my mom has the same problem (shes from philippines originally) no payment yet. but my uncle got his (hes citizen) so i was thinking maybe its for immigrants only? glad to hear its not that. still nothing in her account today tho

UPDATE: My payment just posted this morning! So it was about 48 hours late. Check your accounts - hopefully your husband's payment has arrived too!

A lot of misinformation in this thread. The spousal benefit isn't always 50%. That's just the maximum. The actual formula is more complicated and takes into account whether you're eligible for your own retirement benefit, when you file, and whether the WEP/GPO rules apply. Calling SSA directly is your best bet. Ask them for a breakdown of your benefit calculation. They can tell you exactly how your benefit was determined and whether there are any options to increase it. You might need to speak with a technical benefits advisor though, not just the first person who answers the phone.

One more thing to consider - if your husband passes away, you would become eligible for survivor benefits, which can be up to 100% of what he was receiving (depending on your age when you claim them). So while your current spousal benefit might seem low, the survivor benefit would be significantly higher. If your husband is in good health, you might want to discuss having him delay taking his own benefits as long as possible (up to age 70) to maximize the eventual survivor benefit you'd receive if he passes before you. Each year he delays past his FRA increases his benefit by 8%, which also increases the survivor benefit you'd eventually receive.

btw have u checked if ur eligible for medicare yet? u might qualify before 65 if ur on disability

One final clarification - I notice some confusion in the thread about exactly when SSDI converts to retirement benefits. To be precise: 1. If you're receiving SSDI, benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits when you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA) 2. For people born 1960 or later, FRA is age 67 3. For people born 1959, FRA is 66 and 10 months 4. For people born 1958, FRA is 66 and 8 months Since you mentioned you're 59 now, you were likely born around 1966, so your FRA would be 67. That's when the automatic conversion will happen. Again, the amount stays exactly the same - there's no reduction when SSDI converts to retirement benefits at FRA.

I remember my financial advisor telling me that ANYTHING that simplifies dealing with SSA is worth considering. Even if the process isn't technically automatic, having your records already linked through spousal benefits creates a clearer trail. When dealing with SSA during what will already be a difficult emotional time, any potential simplification might be worth that small paperwork hassle now.

One additional consideration: Current rules require reporting a death to SSA within 30 days. Survivor benefits can only be paid from the time of application in most cases, not retroactively from the date of death. Whether you receive spousal benefits or not, what's most important is knowing the process for when the time comes: 1. Report the death promptly (within 30 days) 2. Apply for survivor benefits (can't be done online, must be by phone or in-person) 3. Have necessary documentation (death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate, tax records) Having the spousal relationship already established in SSA's systems might help prevent certain documentation requirements or verification steps, but the core process remains the same.

My friend says shes getting 3700 a month from social security, is that even possible??? seems way too high

Thanks everyone for the great responses! This has been incredibly helpful. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. Yes, the SSA will recalculate my benefit even before FRA if my current earnings replace a lower year 2. Any increase will still be reduced by my early claiming penalty 3. The earnings test reduction is temporary and gets factored back in at FRA 4. The recalculation happens automatically each year For anyone else wondering about this - this thread has great info! I'm going to try calling SSA to confirm my specific situation. If I can't get through I'll check out that Claimyr service mentioned above.