My husband took his SS at age 62. He was born 8/42. He is now 74 and quite ill. I am 62, DOB 5/55. What will my survivor benefit be reduced by because he filed early? Should I delay filing for my own SS?

Thank you.

Hi,

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

If your husband received reduced retirement benefits starting at age 62, your maximum possible widow's benefit rate will likely be 82.5% of his primary insurance amount (PIA). His PIA is basically the amount that he would be receiving now if he had waited until full retirement age to start drawing benefits.

Your best strategy depends on the relative amounts of your own retirement benefit and your potential widow's rate. If your own retirement rate would be higher at age 70 than your potential widow's rate, you would likely want to delay taking your retirement benefits until age 70. If your potential widow's rate would be higher than even your age 70 retirement benefit, you may want to take your retirement benefits at age 62 if you aren't working and earning too much.

The maximization software available on this website should be able to help you determine your best strategy.

Best, Jerry