My husband has been deceased for twenty years now. I am still working. My monthly retirement is now higher than my monthly survivor benefit. I want to apply for my survivor benefits and let my own retirement benefit grow. Will I lose my own retirement benefit if I just apply for the survivor benefit alone? I am age 62 and never re-married.

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

No, you won't lose your own Social Security retirement benefits if you file for survivor benefits. Depending on how much you earn if you'll still be working, it sounds like your best strategy would almost certainly be 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 now or as soon as your earnings will permit at least some benefits to be paid, then file for unreduced widow's benefits at your full retirement age (FRA).

Normally, you would want to start out drawing the lower benefit first and then switch to the higher record when it reaches it's highest potential rate. Our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) could sort all of this out for you and help you determine your optimal filing strategy.

Best, Jerry