Hi. I. Was wondering if I am currently receiving survivor benefits based on caring for DAC (75%), am I able to change my benefit to a widow benefit when I reach full retirement age of 67 and get the 100% survivor benefit. Thank you so much.

Hi. Yes, but depending on the family maximum benefit (FMB) limit on your deceased spouse's account you might not be able to be paid the full 100% rate.

Your optimal claiming strategy depends on a number of different factors, such as whether or not you are insured for benefits based on your own earnings history, and whether or not your deceased spouse collected reduced Social Security retirement benefits prior to his or her death. You may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze the options available to you in order to determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry