I am 60 yrs old and have been a nurse for many years. I have applied for SSDI but have not been approved as yet.( I expect they will deny it ) I am divorced and my ex-husband is 82 yrs old and he began taking his Social security at age 62 and he has remarried. We were married for 16 yrs and have been divorced for over 2 yrs. He is in poor health and I don't expect him to live much longer. Would it be better financially for me to wait and get survivor's benefits ( He is getting about $1400 a month from SS) and suspend my filing for my own SS until at least 66 years and 6 maths ( my full retirement age) or even to age 70. Would it make better financial sense to forego the disability claim? ( my disability would also be around $1400 a month according to SS). Can I get disability (if they grant it) in the next couple of years and then get my full retirement payout ($1700 + per month at age 66 1/2 or over $2,000 at age 70) ... I know this sounds complicated ...and I know they changed the rules for file and suspend in 2015 so I don't know what the best financial strategy is.

Hi,

Well, if your full retirement age rate (PIA) is roughly $1700, that's also how much you would receive monthly if you're approved for SSDI (Social Security disability benefits). Your SSDI would then convert to regular retirement benefits at the same rate when you reach full retirement age. And, if that amount is accurate and you are approved for SSDI, it's unlikely that you would ever qualify for any additional surviving divorced spousal benefits benefits. Your potential survivor rate would be limited to no more than 82.5% of your ex's PIA since he took his benefits at age 62. And, since that would apparently be lower than your SSDI you likely wouldn't then be eligible for survivor benefits.

On the other hand, if your ex was to die soon and you weren't approved for SSDI (or if you withdrew your claim), then you could file for reduced surviving divorced spousal benefits and wait until age 70 to file for your own retirement benefits. It sounds like that would be a good option in your case, but it's obviously not a possibility unless and until your ex-husband dies.

So, you'll have to decide for yourself what you think is best. One additional consideration is that if you're approved for SSDI you will be eligible for Medicare 2 years after your initial month of SSDI entitlement, whereas you otherwise won't be eligible for Medicare until age 65.

Best, Jerry