If you die before claiming retirements, how would the survivor retirement benefit be calcuated? Assuming the surviving spouse had no other benefits and claimed at the survivors full retirement age. Would it be based on the FRA ie full retirement age , of the spouse who pre deceased? Would it be based upon the maximum benefit at age 70?

Hi. The answer to your question depends on how old the deceased worker was at the time of death. If the worker dies at full retirement age (FRA) or earlier and without having claimed benefits, the unreduced surviving spousal rate would be equal to 100% of the worker's primary insurance amount (PIA). If the worker dies at age 70 or later and without having claimed benefits, the unreduced surviving spousal rate would be equal to 100% of the worker's age 70 rate inclusive of the delayed retirement credits (DRC) earned by the worker.

If the worker dies between full retirement age (FRA) and age 70, the unreduced surviving spousal rate would be equal to 100% of the amount that the worker would have been due if he or she had started drawing their retirement benefits effective with the month of their death. In other words, the unreduced surviving spousal rate would then include all DRCs earned by the worker up to the time of their death, but not any DRCs that they could have potentially earned after their death.

Best, Jerry