Widow Benefits: Timing Your Claim for Maximum Benefits

I have a client that we are working with who has questions about her widow benefit. The husband passed away, and the wife is age 58 and is eligible to receive a widow’s benefit at age 60. Her FRA is 67. I looked back on the NSSA training and found that deemed filing does NOT apply. Doesn’t this mean, that the client can claim her own SS benefit and wait to take her widow benefit until her FRA so that it isn’t reduced?

You are correct in noting that deemed filing does not apply to surviving spouses. This provides your client with strategic flexibility in claiming Social Security benefits. Given that your client is 58 years old, she can start receiving her widow's benefit as early as age 60. However, it's important to consider the reduction that occurs if she begins the widow's benefit before her Full Retirement Age (FRA), which is 67.

One option for your client is to claim her own Social Security retirement benefit starting at age 62. By doing this, she can receive some income while allowing her widow's benefit to grow. At her FRA of 67, she can switch to the full widow's benefit, which would not be reduced. This strategy allows her to maximize the widow's benefit by waiting until FRA, ensuring she receives the highest possible amount.

Alternatively, she could start the widow's benefit at age 60, though it would be reduced, and then switch to her own benefit as late as age 70, allowing her own benefit to increase due to Delayed Retirement Credits.

This flexibility in timing can help her tailor her Social Security claiming strategy to best meet her financial needs.

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