I am planning to retire early 2022 at the age of 63. My husband passed away in 2012. I remarried at the age of 62. I understand that I can collect in my late husband’s social security since I remarried after the age of 60. My current husband remains employed and will retire at the age of 66- June, 2022.
When I retire early 2022, can I collect my social security from my own record and collect on my late husband’s when I reach FRA? In this way, my late husband’s will be able to grow?
I have contacted the social security office several times and am receiving different answers.
Thank you!
Hi. Yes, you can claim your own benefits at age 63 and then file for remarried widow's benefits at your full retirement age (FRA). That may or may not be your best strategy, though, depending on the relative amounts of your own benefit vs. your widow's rate.
And, yes, your potential widow's benefit would be higher if you wait until FRA to claim it, provided that your deceased spouse didn't collect early Social Security retirement benefits prior to his death. You can't draw both a full widow's benefit plus your own benefit rate at the same time, though, just the higher of the two amounts.
It sounds like your best strategy for claiming benefits would probably 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). However, if your deceased spouse collected early retirement benefits then your widow's rate would max out at some point prior to when you reach FRA.
Normally, you would want to start out drawing the lower benefit first and then switch to the higher benefit when it reaches it's 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
