I am 62 and I get $635 mo. in early SS retirement. My 66 year old girlfriend with whom I live gets $838 mo. SS retirement plus $400 in surviving spousal benifits from her late husband.. If we get married what would be the best way for us to file and what would I be entitled to if she dies before me ?

Hi,

Getting married wouldn't change the current amount that either you or your girlfriend receive. Neither of you would qualify for spousal benefits, so you'd just continue receiving the benefits that you presently receive.

However, if you do get married and if your wife dies before you, you could likely qualify for up to the full amount that she's receiving since it's higher than your benefit rate. You wouldn't get both amounts, though, just the higher of the two. And, just to be clear, you wouldn't be eligible for any of the survivor benefits that your girlfriend receives, just the amount she receives that's based on her own earnings history.

You normally must have been married for at least 9 months in order to qualify for widower's benefits, though, and your survivor rate could be somewhat different than the full amount of your wife's Social Security retirement benefit rate depending on your age at the time you start drawing widower's benefits and whether or not your wife is receiving a benefit that's reduced for age.

Best, Jerry