Full question: I currently receive Survivor benefits and I’m wondering what my own Social Security benefit would pay. I am 65 and full retirement age is 66+4. Should I wait until I’m 70 to collect my own and will I ever be able to collect 100% of deceased husbands?

Hi there,

If you are collecting a survivor benefit, you may be eligible to collect your own retirement benefit when you decide to switch.

However, if your own retirement benefit is less than the survivor, then it would not increase from your current amount.

First you need to understand if your own retirement benefit will be more than your survivor benefit, and if so, when you should then make the switch to your own whether it be FRA, 70, or some time in between.

You can reach out to us at RSSA.com to work with our team of RSSAs who can help you make the optimal claiming decisions.

Take care,
Martha

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