Ask Larry

Hi Larry, my question is about widower benefits. I will be turning 66 on December 4th of this year. My wife of 30 years died when I was 52. I remarried when I was 64. My question is. I plan on working until age 70 and was wondering if I could collect widower benefits, from my first wife, at age 66 and let my own benefits grow until age 70. So I can collect at a higher 32% rate.

Thanks, Vince

Hi Vince,

Yes, that's certainly a possibility. In fact, if your earnings would permit payment of any widower's benefits prior to the month you reach age 66 it would likely be advantageous to file for the widower's benefits as soon as possible.

Remarriages occurring after a person reaches age 60 have no adverse effect on their eligibility for widow(er) benefits. Therefore, you can potentially qualify for benefits as a widower even though you've remarried. You may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to explore all of your options so that you can choose the best strategy to maximize your benefits.

Best, Jerry