The MarketWatch query centers on a 62-year-old with $20,000 annual earnings weighing immediate retirement benefits against deferred survivor claims at 67, with a cited break-even near age 78. Primary SSA actuarial tables show average female life expectancy at 81.3 years, yet claiming patterns among similar earners often overlook the earnings test that reduces benefits by $1 for every $2 above the 2024 threshold of $22,320 if continuing to work. Multiple perspectives emerge from SSA Program Operations Manual System sections on survivor benefits, which allow restricted applications only for those born before 1954, versus later cohorts facing all-or-nothing choices; this creates uneven outcomes where lower earners face higher relative longevity risk without spousal coordination. A related Treasury Inspector General report on benefit optimization highlights that 30 percent of claimants miss delayed retirement credits due to liquidity needs, while Census Bureau data links sub-$25,000 incomes to elevated health-driven early claiming. The original coverage understates how inflation adjustments under current-law COLA formulas compound differences beyond simple break-even math, particularly when combined with Medicare premiums starting at 65.