Full question: I am drawing the railroad widow benefits. I will be 70 next January. I worked many years and would collect a sizable Social Security check. How do I tell if it would be larger than the tier 1 check from my husband, or is that what I compare? Hi there, You can find…

Hi there, You can make the decision of when you want to switch from survivor benefits to your own retirement benefits. You should file for those about three months prior to the date you want them to start to allow time for SSA to process the change. The first check in the new amount will…

Full question: I am 63 and am wanting to collect my benefits. Can I switch to my husband’s benefits when he retires? Do he have to be at FRA for me to do this? Hi there, When you file, you will be required to be filing for both benefits you are eligible for at the…

Full question: I will be 70 in May and have been collecting my deceased spouse’s benefits. Do I have to apply for my own benefits or is there a way to switch? Hi there, If your own retirement benefit at age 70 is a greater amount than the survivor benefit, you could switch to that…

Full question: My spouse, born in 1957, started drawing Social Security benefits at age 62.5 in 2019. She is getting benefits based upon her own work record. I (husband) born in 1956, will start benefits in Jan 2024 (approved). Now that I have filed, can she get an adjustment to her benefit based upon her…

Hi there, We recommend that you call or set up a meeting with your local SSA office to make sure the transition goes smoothly. If you have already turned 70, you can request retroactive benefits back to age 70 for up to 6 months. Note that if you request retroactive back to before 70, your…