If a husband claims benefits at FRA of 66 (Wife is collecting her own benefit), but passes away six months later, can the wife choose to return his payments, with the intent of taking the husband’s increased benefit when she turns 70? Thank you

Hi,

No. You can't withdraw a deceased person's claim after their benefits have started, so the wife in your question could not undo her husband's application even if she returned the benefits he was paid. If any case, though, delayed retirement credits (DRC) can't accrue after a person's death, so there'd be no advantage to withdrawing the husband's claim in a case like this. Nor could the wife get a higher widow's rate by waiting until age 70 to apply.

Since her husband filed at full retirement age (FRA), this wife's unreduced widow's rate would be based on 100% of the deceased husband's full retirement age rate, or primary insurance amount (PIA). She'd get that rate if she files for her widow's benefits at her full retirement age (FRA) or any time after that. She wouldn't get that full rate plus her own benefits, though, just the higher of the two benefit amounts.

Best, Jerry