Trying to help friend with limited English. Not sure if social security provided her correct info.
Her husband passed away at age 58 and never collected
She turned 60 in may 2019 and is working
And intends to keep working to FRA. She earns more than the $17 500 earning threshold.
Social Security has told her she does not need to file for widowers benefits, that she can do so at FRA and will automatically receive 100% of his benefit.
Is it true she does not need to file now?
At FRA does her widow benefit get added to her social security? As a lump sum or over time?
Is the amount calculated from his date of death. even though she was told by SSA
not to do anything now?
Appreciate your clarification on this issue.
Sara

Hi Sara,

Your friend isn't required to file for widower's benefits now, and if she does so her benefit rate will be reduced for age and her benefit payments could be subject to full or partial withholding depending on how much she earns (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html).

Your friend will never be able to draw both her own Social Security retirement benefits and a full widower's benefit at the same time. The most that she could be paid is the higher of those two benefit amounts. However, she could potentially file for one type of benefit initially, and then switch to drawing the other benefit at a later date.

It sounds like your friend's best filing strategy would almost certainly be one of the following:
1) File for reduced widow's benefits now or as soon as her earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then switch to her own record at age 70; or,
2) File for reduced retirement benefits on her own record at age 62 or as soon as her earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then file for unreduced widow's benefits at her full retirement age (FRA).

Normally, your friend would want to start out drawing the lower benefit first and then switch to the higher record when it reaches it's highest potential rate. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could sort all of this out for your friend and help her determine her optimal filing strategy.

Best, Jerry