The “Survivor Switch”: A Widows & Widowers Secret

This is the most powerful tip in this article. While “switching” strategies have been eliminated for standard spousal benefits, they remain alive and well for survivor benefits.

If your spouse (or ex-spouse) passes away, you may be eligible for survivor benefits, which can be up to 100% of the deceased’s benefit amount.

The Strategy: One Now, One Later

As a surviving spouse, you are not subject to the “deemed filing” rule. This means you can restrict your application to only one type of benefit while letting the other grow.

How it works in practice:

1. Scenario A (Survivor First): You claim the survivor benefit as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled). You collect that check monthly while letting your own retirement benefit sit untouched, earning “delayed retirement credits” (growing 8% per year) until age 70. At 70, you switch to your own boosted benefit.
2. Scenario B (Retirement First): You claim your own small retirement benefit at age 62. You let the survivor benefit grow until you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), at which point you switch to the maximum unreduced survivor benefit.

“Rules surrounding the claiming options for survivors are more nuanced than the two other benefit types. Surviving spouses can switch between their own Social Security benefits and survivor benefits once.” — T. Rowe Price, Retirement Insights

This flexibility allows you to maximize your cumulative lifetime income significantly. It is vital to run the numbers or consult a professional to see which order yields the highest payout for your situation.