I am 45 and my husband was 43 when he just passed away. Am i entitled to draw social security now or do I wait until I or his retirement age??

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

You couldn't qualify for any monthly survivor benefits from Social Security now unless you have a child in your care who is either under age 16 or disabled, and who qualifies for child benefits on your husband's account. There is, however, a one-time death benefit of $255 for which you you could apply now (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/survivors/).

The determining factor for when you may qualify for survivor benefits is your age, not your husband's retirement age. The earliest that you could qualify for monthly survivor benefits without having a child in care is at age 60, or at age 50 if you're disabled. The only type of Social Security benefits that you could potentially qualify for prior to age 50 without having a child in your care would be Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits based on your own earnings history (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/).

Best, Jerry