My husband is 67 and receiving SS Retirement benefits. I am 62. It is my understanding that I can begin receiving a portion of his full benefits now. If I choose to do this, in the event of his death, would my benefits increase to his full amount once I reach age 66?

Hi,

First of all, if you file for spousal benefits before your full retirement age (FRA), they will be reduced for as long as both you and your husband are living. And, you will be deemed to have also filed for your own benefits, assuming you are insured, so you would only receive spousal benefits if your husband's full retirement age benefit amount is more than twice as much as your own.

If you do file for and become entitled to spousal benefits prior to FRA, and if your husband dies before you, your widow's benefit amount will be calculated based on your age at that time, regardless of whether or not you took reduced spousal benefits. So, if you are at least full retirement age at the time of your husband's death, your potential widow's benefit rate would be unreduced. If he dies before you reach full retirement age, your widow's rate would be reduced based on your age at the time you become entitled to widow's benefits, not the age at which you started spousal benefits.

Before making any final decisions about filing, you may wish to run the maximization software available on this website.

Best, Jerry