I'm 61, I was born 4-21-60, my husband died September 10-2010. When do I qualify for or when should I apply for survivor benefits.

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. You're already old enough to claim reduced widow's benefits, but whether or not you should is another matter. Until you reach full retirement age (FRA), there is a limit on how much you can earn and still be paid benefits. So, whether or not you're working and how much you'll be earning is a key part of the equation. Another important factor with regard to when to claim survivor benefits is whether or not you're eligible for benefits on your own account, and how much your own benefit would be in relation to your survivor rate.

Your best strategy for claiming benefits is likely one of the following:
1) File for reduced widow's benefits now 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).

However, if your husband collected reduced Social Security retirement benefits prior to his death that could alter your optimal strategy. Normally, you would want to start out drawing the lower benefit rate first and then switch to the higher benefit rate when it reaches its highest potential rate. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could help sort all of this out for you so that you can determine the best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry