I am receiving a windows pension from my deceased husband. I took his railroad pension because it was more than his S.S. I am now 62 can I receive my social security benefits also.

Hi. You can apply for Social Security (SS) benefits even if you're receiving Railroad Retirement (RR) benefits, but the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will offset your Tier 1 RR benefits dollar for dollar by the amount of your SS benefit. Railroad Retirement (RR) is a 2-tiered program. Tier 1 RR benefits are intended as a substitute for Social Security benefits, so a person can't be paid both Social Security benefits and a full Tier 1 RR benefit. Therefore, if you're already drawing RR benefits, it's generally only advantageous to file for SS benefits if your SS benefit rate would be higher than your Tier 1 RR rate.

If you're eligible for a Social Security retirement benefit based on your own earnings history and if your SS benefit rate would be higher than your Tier 1 RR rate, it may be wise to wait until age 70 to start drawing your SS retirement benefit. If you delay filing for your SS retirement benefit, your benefit rate would continue to grow higher until you reach age 70 even if you're already collecting RR benefits.

Best, Jerry