If I do not file for any Retirement Benefits from SSA, and should die before filing, how are my spouses benefits calculated? My FRA benefit is 1630. per month. I am 65, my spouse is 44, and would only qualify for a spousal benefit at her FRA, even i dont file for benefits? How would that amount be calculated?

Hi. If you die before full retirement age (FRA) without having applied for your benefits, your surviving spouse's unreduced benefit rate would be calculated based on 100% of your primary insurance amount (PIA). Your PIA is basically the Social Security retirement benefit rate you would receive if you started drawing at FRA. If you die after the month you reach FRA and without having applied for benefits your surviving spouse's unreduced benefit rate would be calculated based on 100% of your PIA increased by the delayed retirement credits (DRC) that you earned up to the month of your death.

For example, say Bob was planning to wait until age 70 to start drawing Social Security retirement benefits, but he dies in the month he turned age 68. Bob was born in 1954, making his FRA age 66. Therefore, Bob had earned 24 months worth of DRCs by the time he died. DRCs add 2/3rds of 1% per month to a person's benefit rate, so if Bob had started drawing his benefits effective with his month of death, his benefit rate would have been calculated by increasing his PIA by 16% (i.e. 2/3rds of 1% x 24). If Bob's surviving spouse starts drawing widow's benefits at her FRA or later, she could then be paid Bob's full benefit rate including DRCs. So, if Bob's PIA was $1600, for example, his surviving spouse's unreduced widow's rate would be $1856 (i.e. $1600 x 1.16).

Unless your wife has a child in her care who qualifies for benefits on your record, the earliest that she could qualify for widow's benefits is at age 60, or age 50 if she's disabled. If your wife starts drawing reduced widow's benefits at age 60 or earlier, her benefit rate would be calculated at 71.5% of the higher of a) your PIA, or b) your full monthly benefit rate including DRCs. Thus, if Bob's wife in our example above starts drawing widow's benefits in the month she reaches age 60, her benefit rate would be $1327 (i.e. $1856 x .715). Or, if Bob's wife starts drawing widow's benefits between age 60 and FRA she'd receive a percentage somewhere between 71.5% & 100% of $1856 depending on her age at the time she starts drawing.

You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze all of your options so that you can determine the best strategy for maximizing benefits for you and your wife.

Best, Jerry