Will I get my husband's age 70 increased Social Security amount or just his FRA benefit as survivor?

I went through this exact same situation last year when my wife passed away. She had delayed until 70 and was getting a much larger check than me. When I contacted Social Security, they told me I would receive her FULL age 70 benefit amount as my survivor benefit, NOT just what she would have gotten at FRA. That's actually one of the main advantages of delaying - it protects the surviving spouse with a higher benefit. Make sure you keep all your husband's information organized and accessible. When the time comes (hopefully many years from now), you'll need his death certificate and your marriage certificate when you apply for survivor benefits. The SSA will compare your own benefit to what you'd get as a survivor and pay you the higher amount.

u get the higher amount hes getting now at 70. thats why lots of ppl delay if they can afford to. its like insurance for the spouse with lower benefit.

Yes, you will receive his age 70 benefit amount as your survivor benefit, assuming it's higher than your own benefit (which in your case it is). This is one of the key reasons financial advisors often recommend that the higher-earning spouse delay benefits until 70, especially if there's a significant difference between the two spouses' benefit amounts. The technical explanation: Survivor benefits are based on the actual amount the deceased was receiving at death, including any delayed retirement credits (DRCs). Those DRCs your husband earned by waiting until 70 will transfer to you as the surviving spouse. I should note that there's a 2-3 month processing time for survivor benefits, so having emergency funds available is important. Also, you cannot apply for survivor benefits online - you must either call SSA or visit an office.

When my husband died last year, SSA told me I could only get what he would've gotten at his FRA, not his age 70 amount!!! I didn't know enough to question it and now I'm worried I'm getting shorted nearly $800/month!!!! This is WHY I HATE dealing with Social Security - nobody seems to know the correct information, even their own employees!!! I'm calling them tomorrow to demand an explanation!!!

You will receive his full age-70 benefit amount as your survivor benefit, which is one of the significant advantages of delaying Social Security. This strategy creates a higher survivor benefit that lasts for the rest of your life. One thing to be aware of: when your husband passes away (though I hope that's many years from now), you'll need to contact Social Security promptly. You cannot report a death or apply for survivor benefits online - you must call SSA or visit an office in person. I know from personal experience that reaching SSA by phone can be incredibly frustrating with wait times often exceeding 2 hours. I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. This can save a lot of frustration when you need to make changes to your benefits or apply for survivor benefits.

Be careful about some of these answers. The rules around survivor benefits have changed several times in the last decade. Your exact birth year, when your husband was born, and when he started claiming can all affect the calculation. While GENERALLY yes, you would receive his age 70 amount (including delayed retirement credits), you should get official confirmation from SSA based on your specific situation. There are exceptions and special cases. Also, don't forget about the one-time death benefit of $255. It's small, but people often forget to claim it.

My mother-in-law just went through this last year. Her husband had waited until 70 to collect, and when he passed away, she did indeed get his full age-70 benefit amount. BUT she had to physically go to the Social Security office with a LOT of documentation. They wouldn't handle it over the phone or online, and the wait time at our local office was over 3 hours! Bring a book if you ever have to go there...

my neighbor said she only got her husbands FRA amount not his age 70 amount when he died. maybe the rules changed?

After reading through all these comments, I want to clarify something important: There's a difference between SPOUSAL benefits during your husband's lifetime (which are based on his FRA amount) and SURVIVOR benefits after he passes (which include his delayed retirement credits up to age 70). This confusion might explain why your friends gave you different answers - they might have been thinking about different benefits. But rest assured, as a widow, you would receive his full age-70 benefit amount as your survivor benefit, assuming it's higher than your own benefit. This is exactly why my financial advisor encouraged my wife to delay claiming until 70 - to protect me with a higher survivor benefit if she passes first (she had the higher earnings record).