I am currently 58. My husband passed away nearly 2 years ago. I currently work full time and plan to stop working at age 60 and will apply for Survivor Benefits (widow's benefits). My husband retired at full retirement age and was receiving approximately $2,400/month. I understand that if I begin taking my Survivor benefits at 60, the monthly amount will be reduced by 28.5% which will give me about $1,716. I will likely work part time and earn up to the earnings test limit of $17,040. I also plan to let my own retirement benefits grow until age 70. According my SS earnings statement if I work to FRA my retirement benefit is estimated to be about $2,343. If my benefits grow with delayed credits till age 70, the monthly should grow to about $2900. With all the research I'm doing, at this point the thing I'm most concerned about is the application process and the possibility of SS making some sort of mistake. When I apply at 60 I won't be eligible for my own retirement benefits - but is there still a chance they can make a mistake and say I'm applying for both survivor and retirement benefits? I don't want to take my retirement benefits until age 70. Also, will I need to re-apply at age 65 in order to sign up for Medicare or will this be automatic? Lastly, will I need to re-apply yet again when I'm 70 in order to switch from survivor benefits to my own retirement benefits? Is there anything else I'm missing? Thank you for your help!!!

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

No, you don't need to worry about accidentally applying for retirement benefits if you file for widow's benefits at age 60. If you were within 4 months of age 62 when you filed for widow's benefits, you would then need to restrict retirement benefits from the scope of your widow's benefit application. That could be done by adding a statement in the remarks section of your application, or by correctly answering the pertinent question on the application form.

You won't need to apply for Medicare at age 65 because your enrollment will be automatic. You will, however, need to file a separate application when you want to establish entitlement to retirement benefits on your own record. You may also want to strongly consider using our maximization software to verify that you are choosing the best possible filing strategy.

Best, Jerry