I WILL BE 62 IN MARCH - MY SPOUSE OF 33 YEARS DIED 8 YEARS AGO. HE WAS ON DISABILITY FOR A BRIEF TIME BEFORE HE DIED. I WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT ON MY SOCIAL SECURITY STARTING IN MAY OF 2022 - THEN AT MY FULL RETIREMENT AGE I WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT HIS SOCIAL SECURITY. WHICH WILL BE MUCH HIGHER THAN MINE WILL EVER BE. IS THIS THE SMART MOVE?

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. Yes, it certainly sounds like what you have planned is your best option. In most cases when a person is potentially eligible for both Social Security retirement benefits and surviving spousal benefits, the best strategy is to start drawing the lower benefit as soon as possible, and then file for the higher benefit when it reaches its maximum rate.

If your husband only collected Social Security disability benefits and not reduced Social Security retirement benefits prior to his death, then your widow's benefit rate would reach its maximum rate at your full retirement age (FRA). If that amount is more than your own benefit rate would ever reach, you'd want to start drawing your own benefits as soon as possible in order to collect as much of those benefits as possible prior to switching to the higher widow's rate. Starting your own benefits early at age 62 won't adversely affect your future widow's rate.

Best, Jerry