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Can I collect 50% of husband's Social Security at my FRA if he claims at age 70?
Hello everyone! So confused about spousal benefits timing. My situation: I'm turning 64 next month, and my husband is 67 (turning 68 in December). He's planning to delay his Social Security retirement until he hits 70 to maximize his monthly benefit. From what I understand, I might be eligible for spousal benefits based on his record, but the timing has me completely puzzled.If he waits until 70 to file for his benefits (which would be around $3,900/month based on the SSA calculator), would I be able to claim 50% of that amount when I reach my Full Retirement Age (66 and 8 months), or do I have to wait until I'm 70 too? I read somewhere that I can't claim spousal benefits until he actually files for his own benefits, but then I heard something different from my neighbor. Also, if I have to wait until he files at 70, would my spousal benefit still be 50% of his age-70 amount, or would it be reduced because I'd be older than my FRA when I start collecting? The SSA website is so confusing on this point!Thanks in advance for clearing this up!
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Avery Davis
btw when you go in for the spousal topup make sure you bring EVERYTHING with you... birth certificates, marriage certificate, death certificates if any previous spouses, divorce papers, etc. they made me come back TWICE because they wanted more paperwork even though they already had everything in their system from when i applied for my own ss!!
The paperwork is INSANE!! They lost my marriage certificate TWICE and then had the nerve to tell me I needed to pay $35 to get another official copy! I asked to speak to a supervisor and miraculously they "found" it in their files. 🙄
Ev Luca
One more important point about the DAC benefits for your husband's son: When he converts from SSI to DAC, he'll receive a benefit equal to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) while your husband is alive. If your husband passes away, the son's benefit would increase to 75% of your husband's PIA. This conversion won't affect your spousal top-up at all, as the family maximum typically doesn't apply in these situations. Both you and the son can receive your full entitled benefits without reducing each other's amounts.
Thank you for this clarification! It's a relief to know that everyone can receive their full benefits. I'm going to suggest to my husband that we contact his ex about getting this DAC application started for their son too. Sounds like it would be better for him in the long run.
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Try using Claimyr to reach SSA directly without the long hold times. I was dealing with a mysterious deposit situation last month and was going CRAZY trying to get through. Used claimyr.com and they got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me days of frustration, and I got my issue resolved in one call.
Thanks for the suggestion! I've never heard of this service but at this point I'm desperate to talk to someone at SSA. I'll check out that video right now.
Ava Martinez
•does this really work? hate waiting on hold all day
Just thought of something else - did any of your relatives pass away recently? There's a one-time $255 death benefit that surviving spouses or dependents can receive. The amount you mentioned ($1,275) seems high for that, but if there were other adjustments combined with it, that might explain it.
No recent deaths in the family, thankfully. I finally got through to SSA this morning after using the Claimyr service another commenter suggested. Turns out my employer reported incorrect earnings for me last year, and this was a retroactive adjustment based on corrected W2 information for my special payments that aren't subject to the earnings test. The representative said the online account should update within a week. What a relief! Thanks everyone for your help!
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btw chase gave me the run around on my bonus last year. had to call like 5 times before they finally paid it. just so you know what ur getting into
I just logged into my mySSA account to check this out, and you all are right - it looks pretty simple! Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to read Chase's fine print carefully first, then make the change right after my next payment hits in early February. And I'll definitely keep both accounts open until I'm sure everything's working properly. $600 will be nice, but not if it means messing up my regular payments!
Sounds like a solid plan! Just remember that your first payment to the new account might take an extra day or two to post compared to what you're used to with your current bank. Each bank processes incoming ACH transfers on slightly different schedules.
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Ravi Gupta
One thing NOBODY mentioned yet - after your husband passes away, you'll also get a one-time death benefit payment of $255. It's pathetic honestly. Barely covers any funeral costs. The system is so outdated!!!
Malik Davis
•Wow, I had no idea the death benefit was so small. That wouldn't even cover the flowers at a funeral these days. Thanks for mentioning it though - every bit helps I guess.
Diego Vargas
I just wanted to add - make sure all your work credits and earnings history are correct in your Social Security statement. My mom found errors in hers that would have reduced her benefit by almost $200/month! You can check your statement online at ssa.gov by creating a my Social Security account if you haven't already.
Malik Davis
•That's good advice. I created my account last year but haven't really looked closely at all the details. I'll double-check my earnings history to make sure everything is accurate.
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GamerGirl99
just wondering - does ur mom's pension come from a job where she DIDNT pay into social security at all? or did she pay into both? my mom paid into both and they still did the GPO thing to her which seemed so unfair!!!
She paid into both! She worked at a school district that had its own pension system, but she also had several side jobs over the years where she paid into Social Security. Then she worked part-time at a private company after retiring from the school district. So she definitely contributed to both systems, which is why the GPO seemed so unfair to us too!
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Haley Stokes
my neighbor is getting ssi and her husband works so maybe u could qualify? but they make u list every single thing u own its crazy, they even asked about her wedding ring value lol. the asset limits are super strict like $2000 for single person $3000 for couples i think
Lia Quinn
•You're right about the strict resource limits for SSI - $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples in 2025. However, if the working spouse has significant income (like military retirement plus VA disability), the deemed income would likely disqualify the applicant regardless of assets. Each situation is unique though, which is why getting a formal determination from SSA is important.
Serene Snow
Wait i thought military spouses get some kinda special social security credit or something? my cousin said something about that once, but maybe it was a different benefit
Asher Levin
•You might be thinking of the Special Earnings Credit for military service members (not spouses), where military members get additional Social Security wage credits for active duty time from 1957-2001. Or possibly the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program, which provides education funding, but isn't related to Social Security. Unfortunately, there's no special Social Security credit program specifically for military spouses. This is why waiting for spousal benefits when her husband claims retirement is likely her best option.
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BEWARE they might say one thing on the phone and then deny benefits later!!! happened to my neighbor and she had to APPEAL which took 6 more months!! make sure EVERYTHING is in writing and get the NAME of who you talk to!!!!
To clarify about your dad's options - since he's already past his Full Retirement Age (FRA), he has a strategic advantage. He could: 1. Apply for survivor benefits now (100% of your mom's FRA benefit amount) 2. Later switch to his own retirement benefit if it would be higher OR 1. Apply for his own retirement benefit now (with delayed retirement credits since he's past FRA) 2. Later switch to survivor benefits if they would be higher The SSA should calculate which approach would give him the highest lifetime benefit during your interview. For payment timeline, if approved, he should see the first payment within 30-60 days. They pay benefits in the month following the month they're due for, so there's always a one-month delay.
Thank you! I'll make sure to discuss both options during the interview. Really appreciate all this guidance - feeling much more prepared now.
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Why is everyone saying this is normal??? When my husband and I applied for SS last year, the rep SPECIFICALLY told us that I would only get my own benefit at first, and that the spousal portion would come later after his application was fully processed. They told us to expect 1-3 months delay. If your rep didn't tell you this, they messed up!!!
That's exactly my frustration! Our rep confirmed both amounts on the phone and specifically said she'd receive the full amount (her benefit plus the spousal supplement) in the first payment. No mention of any delay or processing time. That's why I was so confused when only part of it showed up.
Ravi Patel
Quick follow-up from my earlier comment - since you mentioned the rep confirmed both amounts on the phone, it's worth calling again to verify everything is in order. While the timing delay I mentioned is normal, occasionally there can be a coding error in how they set up the spousal benefit. When you call, specifically ask them to check if the spousal benefit is properly "established but suspended pending processing" or if there's any issue with how it was coded. If there is an actual error (rather than just normal processing time), catching it early can prevent further delays.
Good point!!! We had a issue where they had my wifes SSN wrong by 1 digit on the spousal part and it caused MONTHS of delay!!!
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Sofia Torres
Since you're turning 65 in March 2025 and working full-time while receiving widow's benefits, here are three important things to understand: 1. Your widow's benefits continue unchanged - they don't automatically convert at 65. 2. You should evaluate whether it's better to: a) Stay on widow's benefits now and switch to retirement on your own record later b) Switch to reduced retirement benefits on your own record now c) Wait until your Full Retirement Age when restrictions on working while receiving benefits end The best strategy depends on your earnings history compared to your late husband's. 3. You MUST enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (3 months before/after your 65th birthday) even if you're still working, unless you have qualifying employer coverage and your employer has 20+ employees.
This is so helpful, thank you! So I should probably schedule an appointment with SSA to compare my own potential retirement benefits vs staying on widow's benefits? My husband worked in finance his whole career while I had several years out of the workforce when our kids were young.
Sofia Torres
•Yes, definitely schedule an appointment. With your work history having gaps, it's likely your husband's record will provide higher benefits, but only SSA can tell you the exact numbers. You can check your own estimated benefits by creating a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov, but a direct comparison from an agent would be most helpful.
just wondering but if ur working full time why u even taking widows benefits before retirement age? doesn't working reduce them anyway?
That's a fair question. Yes, some gets reduced due to the earnings limit, but I still end up with additional income that helps. My husband's sudden passing left me with expenses I hadn't planned for, so every bit helps even if it's reduced.
Mei Chen
ALSO DON'T FORGET ABOUT SURVIVOR BENEFITS!!! This is why my husband waiting till 70 was CRUCIAL. If he dies before me, I'll get HIS FULL AGE 70 BENEFIT as a survivor - INCLUDING all those delayed retirement credits! This is the BIGGEST reason for the higher earner to wait till 70!!!
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Jamal Thompson
This is an excellent point about survivor benefits. While spousal benefits are capped at 50% of the worker's PIA (FRA amount), survivor benefits can include 100% of the deceased spouse's benefit, including delayed retirement credits. For couples with significant differences in earnings history, this survivor benefit protection is often the most compelling reason for the higher earner to delay benefits until age 70.
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