My wife died 5 years ago at 63 and had worked for 11-12 years. I am 65 and not collecting SS. Can I collect survivor''s benefits based on her SS and delay my filing?

Hi,

Yes, it sounds like you should be eligible for widower's benefits, although if you are still working the Social Security earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html) may limit what you can draw before you reach full retirement age (FRA).

Your best strategy is likely to file for widower's benefits as soon as your earnings will permit payment, and then switch to your own account at age 70. In some cases, however, that's not the best strategy so you may wish to run the maximization software available on this website in order to be sure.

Best, Jerry