While this question is about Social Security spousal survivor benefits and not re IRA’s, I hope that Alan-iracritic with his widespread knowledge might be willing to answer it.

In 1992 at age 62 a wife began drawing Social Security benefits on her own earnings record. In 1994 at age 64 (+10 months), she began to take spousal benefits when her husband, then age 66 (+ 11 months), retired and began to take his Social Security benefits. Her spousal benefits were less than half of his benefits, apparently because she had taken benefits on her own record at age 62, before her Full/Normal Retirement Age (NRA) of 65, or maybe because she began spousal benefits before that age 65.

The wife is now 83, the husband is 85.

Q: If the husband were to die before her, would she be entitled to receive spousal survivor monthly benefits equal to his Social Security monthly benefits since she is past the NRA or would her benefits be less than his because she began spousal benefits before her NRA?

Thank you.