Dear Rusty: In November I will be 60 and eligible for widow’s benefits. My late husband’s Social Security was approximately $2,300 when he passed around 7 years ago. FYI, my ex-husband is still working and will probably receive the highest SS when he retires in about 5 years (we were married for more than 10 years). Either of these is more than my own Social Security will be, so how does this work? Will this turn into my Social Security? Can I start on one and switch to the other later? Signed: Wondering Widow
Dear Wondering Widow: Provided you have not remarried before age 60, you have a choice which benefit to receive – either your deceased husband’s benefit as his surviving spouse, or your ex-spouse benefit from your ex-husband while he is still living. Taking your survivor benefit from your deceased husband will likely be best because it is based on 100% of his SS amount when he died, whereas your ex-spouse benefit from your living ex-husband is based on 50% of his FRA entitlement. To get an ex-spouse benefit from your ex-husband (which you can’t get until you are 62), your own SS retirement benefit would need to be less than 50% of your ex’s FRA entitlement.
As you know, you will be eligible for survivor (widow’s) benefits from your deceased husband when you are 60 but be aware that by taking your survivor benefit at 60, it will be reduced for early claiming. Rather than 100% of your husband’s SS benefit, at age 60 you will get about 71.5%. Your surviving spouse benefit reaches maximum at your full retirement age (FRA) of 67 and will grow to that point but will be reduced if taken prior to that.
Also, if you are working, Social Security’s “earnings test” will apply until you reach your full retirement age, so your plans for working may influence your decision on when to claim your widow’s benefit. If you exceed the earnings limit ($22,320 for 2024; it changes annually), Social Security will take away $1 in benefits for every $2 you are over the limit. They “take away” by withholding future benefits until the penalty is satisfied, which means you would go some number of months without benefits. And, if you substantially exceed the earnings limit you may even be temporarily ineligible for any SS benefits (until you earn less or reach your FRA - the earnings test goes away at your FRA).
If you claim your surviving spouse benefits from your deceased husband first, and your ex-husband later dies, you do have the option to switch to the higher survivor benefit from your ex-husband. In effect, if both husbands are deceased, you have a choice which benefit to take (and, obviously, you’d chose the higher of the two).
None of this, however, happens automatically. To claim your surviving spouse benefit you will need to contact Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 (or call your local SS office) to make an appointment to apply for widow’s benefits.
Russell Gloor is an Association of Mature American Citizens certified social security advisor. To submit a question, visit amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory or email ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
