If you qualify for both survivor benefits and your own Social Security retirement benefit, you usually have a choice about which one to claim first. In many cases, you can start one benefit and switch to the other later, although you do not receive both benefits fully at the same time.
A common strategy is to begin survivor benefits as early as age 60 and then switch to your own retirement benefit later if delaying allows it to grow larger. The best option depends on your age, your income needs, and which benefit is likely to be higher over time.
Key Takeaways
- Survivor benefits can start at 60, or 50 if you’re disabled.
- Survivor benefits and retirement benefits follow different rules, including how long they can grow.
- Deemed filing generally does not apply to survivor benefits, so you often have more flexibility to take one now and switch later.
Who qualifies for survivor benefits?
Survivor benefits depend on your relationship to the deceased worker and a few key eligibility rules.
Age and marital requirements
You may be eligible if you:
- Are 60 or older, or 50-59 if you have a disability; and
- Meet Social Security’s rules around marriage and remarriage
The remarriage rule people miss
Remarrying after age 60, or after age 50 if disabled, generally does not prevent you from receiving survivor benefits based on a former spouse’s record.
If you were married to a deceased ex-spouse for at least 10 years, you may still qualify for survivor benefits on their record, as long as the other eligibility rules are met.
How survivor benefits differ from retirement benefits
Survivor benefits can be as high as 100%
A survivor benefit can be up to 100% of what the deceased worker was receiving, or was entitled to receive, once you reach your survivor Full Retirement Age (FRA). Social Security notes the survivor’s FRA is generally between 66 and 67, depending on your birth year.
Your own retirement benefit can keep growing until 70
Your personal retirement benefit can increase if you delay claiming past your FRA. Social Security explains that delaying can increase your benefit through delayed retirement credits until age 70. For people born in 1943 or later, the credit rate is about 8% per year.
This difference matters because survivor benefits do not grow at the same rate as your own retirement benefit does between full retirement age and 70. This is what creates the opportunity for a “claim one now, switch later” strategy.
How to think about the “best” choice
A practical way to frame the decision is to focus on timing and cash flow:
- What income do you need now to cover your monthly gap?
- Which benefit is expected to be larger later: your own at 70, or the survivor benefit at survivor FRA?
- Which claiming order produces the best long-term outcome?
If you need income sooner, claiming at 60-62 may be the right move. If you have other resources, such as savings, part-time work, or portfolio withdrawals, you may be able to delay one benefit so it grows.
When switching can make sense: two common paths
Strategy A: Start survivor benefits first, switch to your retirement benefit later
This is often considered when:
- You want income as early as 60; and
- Your own retirement benefit at 70 is expected to be higher than the survivor benefit
Because deemed filing typically does not apply to survivor benefits, Social Security allows many people to claim survivor benefits while delaying their own retirement benefits.
Strategy B: Start your retirement benefit first, switch to survivor benefits later
This approach can make sense when:
- Your retirement benefit at 62 is relatively small; and
- Your survivor benefit will be much larger once you reach survivor FRA
In this situation, some people use their smaller retirement benefit as a temporary income source, then switch to the larger survivor benefit later.
How much are survivor benefits reduced if claimed early?
Social Security indicates that survivor benefits can start at about 71.5% of the deceased worker’s benefit at age 60, with the amount increasing the longer you wait, up to 100% at survivor FRA.
What documents do you need to apply?
To help avoid delays, it usually helps to have:
- The death certificate;
- Your marriage certificate, and divorce decree, if applicable; and
- Your Social Security number and the deceased spouse’s Social Security number
Social Security will confirm exactly what is required based on your situation.
FAQs
Yes, this is a common approach. Because deemed filing generally does not apply to survivor benefits, many people can start survivor benefits and later switch to their own retirement benefit.
Yes. Social Security indicates survivor benefits may start around 71.5% at age 60 and increase as you wait, up to 100% at survivor FRA.
If you remarry after age 60, or after age 50 if disabled, Social Security states you can still receive survivor benefits on a former spouse’s record.
Next step: turn this into a simple claiming timeline
If you’re deciding between survivor benefits and your own retirement benefit, it often helps to build a timeline showing what you would receive at 60, 62, survivor full retirement age, retirement full retirement age, and 70, and how each option fits with taxes and your withdrawal plan. You can review your Social Security claiming timeline with one of our CFP® professionals at Bauman Wealth Advisors to turn those choices into a clear, easy-to-follow income plan.
