Q. I am currently receiving Social Security widow benefits. I was born in 1943 and am trying to figure out if full retirement age for me is 66 or 65 and 8 months.
A. The increase in age of full retirement is different for a widow than it is for a wage earner. Essentially it lags two years behind. Born in 1943, your full retirement age for widow benefits is 65 years and eight months. Your full retirement age is 66 for a benefit based on your own Social Security earnings record. If you have not previously filed for your own benefit, you can switch to your own benefit whenever your own benefit exceeds the widow benefit you are receiving. Your own benefit will reach its maximum in the month you attain age 70.