Am I Eligible for Social Security Benefits as a Surviving Spouse?

Social Security is one of the more complicated decisions that an individual must consider. There are a multitude of rules that can have a significant impact on the amount you will receive each month.

To help make it easier, there is the “Will My Social Security Benefit Be Reduced?” flowchart. It is based on the Social Security Administration’s guide “Retirement Benefits”. It addresses common issues related to claiming social security:

• How to determine Full Retirement Age (FRA)

• Effects of marriage and divorce

• Implications of collecting before FRA vs. collecting at FRA vs. collecting after FRA

• Annual limits

• Impact if continuing to work

• How benefits will be taxed

Updated: 5/1/2019