My husband is deceased when he passed I was told by my local social security office that his amount would always be more than mine
I plan on retiring at age 62
I am trying to decide whose benefit would be best to file for at that time to maximize my income
Should I file for my benefit first and then change to his at full retirement age of 66? Or the opposite or combination?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

If you knew for sure that the person you spoke with at Social Security was correct about your husband's rate always being higher than your own, you would likely want to file on your own record at age 62 or whenever your earnings would first permit payment of benefits (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html), then file for unreduced widow's benefits at full retirement age or sooner if your husband received reduced retirement benefits prior to his death. But, if your own potential age 70 rate would be higher than your unreduced widow's rate, you may be better off taking your widow's benefits first and then switching to your own record at age 70.

Social Security employees have been known to make mistakes, so you may want to use the maximization software available on this website to be sure you choose the best strategy. The software can help you determine which of the above strategies is best in your case, as well as when you should apply for each type of benefit.

Best, Jerry