Child-in-Care Benefits vs. Survivor Benefits: What Should a Widow Choose?

Situation arose this afternoon, I am looking for some guidance. Husband died in 2021 at age of 64 and had already begun his Social Security benefit. 26 year old child is on SSI and is disabled. It sounds like she (mom, widow) is currently receiving child-in-care benefit.  She is about to turn age 60 this year.  She has never worked, no earnings on her own. How does this situation work when someone is receiving child-in-care benefits and not yet survivor.  Can they continue to receive child-in-care benefits until they reach FRA?  Or does the child-in-care benefits switch to survivor benefit at some point?  Or can they receive both child-in-care and survivor?  I haven’t come across this situation before.  How do these situations work?

In this scenario, the widow is currently receiving a child-in-care benefit due to her 26-year-old disabled child who is on SSI. Since the widow is about to turn 60 and has no earnings on her own record, the key consideration is how long she should continue receiving the child-in-care benefit and when, if at all, she should switch to a survivor benefit.

The widow can continue to receive the child-in-care benefit until she reaches her Full Retirement Age (FRA). At that point, the benefit amount will not be reduced for age, which is an important advantage. The widow should consider staying on the child-in-care benefit until she reaches her FRA, as this allows her to avoid any reduction that would come with switching to the survivor benefit before reaching FRA.

However, if for some reason the child-in-care benefit were to end (for example, if the child were no longer considered in care, or the child’s eligibility changes), the widow could then consider switching to the survivor benefit. It’s important to note that if she switches to the survivor benefit before her FRA, it will be reduced based on her age at the time she makes the switch.

She cannot receive both the child-in-care benefit and the survivor benefit simultaneously; the choice between them depends on which provides the greatest financial advantage at her age and under her circumstances.

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