Ask the Expert: Survivor benefit rules

I've been told I may be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. I'm 60 years old. I was married in 1973, legally separated in 1982, and divorced in 1987. My ex-husband died at age 67. I never remarried. If I qualify for a survivor benefit, how might receiving it now affect my future eligibility for Social Security based on my own earnings?

Good news. You do qualify for a survivor benefit based on your late ex-husband's earnings -- and you can take it now without any affecting your future options.

You're eligible for a widow or widower's benefit at 60 when your ex-spouse dies if your marriage lasted at least 10 years and you haven't remarried. A marriage ends on the date of the divorce, not the date of legal separation, says Linda Lauria, an agency spokeswoman. At 60, you get a reduced survivor's benefit because you're under full retirement age. (In your case, that's 66.) But taking an early survivor's benefit has no effect on your eligibility to switch to a benefit based on your own earnings at any time after age 62, which is the earliest you can get it. You could take a reduced survivor's benefit at 60 and switch to your own full benefit at 66. Or you could do nothing now, take your own reduced benefit at 62, and then switch to a full survivor's benefit at 66.

This flexibility is available only to survivors. If you claim Social Security based on a living spouse's earnings while under your full retirement age, you can't later switch to a benefit based on your own earnings.

The bottom line This is a dollars-and-cents decision. Make an appointment at a Social Security office and ask them to run all the numbers for you. They'll tell you which choice results in more money.

Websites with more information 1.usa.gov/za340q and bit.ly/kAht3q