Re: Delayed Retirement Credit and Surviving Spouses without their own SS

Can Surviving Spouses with no SS benefits of their own, put off taking their deceased husbands SS benefits to gain Delayed Retirement Credits?

Hi,

No, widows and surviving divorced spouses cannot earn delayed retirement credits by waiting past their full retirement age (FRA) to start drawing survivor benefits. Their survivor benefit rate would be no higher at age 70 than it would have been if they had started drawing at FRA, so there is no reason to wait past FRA to claim survivor benefits.

Best, Jerry