answer:I’m pretty sure she would claim whichever benefit is the highest. Not sure if you can collect double benefits. If you both remained alive then she would collect her own and you would collect your own. I would call your local SS office to ask. I think that if she is under full retirement age she would collect a widows benefit but when it comes to collecting the standard SS benefits I believe she would choose whichever is the highest amount. This is only IF you have been married over 10 years, otherwise she would only be eligible to collect on her own benefit.