Hi Larry- My question you you is this....I’ve been married 2 times and each marriage lasted over 10 years each! Both ex-husbands are deceased. I am almost 56 and still work myself....I have heard that I can start collecting from one of them when I reach 60 and continue to work! If I do collect on one record when I’m 60 can I still continue to work? And how much do I get to collect? Would like to not touch mine for as long as possible (till 70) ....Is it a percentage I get each month? And I was also told about survivors one time benefit? Not sure if so qualify for that being it’s been 9 years since we spilt and he passed. Thank you for your time and advice!!

Hi,

Whether or not you could be paid survivor benefits when you reach age 60 depends on how much you are earning. Social Security's earnings test would require $1 of your benefits to be withheld for each $2 that you earn in excess of the exempt earnings amount, which in 2020 is $18,240. However, there is no limit on how much you could earn and still be able to draw benefits once you reach full retirement age (FRA).

You could potentially file for survivor benefits at age 60 or as soon as your earnings will permit payment of at least some benefits while allowing your own Social Security retirement benefit rate to grow until age 70. You might also be able to file for survivor benefits on one ex-spouse's record at age 60 and then switch to drawing on the other ex-spouse's account at FRA. Which strategy is best depends on your relative benefit rates and the amount that you'll be earning per year between age 60 and FRA.

The only one-time payment that Social Security pays is the $255 lump sum death benefit. That benefit can only be paid to widow's or eligible children of the deceased, not to surviving divorced spouses. I can't tell from your question whether your marriages ended in death or divorce, but even if you were widowed you would have to have applied within 2 years of the death in order to qualify for the $255 death benefit.

Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could help you sort out all of your various options so that you can determine the best strategy for claiming your benefits.

Best, Jerry