Hi, Larry.
My dear husband passed away about a year and a half ago at the age of 61. He was still working and had not filed for Social Security. I just turned 65 and am still working. My SS at FRA or even at 70 will in all likelihood never be as much as my husband's.
My understanding is that I can receive his full SS at my FRA which will be next August. It is also my understanding that because he has passed away, his account will never grow with passing years (as mine might if I delay taking it until age 70) so there is no point in delaying beyond my 66th birthday.
Question- Am I correct in my understanding of the rules? If so, does it make sense for me to file for MY SS now and receive reduced benefits on my account until August and then switch to his? I am thinking that since I can't take both concurrently, I would otherwise completely lose mine. 8 months worth is better than nothing...

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

If you are absolutely certain that your own retirement benefit rate would not exceed your full widow's rate even if you continue working and wait until age 70 to file for your retirement benefits, then yes it would probably be best for you to file for reduced retirement benefits as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid. You would then want to file for your higher unreduced widow's benefits effective with the month you reach full retirement age (FRA), because you're correct that your widow's rate would not get any higher if you waited past FRA to file.

The best time for you to file for your retirement benefits depends on the amount that you'll be earning this year and next year prior to August (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html). Our maximization software could help you determine your best option.

Before filing you'll want to be certain that your own retirement rate would not grow to be higher than your widow's rate even with your future earnings and if you waited until age 70 to start drawing. If your own retirement rate would in fact be higher at age 70 than your unreduced widow's rate, it would almost certainly be more advantageous for you to file for widow's benefits as soon as your earnings would permit at least some benefits to be paid. You could then switch to your higher retirement benefits at age 70. You may want to strongly consider using the benefit calculator included in our software to verify your potential retirement benefit rate at age 70 so that you can be sure you're choosing the best possible strategy.

Best, Jerry