Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I'm going to help my sister gather her marriage certificate and divorce decree, and we'll try to schedule an appointment with SSA to apply for the divorced spouse benefits. Since her ex is already 62 and they've been divorced for well over 2 years, it sounds like she should be eligible to apply right away. I'll update this thread once we learn more about what she qualifies for.

Not to be negative but people need to be realistic about how long this whole process takes! My mom applied for divorced spouse benefits and it took SEVEN MONTHS to get approved, then another 2 months for payments to start. And they DIDNT give her all the backpay they owed her!!! She's still fighting to get the missing 3 months they owe her. The SSA is overwhelmed and understaffed so tell your sister to be prepared for a long wait.

I think the SSA reps themselves get confused about this stuff sometimes!! When I called about something similar last year, I got 3 different answers from 3 different people! One told me COLAs don't apply to spousal benefits, another said they do, and the third wasn't sure. It's crazy how inconsistent they can be!!

This is all really helpful information. I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to schedule my application. From what everyone's saying, it sounds like I'll get the full 50% of my husband's current benefit (which includes all the COLAs since 2020), not just 50% of what he was getting back then. Since I'm already past my FRA, I shouldn't have any reductions either. That's a nice relief! Thanks everyone for your help explaining this.

i forgot to mention this before but make SURE she talks to her doctor about the disability application becuz that makes a HUGE difference!!! my wife's first app was denied but when her doctor wrote better notes about her limitations she got approved on reconsideration

One more thing - if she's turning 65 she needs to apply for Medicare NOW even if she delays SS benefits!!! Don't mess this up or you'll pay penalties forever!!!!!

also dont forget about Medicare!!! you need to sign up at 65 even if ur not taking SS yet or you'll get penalties!!!

To summarize the correct information in this thread: 1. Yes, you can claim your own retirement benefits at your FRA, then later apply for the spousal benefit when your husband files. 2. The spousal benefit calculation is the greater of: your own benefit OR up to 50% of your husband's PIA (not his actual benefit amount). 3. If 50% of your husband's PIA is more than your own benefit, you'll receive your own benefit plus the difference (the "excess spousal benefit" or "top-up"). 4. Given your numbers ($1,850 for you, $2,800 PIA for him), you likely won't receive a spousal top-up since your benefit ($1,850) exceeds 50% of his PIA ($1,400). 5. When your husband files, contact SSA to verify if you qualify for any spousal adjustment. This isn't always automatic.

My sister is getting survivior benefits from her ex who passed last year but she didnt file until she was 65. I think you need to be FRA to get the max amount but not sure. Whole system is confussing tbh.

I really appreciate everyone's responses! To summarize what I understand now: Taking my own retirement 5 months early will only reduce MY benefit by about 2.8%, and won't affect any future survivor benefits from my ex-husband's record. When he eventually passes away, I'll get the higher of either my reduced benefit OR his full benefit (assuming he didn't claim early himself). This makes my decision much simpler. I'll probably go ahead with claiming 5 months early since the reduction is fairly small.

Sorry but what is a PIA? Seeing that term in one of the comments and not sure what it means.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned so much from this thread. To summarize what I understand now: 1. I cannot receive spousal benefits until my husband actually files for his own retirement benefits (the "file and suspend" strategy is no longer available) 2. When he does file (likely at age 67), I'll need to apply for the spousal top-up - it won't happen automatically 3. The maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of his PIA, minus my own SSDI amount 4. His strategy to wait until 67 is probably best for maximizing our lifetime benefits, especially considering potential survivor benefits I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this to me!

The March submission should be sufficient. The form is valid for the entire period certified by the school. Just keep a copy of the completed form in case there are any questions about his continuing eligibility.

good luck with the check my son's took forever to come and we kept calling and they said be patient but then finally we had to go to the office and found out they had the wrong address even tho nothing changed!! make sure they have everything right in the system

my brother tried suspending and said it was a nightmare to restart. took him like 4 months to get payments going again when he turned 70. just something to think about...

Update: I called SSA this morning (waited about 45 minutes) and got some helpful info. The agent confirmed I can suspend anytime after FRA, and my benefits will grow by 2/3% every month they're suspended. She also mentioned that if I earn enough at my new job, I could potentially increase my benefit amount that way too because they'll recalculate based on my new earnings if they're higher than what was previously used. So it's like a double advantage! Thanks everyone for your helpful advice!

Going back to work is a SMART move if you can do it! I wish I had kept working instead of taking SS at 62. My benefit is so small now and I'm stuck with it. My sister waited until 68 and gets almost TWICE what I get every month! If you can withdraw now and wait, you'll be thanking yourself later.

Just to clarify a few points: 1. If you choose to withdraw your application (Form SSA-521), you must repay the full amount you received - there's no payment plan option for this. The repayment must be made in full. 2. If you choose to keep your application active but return to work: - Report your employment to SSA right away - If you're under Full Retirement Age and earn above $21,240 (2025 limit), benefits will be adjusted automatically - You may have months where you receive no payment due to high earnings - At Full Retirement Age, your benefit will be recalculated to give you credit for months benefits were withheld 3. For Medicare: If you withdraw your application, you'll need to decide whether to keep Medicare and pay premiums directly. If you have other health insurance through your new employer, you might consider whether to keep Part B.

One additional point that might help you: If your father was a veteran, the VA provides granite markers for free through the National Cemetery Administration. You just need to submit VA Form 40-1330. This might eliminate your need to access the bank account for that specific expense. Also, if you've already purchased the marker, you may be eligible for reimbursement up to a certain amount (currently about $250 for 2025).

Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with a very similar situation for my aunt right now. So far I've spent about 5 hours on the phone with SSA spread across 3 calls and still don't have clear answers about the reclamation timeline. It shouldn't be this difficult!