Hi Keisha! As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to jump in and share what I learned when navigating this same situation with my spouse last year. Everyone here has given you fantastic advice - yes, you can absolutely both receive your own Social Security checks if you've both worked enough to qualify! One thing that really helped us was using the "break-even analysis" approach. We calculated at what age the higher lifetime benefits from waiting would "break even" compared to claiming early. For most people, if you live past your early 80s, waiting pays off significantly. But as others mentioned, health considerations and immediate financial needs matter too. Since you mentioned taking 8 years off for kids, make sure to check your earnings record for accuracy when you get that ssa.gov account working. I found a couple of errors in my record that would have reduced my benefits if I hadn't caught them. You can request corrections if needed. Also, don't overlook the fact that Social Security benefits get annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), so they provide some inflation protection that many other retirement income sources don't offer. This community has been incredibly helpful for understanding all these nuances - glad you found it too!

Hi Keisha! Welcome to the community - I'm new here as well. Your question really resonates with me as I'm in a very similar situation. My husband and I are both approaching retirement age and had the exact same confusion about whether we could both collect our own benefits! From everything I've learned (and all the great responses here confirm this), yes - you can absolutely both receive your own Social Security retirement checks if you've both worked and earned the required 40 quarters. The spousal benefit option is just that - an *option* - in case it would give you more money than your own earned benefit. One thing that really helped me understand this better was thinking of Social Security as individual accounts based on your own work history, not as a "household" benefit. Since you both worked consistently (even with your 8 years off for the kids), you should each have your own earned benefit amounts. I'd definitely recommend trying that ssa.gov account again - the benefit calculators there are incredibly helpful for seeing exactly what you'd get at different claiming ages. Sometimes it helps to try during off-peak hours when the site isn't as busy. The peace of mind from seeing your actual numbers makes all the difference in planning! Best of luck with your retirement planning - you're asking all the right questions!

As someone who just went through this exact process last year with a January 28th birthday, I can confirm what everyone is saying - definitely choose January 2025 as your start month! I was initially hesitant because it felt "too early" somehow, but my benefits specialist at SSA explained it perfectly: delayed retirement credits accumulate up TO age 70, not BEYOND age 70. So the moment you hit 70 in January, you've maxed out your credits regardless of what day your birthday falls on. I ended up getting my first payment (for January) in February, and it was the full amount with all delayed credits applied. Don't overthink it - January is absolutely the right choice and you'll be glad you didn't wait an extra month for no additional benefit!

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a twist - I turn 70 in January 2026 and I'm currently receiving spousal benefits. Do I need to do anything special to switch from spousal benefits to my own retirement benefits when I hit 70? I'm assuming my own benefits will be higher at that point with all the delayed retirement credits, but I want to make sure there isn't some automatic conversion I need to be aware of. Should I still apply 3-4 months in advance even though I'm already in the SSA system receiving spousal benefits? This thread has been so helpful for understanding the timing, but I'm wondering if being on spousal benefits changes the process at all.

This is such valuable information everyone is sharing! As someone who's navigating similar questions, I wanted to add that you might also want to check if your husband has any pension or retirement benefits that include survivor benefits. These can sometimes coordinate with Social Security in ways that affect your overall planning. Also, I learned that if you remarry before age 60, you lose eligibility for survivor benefits from your first husband, but if you remarry after 60, you can still claim them. It's another factor to consider in long-term planning. The complexity of all these rules really reinforces what others have said about getting professional advice and verifying information from multiple sources!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said about getting multiple opinions from SSA - I had a similar experience to @Evelyn Xu where the first agent I spoke with gave me completely incorrect information about my disability benefits. It took three different calls to three different agents before I got consistent, accurate answers. Now I always ask for reference numbers or documentation in writing when possible. Also, one thing I learned that might be helpful for your planning: if your husband is still working and earning credits, his benefit amount could still be increasing, which would also increase your potential survivor benefit. The SSA recalculates benefits annually if someone continues working past their FRA. So your planning numbers might actually improve over time if he's still in the workforce!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - approaching retirement and feeling completely lost with all the terminology. One thing that really helped me was printing out all these acronym explanations and keeping them in a folder with my other SS documents. I'd also add DRC (Delayed Retirement Credits) to the list - that's the extra money you get if you wait past your FRA to claim benefits. You earn about 8% more per year for each year you delay up to age 70. And for anyone else struggling with the SSA website verification like @Finley mentioned, I had the same issue but found that calling early in the morning (right at 7 AM when they open) helped me get through faster to get it sorted out. The wait times are usually shorter then. Thanks everyone for making this so much clearer!

I just want to say how grateful I am for this entire thread! As someone who's been putting off learning about Social Security because it seemed so intimidating, seeing all these explanations broken down in plain English has been incredibly helpful. I'm bookmarking this page and definitely going to create that acronym cheat sheet that @Ryder mentioned. It's amazing how much clearer everything becomes when people actually explain what these letters stand for instead of just throwing them around assuming everyone knows. One question I have - does anyone know what happens to your benefits if you move to a different state? I've heard there might be tax implications but I'm not sure if there are any other considerations with Social Security specifically. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to explain all these terms. This community is such a valuable resource!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zoe. This is exactly the kind of situation where SSA's complexity really shows - you're dealing with grief while trying to navigate rules that even their own representatives sometimes get wrong. From reading through all the excellent advice here, it sounds like you have a solid plan forming. The RIB-LIM rule could potentially get you that higher survivor benefit amount (around $2,021 as Steven calculated), and the restricted application strategy could be perfect for your situation since you haven't claimed your own benefits yet. One thing I'd add to the great suggestions already given: when you go to the SSA office, consider asking them to provide you with a written breakdown of your options and the calculations they're using. Sometimes having it in writing helps catch errors and gives you something to reference later if you need to follow up. Also, don't feel pressured to make a decision immediately if the information feels overwhelming during your appointment. You can always ask for time to review your options, especially for something this important to your long-term financial security. The fact that you're asking these detailed questions and doing your research shows you're going to navigate this successfully. This community will be here to help interpret whatever information SSA gives you!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zoe. Dealing with Social Security survivor benefits while grieving is incredibly overwhelming, and you're asking exactly the right questions. From my own experience helping family members navigate this, the RIB-LIM rule that others mentioned is crucial for your situation. Since your husband claimed at 62, you're not stuck with just his reduced $1,750 amount. The calculation typically uses the higher of what he was receiving OR 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (what he would have gotten at full retirement age). Based on your numbers ($2,450 PIA), that 82.5% would be around $2,021 - significantly more than the $1,750 he was actually receiving. Given that you're 65 and haven't claimed your own benefits yet, you have valuable flexibility. The restricted application strategy could work well - take survivor benefits while letting your own retirement benefit grow with delayed credits until age 70. My advice: Go to your local SSA office in person with all your documents and a written list of questions specifically mentioning RIB-LIM calculations and restricted applications. Phone representatives often don't know these specialized rules well. Don't let them rush you into a decision - this choice affects your financial security for life. Document everything, and please update us with what you learn. Your experience could help other widows facing this same confusing system.