Hello.

I am a widow who will be attaining FRA this August. I applied for my own SS benefits in January thinking I could get at least a few months of benefit before turning 66, at which point I would switch over to my husband's benefit which is significantly larger than my own. (This is what the Maximize my SS software advised). All well and good. I just got a notice from SS that because I am still working, they would withhold 4 months of my benefit, leaving me with only 3 months of benefit (amounting to less than $1000/mo. for the 3 months before my birthday). They also said they needed an exact amount that I would make in 2019 before they could process the application. As an adjunct instructor who never knows what I will make from semester to semester (except for the $0 I make for 4 months of summer), I can only give them a rough idea based on past hiring.

I am beginning to wonder whether it is even worth it to continue with the application or to withdraw it on the very remote chance that by continuing to work, my SS benefit might one day exceed my widow's benefit- or do SS benefits only grow until age 70?

What would be your advice?

Hi,

I don't have access to your software results so I can't tell you whether or not your own retirement rate could potentially exceed your widow's rate. You could only accrue delayed retirement credits (DRC) until age 70, but your retirement benefit rate could still increase after that if you continue working and earn more in a future year than you did in one of your highest 35 wage-indexed earnings years previously used to calculate your benefit rate. You should be able to do the necessary computations by projecting your future expected annual earnings into our software.

If your own retirement rate won't ever exceed your unreduced widow's benefit rate, then it would likely be disadvantageous for you to withdraw the claim that you filed for retirement benefits. You just need to give Social Security the most accurate estimate possible for your current year earnings. You can always adjust your estimate later on if your work schedule changes. Furthermore, if you turn age 66 in August, only your earnings from January 1 through July 31st of this year would count toward Social Security's earnings test. If that amount is more than $46.920, Social Security would need to withhold $1 of your benefits for every $3 that your earnings exceed $46,920. I would advise you not to underestimate your earnings, since that could lead Social Security to pay you too much in benefits. If that occurs, you would be expected to repay any overpayment.

You may want to double check your calculations using our software. If you have any questions about your results, please submit an online contact form available on the help menu and one of our experts with access to your data will be happy to help you.

Best, Jerry