My husband and I have been married for 19 years. I have always earned considerably more income than him and my social security rate will be greater than his. I am 64 and currently working. I intend to work until at least 70 and have not ever filed for social security. He is 78 and is extremely ill. He will be going on hospice. He has been receiving a pension and social security for several years. When he passes will I be able to receive his benefits and can I continue to work?

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's condition.

If your husband dies you could potentially claim widow's benefits as early as the month of his death while letting your own benefit rate grow until age 70. However, your benefits could be subject to full or partial withholding until you reach full retirement age (FRA) based on Social Security's earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html). So, how soon you could actually be paid widow's benefits would depend on the level of your earnings as well as the amount of your widow's benefit.

Before filing for benefits, you should strongly consider using our maximization software to explore your options. The software should be able to help you determine the precise optimal strategy for when to claim both your widow's benefits and your own retirement benefits.

Best, Jerry