said I'll get 6 months of backpay. I'm disappointed I missed out on years of higher payments, but I'm grateful for the increase going forward. For anyone else in a similar situation, definitely check if you're receiving the highest benefit you're entitled to!