I am 72 years old I have been drawing Social security since I was 60 to my wife passed away at 53 years old can I draw on her social security now or can I get part of her so security now

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

The surviving member of a couple can't be paid any more than the higher of a) their own Social Security retirement benefit rate, or b) their widow(er) benefit rate. Therefore, assuming that you're currently drawing your own Social Security retirement benefits, the only way that you could qualify for additional benefits on your wife's account would be if her primary insurance amount (PIA) is higher than your current benefit rate. A person's PIA is the amount of their Social Security retirement benefit if they start drawing at full retirement age.

You may want to at least contact Social Security to find out if your wife's PIA is higher than your current benefit amount. If so, or if you just want to receive a formal determination of your eligibility for widower's benefits, you can file an application for benefits on your wife's record.

Best, Jerry