I was in almost exactly your situation last year! I took retirement at 62, then got MUCH worse health-wise at 63. My doctor actually suggested I apply for SSDI since I had to stop working completely. The phone interview was mostly gathering info and was less stressful than I expected. The thing nobody told me was how LONG the whole process would take. It was almost 5 months from my phone interview until I got the decision letter. Then it took another month for the payment adjustment to actually happen. So be prepared to wait... a lot. Oh, and having all your medical records and doctor contact info ready really helps speed things up. And don't get discouraged if they deny you the first time - something like 70% of applications get denied initially. I had to appeal but eventually got approved.

Honestly I wouldn't even bother applying for SSDI if you're already getting retirement. My brother-in-law tried this exact thing and got denied TWICE even though he literally can't walk without a walker now. The whole system is RIGGED against us. They make it impossible to get approved unless you hire a lawyer who takes a huge chunk of your backpay. It's all a scam!

I'd like to add some important details that others haven't mentioned: 1. While your future survivor benefit won't be affected by when you take your own benefit, there are still potential advantages to delaying your own benefit if you can afford to. 2. If your husband lives a long time, your own benefit (if you delay to 70) could grow to be more valuable over time with COLA adjustments. 3. If you're still working, taking benefits before FRA could subject you to the earnings test, which temporarily reduces benefits. 4. Tax implications: Having both your own benefit and eventually a survivor benefit could push you into a higher tax bracket. The optimal strategy depends on your complete financial picture, health situations, and other income sources. You might want to consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies.

wait i'm confused...if she takes her SS now at 65 isn't that still reduced since her FRA is probably 66 and something? my head is spinning trying to keep all these rules straight lol

my mom got dads SS when he passed but she said she had to wait til she was 60 to claim it, so theres definintely some age rules involved to

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! Based on what I'm understanding: 1. Yes, I would get 100% of my wife's benefit if she passes away after starting her benefits (assuming I'm at my FRA) 2. It might be worth having her delay until 70 to maximize those potential survivor benefits 3. I'll need to file paperwork with SSA and provide documentation when the time comes 4. Different rules apply if she passes before starting benefits This has been really educational and gives us some things to consider in our retirement planning. I appreciate all the responses!

You mentioned your FRA benefit would be $2400 and your husband's is $3200. Honestly with those numbers, you probably want to focus on maximizing your own benefit rather than spousal benefits anyway. If you took spousal at your FRA, you'd get $1600 (half of his). If you took it early at 62, you'd get even less - around $1120. That's a lot less than your own benefit even with early filing reductions. Have you considered when you actually need the income? If you can wait until 70, your $2400 FRA benefit becomes around $3000/month. That's the permanent value of delaying.

One more thing to consider: survivor benefits. If either of you passes away, the surviving spouse gets to keep the higher of the two benefit amounts. If you expect your husband to have a longer life expectancy, then maximizing your benefit might not be as important. But if you think you might outlive him, having him maximize his benefit by waiting until 70 could provide you with a larger survivor benefit later. Running the numbers with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies might be worthwhile given your benefit amounts.

I had a similar situation with my late husband. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your sister does qualify for survivor benefits but is still under her full retirement age when she starts collecting, the benefit amount will be reduced. At age 60 (the earliest a non-disabled widow can claim), she would get about 71.5% of his full benefit amount. Each month she waits after that increases the percentage slightly until she reaches her full retirement age (probably around 67 for her age), when she would get 100% of his benefit. If she qualifies as a disabled widow and starts benefits at age 50, the reduction is even more significant - about 71.5% of his benefit. But sometimes getting some money earlier is better than waiting for the full amount. Also, while the 9-month marriage rule is generally firm, there are very specific exceptions. One exception is if the death was accidental. This probably won't apply in a terminal illness situation, but worth knowing.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, if she claims survivor benefits early (either at 50 as a disabled widow or at 60 as a non-disabled widow), the reduction is permanent. Unlike retirement benefits, survivor benefits do not automatically increase to 100% when she reaches her full retirement age. Regarding the benefit amount - she would receive a percentage of what he's getting now, based on when she claims. At her full retirement age, that would be 100% of his current SSDI benefit. If she claims earlier, it would be a reduced percentage. One other option they might consider - if they get married and he lives at least 9 months, but she doesn't qualify for disabled widow benefits, she could apply for spousal benefits at age 62 (reduced) while he's still alive. Then after he passes, she could switch to survivor benefits, which are generally higher than spousal benefits.