I am currently receiving survivors benefits and want to start my own benefit Jan 2022. I called the SS office in my area and was told I could file online, even though I am currently receiving my late wife's survivor benefit. I was skeptical, but went online and was surprised that the website did indeed allow me to file my application. Do you think it will go through? Has anyone else in these circumstances done this? Did SS come through for them?

Hi. I can't say for sure, but if you applied online and if it was accepted by Social Security then it should be processed to completion. There's nothing on Social Security's website that indicates people receiving only spousal or survivor benefits can't file for their own benefits online.

If you're unsure about whether or not your claim went through successfully then you should call Social Security to check on the status of your claim. When you file to switch from drawing survivor or spousal benefits to retirement benefits, normally your claim can't be processed to completion until about a month before the first retirement benefit payment is due. That's because Social Security must first terminate the spousal/survivor benefit before authorizing payment of the retirement benefit. Therefore, if you requested to switch to retirement benefits effective January 2022 (i.e. payment due in February 2022), then about the earliest you could expect an actual award letter would be sometime in January 2022.

Best, Jerry