My wife born in 1952 passed away in 2011. She was 9 years older than I. I will be turning 60 in Jan of 2021. My social security is less than hers. I am wondering if I can draw on mine at age 60 than switch and draw on hers after I turn 62.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

No, the earliest that you could collect your own Social Security retirement benefits is at age 62. The only way that you could draw benefits on your own record before then is if you're disabled and you qualify for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits.

Depending how much you'll be earning if you're working, and how much less your own benefit rate is compared to your potential widower's rate, your best filing strategy is almost certainly one of the following:
1) File for reduced widow's benefits at age 60 or as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then switch to your own record at age 70; or,
2) File for reduced retirement benefits on your own record at age 62 or as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then file for unreduced widow's benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

Normally, you would want to start out drawing the lower benefit first and then switch to the higher record when it reaches it's highest potential rate. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could help you sort this all out so that you can determine your optimal filing strategy.

Best, Jerry