I'm receiving survivor benefits (2nd Wed of the month) will apply for my own social security (full retirement age August 28th) to start in January. My question is will I continue to receive my survivor benefits until that time and if so what happens to the 2 week difference in January since my check will come on the 4th Wed. I have used your program in the past and it changed my life. At 60 I called SS they told me I'd make @ $1000 per month which was not enough to get by on. A few months later I ordered your program. According to it I'd receive @ $1500. Made an appointment and went in to talk to a SS agent and your program was correct. I continued to work until 62, drew my survivor benefits with the intent to draw my own at 70. Due to health issues that may no longer be the best decision for me. Thank you so much, Debbie

Hi Debbie. Yes, although you won't be paid both a survivor benefit any your own retirement benefit in the same month. If you claim your own retirement benefits effective with January, that's the payment that arrives in February. So, your last survivor benefit payment should then arrive on the 2nd Wednesday of January, and your first retirement benefit payment would be due on the 4th Wednesday of February. Sometimes Social Security will pay a person's first payment on a different date than their normal payment date, though, so assuming that you apply in advance you might receive your first retirement benefit payment earlier in February than on the 4th Wednesday.

UPDATE: A subsequent reader reported that their payment date didn't change when they switched from survivor to retirement benefits, so it's possible that Social Security has a policy of not moving a person's payment date if they start out collecting survivor benefits and later switch to drawing their own benefits. The section of Social Security's operation's manual (POMS) that covers those types of policies is not made public by Social Security, so I don't have access to those types of policy issues. It's possible, though, that your payment date may stay the same even after you switch to collecting your own benefits.

Best, Jerry