This is a bit complicated but... I signed up online for both Retirement and Disability at age 64.6 yrs old. The Retirement started paying before the Disability was approved. Once the disability is approved should I withdraw my application for Retirement so that I can accrue the 8% from FRA to 70 yrs old? Also in the mix, my ex-husband (we were married for 13 yrs) is unwell, how will all this play out if I switch to Widows at FRA? My own Retirement would be higher than the Widows if I let it build up to age 70. Not sure how to juggle all this. Please advise... Thank you

Hi. You don't have to withdraw your claim for retirement benefits in order to be able to earn delayed retirement credits (DRC) when you reach full retirement age (FRA). All you'd need to do is submit a request to Social Security to suspend your benefits no later than the month prior to the month you want to have your benefits suspended. Note, though, that you can't be paid either Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits nor retirement benefits and earn DRCs for those months.

However, if you don't withdraw your retirement benefit application and pay back any benefits you received for months prior to the first month of your SSDI benefit entitlement then you'll be stuck with a reduction for age for the number of months that you were paid early retirement benefits. That may not amount to much if any difference depending how many months of retirement benefits you were paid prior to your first month of SSDI benefit entitlement. Your permanent rate would be reduced by 5/9ths of 1% for any months that you collected reduced retirement benefits prior to your first month of SSDI entitlement.

If you switch to a higher survivor benefit rate at FRA then it wouldn't matter whether or not your own benefit rate was reduced for age. But, you can't suspend your own benefits and collect survivor benefits while your own benefits are suspended. So, there's no way for you to collect survivor benefits and let your own benefit build until age 70 unless you withdraw both your claims for retirement and SSDI benefits and repay all of the benefits you've received. That would be a risky proposition considering that you don't know when you might qualify for survivor benefits.

Best, Jerry