Q: My husband died several months ago. I'm 64. I'm getting my own retirement benefits, and he was getting his own benefits. His Social Security check was more than mine, so I think I am due widow's benefits. When I tried to file a claim online, I wasn't allowed to. I was told I need to make an appointment to file a claim in person. What's going on? Is the government so biased and backwards that they think a woman can't use a computer to file for benefits? Can you explain this?

A: Yes, I can explain what's going on. But first, I must comment on your assumptions about government bias. I am always surprised, and frankly a little disappointed, that people just automatically assume the worst about the services they get from the government in general, and in your case, the Social Security Administration in particular.

There is a very good reason why widows' claims cannot be filed online. It has nothing to do with bias or backward thinking. It has everything to do with making sure you understand your options and make the best choice you can about when to start your widow's benefits. And those options just can't be explained to you by a computer. You need to talk to a human being and get the kind of help personalized to your own situation. (Perhaps advances in Artificial Intelligence will someday negate the need for a personal interview. But for now, you'll need to talk to a real person.)

In your case, this person should explain that you would have two options. You could file for widow's benefits now. But those benefits would be reduced because you have not reached your full retirement age. Or, if you think you could live on your own retirement benefit for a couple more years, then you could delay filing for widow's benefits until your FRA and get a full unreduced widow's benefit.

These options are open to you because something called the "deemed filing rule" doesn't apply to widows. That rule generally says that when you file for one Social Security benefit, you are "deemed" to be filing for all other benefits you might be due at the same time. In other words, that rule would normally say that because you are already getting your own retirement benefits, as soon as your husband dies, you are deemed to (essentially forced to) file for widow's benefits right away. But again, that rule does not apply to widows.

I will spend the rest of this column giving examples of the kinds of choices other widows might have when it comes to Social Security.

Mary is 61 years old when her husband dies. Although she is now retired, she has worked much of her life. Her own full retirement age benefit is projected to be $1,850. Her husband's full rate is $2,000. Mary could file for reduced widow's benefits. At age 61, she would be due roughly 77% of her husband's benefit, or $1,540 per month. She could receive that until age 67, when she could switch to 100% of her benefit, or $1,850. Or she could wait until age 70 to make the change, at which point she would get 128% of her retirement rate, or about $2,368.

And just to make it clear, Mary would have another option. If she waits until she is 62 years old, she could file for reduced retirement benefits first. She would get 70% of her $1,850 benefit, or $1,295. Then at age 67, she could switch to 100% widow's benefits, or $2,000 monthly. (Unlike the retirement program, there is no bonus paid to widows if they delay filing beyond full retirement age.)

Here is another example. Many working women are still at their jobs into their 60s and even beyond. Let's look at Ann. She is 64 and still working full-time. Her husband died several years ago. When he died, she filed for and received the little $255 one-time death benefit, but she wasn't due any monthly widow's benefits because she was still working. Let's say her own full retirement benefit would be $2,200. Her husband's full benefit would have been $2,500. Once Ann reaches age 67, her earnings no longer affect her Social Security eligibility. So, at that point, Ann should file for widow's benefits. She would get $2,500 per month. Then, when she turns 70, she could switch to 128 percent of her retirement rate, or about $2,816.

All of these switching back and forth between benefit rules apply to women who become widows in their 60s or earlier. But the majority of women (and most of those reading this column) become widows later in life — in their 70s, 80s and beyond. Women who become widows at those ages don't have to worry about any of the options discussed today. When their husband dies, they will simply be switched to widow's benefits on his record — assuming he was getting higher benefits. Let's look at more examples.

Lucia was 81 years old when her 84-year-old husband, Alfredo, died. He was getting $2,150 per month and she was getting $1,640. Now that Alfredo is gone, she will keep getting her own $1,640, and then she will get an additional $510 in widow's benefits to take her up to Alfredo's $2,150 level. Lucia would have to file a claim for widow's benefits — and she would have to do it via phone by calling SSA at 800-772-1213. Or if she prefers, she could call the same number and make an appointment to file a widow's claim in person at her local Social Security office. By the way, Lucia would have to provide a certified copy of her marriage certificate as well as the death certificate as part of the application process.

Now let's look at another 81-year-old widow — Barbara. When her husband Frank died, she was automatically converted to widow's benefits once she called SSA to report the death and supplied them with proof of death. Why is that? Because Barbara was getting only a dependent wife's benefit on Frank's account before he died. In other words, she didn't have her own Social Security account. Because she has no claim of her own, and because she would have already had to supply a marriage certificate when she first applied for spousal benefits many years ago, the SSA already has all the information they would need to know she is eligible for widow's benefits, so they simply push a few buttons and the conversion from wife's to widow's benefits is complete.

If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called "Social Security — Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security." The other is "Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts." You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at [email protected]. To find out more about Tom Margenau and to read past columns and see features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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