My husband died in 2018. I turned 60 in 2021. Can I draw his SS benefits until full retirement?

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. You may be able to draw widow's benefits now, but whether or not you could actually be paid benefits depends on your work and earnings. There is a Social Security earnings test that limits the amount that a person can earn and still be able to collect benefits prior to their full retirement age (FRA) (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/whileworking.html).

Furthermore, even if you can collect widow's benefits now, it may or may not be advisable to do so. Your widow's rate will be reduced for age if you start drawing your benefits early, so filing early may not be a good strategy unless you can claim higher benefits in the future based on your own earnings history.

It sounds like your best strategy for claiming benefits would likely be one of the following:
1) File for reduced widow's benefits now or as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then switch to your own record at age 70; or,
2) File for reduced retirement benefits on your own record at age 62 or as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then file for unreduced widow's benefits at your full retirement age (FRA). However, if your husband collected reduced benefits before he died then that could affect your optimal strategy.

Normally, you would want to start out drawing the lower benefit first and then switch to the higher benefit when it reaches its highest potential rate. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could help sort all of this out for you so that you can determine the best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry