Will our age gap reduce my Social Security survivor benefits when taking reduced retirement at 62?

Good news - Social Security does NOT reduce survivor benefits based on the age difference between spouses. The age gap between you and your husband won't affect your survivor benefit amount at all. What WILL affect your survivor benefit is when YOU claim it. If you take survivor benefits before your full retirement age (FRA), they'll be reduced. But if you wait until your FRA (67 in your case), you'll get 100% of what your husband was receiving. Your strategy sounds solid: claim your own reduced benefit now, then switch to the higher survivor benefit if/when that unfortunate time comes. Just keep in mind that your own benefit will be permanently reduced by claiming at 62, but that doesn't impact your eventual survivor benefit amount. One thing to consider: make sure your current earnings won't cause benefits withholding due to the earnings test if you're still working. In 2025, you can only earn up to $22,750 before they start withholding $1 for every $2 you earn above that threshold.

hi there im in almost same boat as u. husband 8 yrs older than me and he got the big SS check lol. i talked to SSA last yr and they told me what the other person said is right - no reduction for age diff between spouses. but be careful about working while collecting!! they will take back some of ur money and its a big hassle. happened to my sister

I'm a retired financial advisor who specialized in Social Security claiming strategies. The previous responses are correct that age difference doesn't affect survivor benefits. However, I want to highlight something important about your strategy: If you claim your own benefits at 62 (25-30% reduction), and then your husband passes away while you're between 62-67, you would have a choice: 1. Take the survivor benefit immediately (but reduced because you're under FRA) 2. Wait until 67 to get the full survivor benefit (100% of his amount) During that waiting period (if you choose option 2), you'd still receive your own reduced benefit. Another consideration: the earnings test won't apply once you reach your FRA. At that point, SSA will recalculate your benefit to credit back some of what was withheld during the years you were subject to the earnings test. With your specific numbers, waiting 18 months until you fully retire might be the most financially optimal approach. The permanent reduction at 62 is significant.

WAIT!!! Be very careful here! I went through this exact situation and the SSA representatives gave me WRONG information THREE TIMES!!! They kept telling me different things about survivor benefits and it cost me thousands!! The rules about switching from your own benefit to survivor benefits are VERY complicated. When my husband died, I was told I could switch to his higher amount but then they denied it saying I had to wait!! DON'T trust what they tell you on the phone. Go IN PERSON to your local office with ALL your documents and get everything in writing!!! The whole system is designed to CONFUSE us and make us lose money!!

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but has anyone had experience with calling the SSA lately? I've been trying for WEEKS to reach someone about my survivor benefits and can't get through. Either wait times of 2+ hours or it just disconnects me. Really frustrated as I have a deadline coming up to respond to them.

Thank you all for the extremely helpful responses! I've learned so much. Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1. Wait until I fully retire in 18 months before claiming any benefits to avoid the earnings test complications 2. Schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office to verify all this information 3. Get the details in writing about how survivor benefits would work in my specific situation It's such a relief to know the age gap won't reduce my survivor benefits. That was my biggest concern. And the warning about getting conflicting information from SSA reps is definitely noted - I'll make sure to document everything carefully.

just remebered something else - my neighbor said she had to provide marriage certificate when applying for survivor benifits. make sure u know where yours is! they are super strict about documentation