To summarize the accurate information in this thread: 1. When you claim spousal benefits at your Full Retirement Age, you'll receive 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit he would receive at his FRA regardless of when he actually claimed. 2. Your husband's decision to claim early at 62 reduces HIS benefit by approximately 30%, but it does NOT affect the calculation of YOUR spousal benefit (as long as you wait until your FRA). 3. If YOU claim spousal benefits before YOUR FRA, then YOUR spousal benefit would be permanently reduced. 4. You'll receive either your own retirement benefit or your spousal benefit, whichever is higher - not both. 5. Your own retirement benefit can increase with delayed retirement credits if you wait past FRA, but spousal benefits do not increase after FRA. This is a perfect example of why personalized planning is so important with Social Security - the rules can be complex but understanding them can significantly impact your lifetime benefits.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help others in similar situations. My parents went through this exact scenario about 5 years ago. Dad claimed at 62 due to health issues, and Mom was worried she'd get a reduced spousal benefit when she reached her FRA. The key thing that helped them was getting everything in writing from SSA. When Mom applied for spousal benefits at her FRA, she brought documentation showing Dad's estimated benefit at HIS full retirement age (his PIA), not what he was actually receiving. This made the process much smoother and ensured she got the correct amount - 50% of his PIA as everyone here has explained. One tip: keep copies of your husband's Social Security statements that show his estimated full retirement age benefit. It can be helpful documentation when you apply for spousal benefits later. The SSA should have this information, but having your own records can speed things up. Also wanted to echo what others said about the application process - definitely follow up to make sure you're getting the right amount. The system is complex and mistakes do happen.

my wifes on medicare and we get so confused with all the paperwork they send. ss and medicare need to get there systems working together better

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My Social Security benefit is only $154/month due to WEP from my teacher's pension, and I've been getting the runaround between SSA and Medicare for months. What's really frustrating is that when I first enrolled, nobody explained how the billing would work with such a small benefit. I finally got through to someone at Medicare last week (after trying for literally 6 weeks), and they told me I should have been receiving quarterly statements but their system shows my account as "premium handled by SSA" even though my benefit doesn't cover the full amount. The representative couldn't even tell me how much I might owe in back premiums! Has anyone found a specific department or phone number at Medicare that actually understands these WEP situations? The regular customer service line keeps transferring me around and nobody seems to know what they're talking about when I mention partial premium withholding.

One more thing to be aware of - if your father was receiving Social Security and your mother is still living, she may be eligible for survivor benefits if her own benefit amount is less than his. She should contact SSA about this once everything has settled down a bit.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through with your father. The community has given you excellent advice already. Just to add one more practical tip - when you do call SSA to report his passing, have his Social Security number, date of birth, and death certificate information ready. They'll ask for these details. Also, keep a record of when you called, who you spoke with, and any confirmation numbers they give you. This documentation can be helpful if any issues come up later. Sending you and your family strength during this difficult time.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful - since you're planning to work until June 2025 and your FRA is August 2025, you might want to check if those extra months of high earnings ($75k annually) will significantly boost your own Social Security benefit calculation. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, so if you're still in your peak earning years, those final months could potentially push out some lower-earning years from earlier in your career. You can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to see your earnings history and get benefit estimates. Also, don't forget that once you do apply in August 2025, your benefits will be retroactive to your FRA date, so you won't lose any money by waiting those extra couple months. The plan Austin outlined really does seem like the cleanest approach for your situation!

I went through a very similar situation about 3 years ago! I was also 66 and still working when I started looking into ex-spouse benefits. One thing that really helped me was requesting a "benefit verification letter" from SSA that shows what my projected benefits would be at different ages (62, FRA, and 70). This let me compare my own benefit projections against the estimated ex-spouse benefit without having to file anything yet. Also, since you mentioned your ex is 68, he's likely already collecting, which makes the process smoother. When I applied, I just needed his full name and Social Security number - SSA handled the rest of the verification internally without involving him at all. The waiting until August 2025 plan that others suggested really is smart. I wish I had been more patient instead of rushing into filing early. Those extra delayed retirement credits can add up to significant money over the long term, especially if you're in good health and expect to live a normal lifespan.

One final point about the monthly test versus annual test: After your first year on benefits, Social Security will automatically switch you to the annual test. You don't need to contact them for this change. So in 2025, they'll use the monthly test, and in 2026, they'll automatically use the annual test. For 2025, as long as you stay under $1,840 in January, you should be fine. For the rest of 2025, if you've fully retired, you won't have any earnings to worry about anyway. But if you do any part-time work later in 2025, you'll need to stay under the monthly limit for any month you work.

I'm dealing with a similar situation as a newcomer to Social Security benefits! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I want to add that might help other newcomers: I called my former HR department to get a written breakdown of which hours were worked in which month, since my final paycheck also spanned two months. They were actually really helpful and provided a detailed breakdown that I can keep for my records. It might be worth reaching out to your HR department too, Natasha, just to have that documentation from the employer side as well as your own records. This whole earnings test thing is way more complicated than I expected when I first applied for benefits!