Hi Larry-- Your books, Get What Yours and the Revised edition, are great resource tools. My husband died at 40 in 1992. We were both born in 1951, me in February him in August. I will turn 66 in February 2017 and plan to file for my widows benefits between 66 an 70. Since I was the higher earner, I plan to continue working until 70 thus increasing my own benefit by 32%. After reading your first book, I went to my local SS office to get an estimate of what this widow's benefit would be (since they won't provide you his actual earnings record) and they advised me about $1,700. Should I go talk to them again in person the usual three months before I want benefits to start, 11/25/16 since my 66th birthday is 2/25/17 or wait until 2/1/17, the month I turn 66 so they don't mess up. I realize I have to wait a full month and won't receive the March benefit until the 3rd Wednesday of April. Is there anything special I should tell them to make sure this goes smoothly since I had to explain to two different people I was going to draw on my husband's benefit not my own? Thanks so much in advance for addressing my issue...

Hi,

There are 2 crucial pieces to the puzzle that you didn't address in your question. First, whether or not you are working, and if so, how much you're earning. And second, how much your own benefit amount would be at age 70.

You are potentially entitled to 2 separate benefits, widow's benefits and retirement benefits on your own record. What you want to do is to save the highest benefit for last, and file for the other one as soon as your earnings will permit payment, even if that is before you reach full retirement age. The reason that taking a reduction on the lower record won't hurt you in the long run, and will in fact help you, is that the reduction won't carry over to your benefit rate when you later apply for benefits on the higher record.

Your potential widow's benefits will max out effective with the month you reach age 66, or February 2017 in your case. Your own retirement benefit will be at it's highest rate if you start it at age 70.

Assuming that $1700 is the correct amount of your unreduced widow's benefit, and if your own retirement benefit amount would be higher than that if you take it at age 70, then you want to apply for reduced widow's benefits as soon as your earnings will permit payment. If you're not currently working, or even if you are and will earn less than around $29,000 this year, you should file immediately. Even if you keep working and are earning more than that, you can still be paid starting with January 2017 unless you earn more than about $44,000 in that month.

If your own retirement benefit amount at age 70 would be less than the unreduced widow's benefit, then you would switch the order of benefits above (i.e. file for reduced retirement benefits ASAP, then file for unreduced widow's benefits at age 66).

You can apply for benefits up to 4 months in advance, but you cannot receive reduced benefits for months prior to your date of filing. You may be leaving money on the table by not applying immediately, so I would suggest calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to make an appointment to speak to a claims representative. Or, you can walk into an office to apply. They are there to help you, so just explain to them that you want to save the highest possible benefit for last, and you want to start the lower benefit as soon as your earnings will permit payment.

Best, Jerry