My mother is collecting my father's VA benefits right now as he passed away 4 years ago. She will reach 66 this year and she wants to retire. Will she still be able to receive the VA benefits from my father and still receive her social security when she retires? She is under the impression she will only get one or the other...

Thanks

Hi,

I'm not an expert on the VA benefit program, so I can't fully answer your question. I do know that your mother's VA benefits would not have any effect on her Social Security benefits, but I can't tell you whether or not the reverse would be true. You'll probably need to check that out with the VA.

If your mother is potentially eligible for both Social Security widow's benefits and for retirement benefits on her own record, she has a number of filing strategies to consider. She may want to strongly consider using the maximization software available on this website to determine her best strategy.

Best, Jerry