Q & A
Can I get delayed retirement credits on survivor’s benefits?
Complete Question: My husband just passed away at the age of 67. He had not started collecting his Social Security yet because he wanted to get as much delayed retirement credits as possible. In the meantime, I have been getting a spousal benefit because he filed and suspended. Social Security told me that I can get a survivor’s benefit that is equal to what he would be receiving if he started collecting right before he died. Can I wait to collect that so that it can continue earning delayed retirement credits for another 3 years?
Answer: Unfortunately, no. Social Security did give you correct information in that your widow’s benefit is the equivalent of what he would be receiving at the time of his death. Therefore, any possible delayed retirement credits (DRCs) he would have received up to that point is applied to his benefit and subsequently given to you as a widow’s benefit. However, DRCs cannot continue to be accumulated and applied to the widow’s benefit once the spouse has passed away regardless of how old he was at the time or how old you are when you collect the benefit. The amount he was eligible for at the time of death is the maximum amount of widow’s benefit you can possibly receive.