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One more important point: You might want to consider claiming ONLY survivor benefits at age 60 (or 62 with less reduction) and then switching to your own retirement benefit at age 70 if it would be higher with delayed retirement credits. OR claim your reduced retirement benefit at 62 and then switch to full survivor benefits at your FRA. This strategy of claiming different benefits at different times can maximize your lifetime payout. I'd strongly recommend making an appointment with SSA to discuss your specific situation. With the GPO repeal, your claiming strategy options have significantly improved, and the best choice depends on your specific benefit amounts.
I had no idea I could claim different benefits at different times! This is getting complicated but also sounds like there might be a way to maximize what I receive. I definitely need to talk to someone at SSA about my specific situation. Thank you so much for this information.
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my wifes gettin 1200 from my record and i only worked 25 yrs before gettin disabled so yours will probly be way more
Spousal benefits vary greatly depending on the worker's earnings history. The maximum spousal benefit in 2025 (50% of maximum PIA) would be significantly higher than $1,200, but most people don't receive the maximum. Each situation is unique based on lifetime earnings.
One additional tip: When you do call SSA (or use a service to help you get through), ask specifically for your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) as well as your wife's options at different claiming ages. Get the agent to explain: 1. Your PIA (benefit at FRA) 2. What your wife would get if claiming at her age 62 3. What she would get if waiting until her FRA 4. If she has her own work record, whether it's better for her to claim her own benefit or the spousal benefit 5. How the Government Pension Offset (GPO) might affect her if she has a government pension You may want to request that they send you a letter documenting this information for your records. This helps with your planning and prevents misunderstandings about benefit amounts.
This is a really helpful list of questions to ask! My wife worked for a school district for about 15 years, so that GPO thing might apply to us - I hadn't even thought about that. I'll definitely ask for a letter documenting everything so we have it in writing. Thanks again for your help!
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do they count vacation pay in the earnings limit? i might get paid out for unused vacation when i leave my job
Yes, vacation payouts count toward the earnings limit in the year you receive them. Any wages or self-employment income that's subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes generally counts toward the limit. This includes bonuses, commissions, vacation payouts, and even some deferred compensation.
Thanks everyone for all this information! Just to make sure I understand correctly - I need to inform SSA about my expected earnings for this year, and I can earn up to $24,960 without reduction. If I earn more, they'll reduce my benefit by $1 for every $2 over. This only applies to work income, not my wife's income or any investment income. And once I reach 67 (my FRA), there's no earnings limit at all.
You've got it exactly right! Just make sure to report your estimated earnings to SSA as soon as possible to avoid potential overpayment issues later. And remember that your benefits aren't permanently reduced - you'll get credit for those reductions once you reach your FRA.
SSDI for 20 years - should husband switch to spousal benefits at 62 or stay on disability?
My husband has been receiving SSDI for almost two decades due to a back injury that left him unable to work. I'm getting close to retirement age myself (I'll be 60 next month) and I've been reading up on Social Security strategies. Everything I read says that typically the lower earner should file at 62 and the higher earner should wait until FRA or even 70. In our case, I'm definitely the higher earner - I've worked consistently making around $85,000 annually while my husband's SSDI is about $1,650 monthly.Here's where I'm confused: since my husband is already collecting SSDI, what happens when he reaches 62? Should he apply for some kind of spousal benefit based on my record? Should he switch from SSDI to regular retirement benefits? Or should he just continue with SSDI as is? I'm trying to maximize our household benefits, but all the advice I can find seems to assume both spouses are working up until retirement age. Anyone dealt with this SSDI/retirement transition before?
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You've got it exactly right! Your plan is spot on. The one other thing I would suggest is to create a my Social Security account online if you haven't already. This will let you see your estimated benefit amounts at different ages and help with your planning. Your husband should also check his account to see what his converted retirement benefit will be at his FRA.
Yes, I do have my SSA account set up and have been looking at the estimates. My husband also has one, though it doesn't specifically show what his converted amount will be - it just shows his current SSDI payment. I assume that'll be the same at FRA based on what everyone has said here. Thank you again for all your help!
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A few important clarifications on your situation: 1. The reduction in benefits from claiming at 63 is indeed permanent. For someone born in 1959 with an FRA of 66 and 10 months, claiming at exactly 63 would result in approximately a 21-22% permanent reduction. 2. For spousal benefits, the calculation is a bit complex. If 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) exceeds your own PIA, you may receive a combination of your own reduced retirement benefit plus a partial spousal benefit to bring you up to the maximum you're entitled to. 3. If your husband was already receiving benefits when you filed for your own, SSA should have automatically processed your spousal benefits if you were eligible. If he filed after you, you need to apply. 4. The spousal benefit may also be reduced because you're taking it before your FRA. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA to review your specific situation as these calculations can get quite complex with early filing.
Thank you for these details. My husband was already receiving his benefits when I filed, but I don't think they ever mentioned spousal benefits to me. I definitely need to follow up on this.
my aunt went thru this last year. she got the spousal increase but had to fight for backpay. they only gave her 6 months backpay even tho she shoulda been getting it for 2+ years! make sure u ask about retroactive benefits when u apply
That's good to know - I'll definitely ask about retroactive payments. Really appreciate the tip!
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I have a slightly different question related to this. If my ex-husband passes away, does that change the percentage I can get? I thought I heard that survivor benefits are different from just regular divorced spouse benefits. Sorry to hijack your post but it seemed related enough.
Yes, they're completely different benefits. As a divorced spouse, you can get up to 50% of your ex's FRA benefit (reduced if you claim early). But as a surviving divorced spouse, you can get up to 100% of what your ex was receiving at death (or would have received if they hadn't claimed yet). Survivor benefits also have different age reduction factors than spousal benefits. It's definitely worth understanding both types.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I've made notes on all the percentages and considerations. I think I'm going to use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and get my personalized calculation, especially since I need to understand how the earnings limit might affect me. It sounds like waiting until at least 63 or 64 might be a good compromise for my situation, but I want to see the actual dollar amounts before deciding.
Make sure when you talk to them you ask SPECIFICALLY about the earnings limit and get them to CALCULATE it for your situation. They tried to rush me off the phone without explaining it properly and I ended up with a $4,200 overpayment notice!!!
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Just want to add something nobody mentioned yet - make sure your husband lists you properly as a spouse in his Social Security records! My friend's husband passed away and she had trouble getting survivor benefits because he hadn't updated his marital status with SSA. Just another thing to check off your list.
That's a really good point! We've been married 15 years but I'm not sure if he's ever formally updated his status with SSA. I'll make sure we take care of that right away.
Based on your follow-up questions, I think it's important to clarify that Canadian pensions do interact with US Social Security under the US-Canada totalization agreement, but the exact impact depends on several factors: 1. If you're receiving the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), this is based on your earnings in Canada and can trigger GPO. 2. If you're receiving Old Age Security (OAS), which is residence-based rather than work-based, the GPO calculation may differ. 3. The agreement may allow periods of coverage to be combined to meet eligibility requirements, but benefits are generally calculated proportionally based on the periods of coverage in each country. The planning software I mentioned can handle the basics of WEP/GPO, but for international complications, you really need personalized guidance. This is exactly why speaking with someone at SSA who specializes in international benefits is so important for your case.
Thank you for this detailed clarification! It will be the CPP I'm receiving, based on my work years in Canada. This is so much more complicated than I initially thought. I'll definitely need to speak with an international specialist at SSA.
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After trying for weeks, I finally got through to SSA about my survivor benefits using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. What I learned is that my wife had claimed early at 62, but I still got the higher amount based on that RIB-LIM rule others mentioned. The agent even said many people who answer the phones don't understand it correctly, so it's worth specifically asking about. The call saved me thousands of dollars over my lifetime.
is that service expensive? seems weird to pay money just to talk to the government
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information. I've written down questions about the RIB-LIM provision to ask specifically when I speak with SSA. I'll try calling them tomorrow morning, and if I can't get through, I might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'm still grieving, but knowing what to expect helps me feel a little more in control of the situation. I'll update here once I've been able to speak with SSA about my specific benefit calculation.
That sounds like a good plan. Call early in the morning (right when they open) for the best chance of getting through. And remember to have your husband's Social Security number, your marriage certificate (or at least the date and place of marriage), and his death certificate information ready when you call. Wishing you all the best during this difficult time.
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Just wondering is the kid getting any other benefits? My friend's adopted daughter was getting survivor benefits from her bio dad and she had to choose between those and the SSDI from the adoptive dad cause they said she couldn't get both.
No, she's not receiving any other benefits. That's good information though - I didn't realize children couldn't receive both types of benefits simultaneously.
That's correct. If a child could qualify for benefits on more than one record, SSA will pay the higher benefit amount, but not both. It's called the Maximum Family Benefit rule. After adoption, a child generally loses eligibility for benefits on the biological parent's record, but there are some exceptions for step-parent adoptions.
i'm dealing with ssi not ssdi but when i got custody of my grandson they backpaid from when i applied not when i got custody so maybe its different for every situation?? the whole system is so confusing!!!!
SSI and SSDI have different rules for retroactive payments. For SSI, payments generally begin from the application date. For SSDI dependents, benefits can be paid retroactively for up to 6 months before the application date, as long as the eligible relationship existed during that time. That's why the OP's question about when the legal relationship began is so important.
Javier Gomez
Side note - make sure you're looking at the right earnings limit. There's a higher limit ($62,760 in 2025) in the year you reach FRA, and it only counts earnings BEFORE the month you reach FRA. After that month, no limit applies. This confused me a lot when I was going through this process!
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Malik Thomas
•ya i got caught by this too! the whole thing is so confusing i ended up just waiting till my FRA to avoid the headache
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Freya Larsen
Based on everything discussed, here's what appears to be your best strategy given your situation: 1. Continue working and wait until your FRA to claim survivor benefits (you'll get 100% of your wife's PIA) 2. At age 70, switch to your own retirement benefit (which will have grown by 8% per year from your FRA to age 70) This approach avoids the earnings test completely and maximizes your lifetime benefits. The survivor benefit will provide income from your FRA until 70, and then your maximized retirement benefit takes over from 70 onwards. It's worth having a personalized analysis done. You might consider scheduling an appointment with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security strategies or with an SSA representative directly to confirm this is optimal for your specific situation.
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you so much for this clear strategy. I'll definitely follow this advice and also try to get an appointment with SSA to confirm the details for my specific case. This forum has been incredibly helpful!
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