I called SSA today and wanted to update everyone. The representative confirmed that I could receive a combination of my own benefit plus a partial spousal benefit to bring me up to 50% of my husband's PIA (what he would have received at full retirement age). In my case, it amounts to an extra $218 per month, which definitely helps! They're processing my application now. Thank you all for your helpful advice!

They said it would take about 30 days to process, and the payments would start the following month. They also mentioned I might get a small retroactive payment since I was eligible as of last month when I reached FRA. Every bit helps with these inflation rates!

OK honest question - has anyone actually sucessfully gotten half of their spouses benefits while the spouse is still working?? my sister tried this and SSA told her she had it all wrong. She couldn't get it til her husband FILED not just became eligible. so confusing!!

After reading through this thread, I want to offer some additional information that might help with your decision: 1. You can request a detailed benefit calculation from SSA that will show exactly what your benefit would be at 62, FRA, and 70, as well as what your husband's spousal benefit would be once you file. 2. Remember that if you file at 62, your benefit will be reduced by approximately 30% from your FRA amount for life. 3. If your husband is receiving $625/month now, and your FRA benefit would be around $3,400, then his spousal benefit would potentially increase his total to around $1,700 (half your FRA amount). 4. This means filing at 62 could give him an additional $1,075/month, but would permanently reduce your own benefit by about $1,000/month compared to what you'd get at FRA. 5. The breakeven calculation should consider both your life expectancies and immediate financial needs. Have you considered whether you might work part-time between 62-67? If you claim benefits early but continue working, you'd be subject to the earnings test, which could temporarily reduce or eliminate your benefits until you reach FRA.

One additional point that might be relevant: if your wife had even a few more quarters of Social Security coverage (she has 16, but needs 40 to qualify), her situation might be different. If she had any part-time work during her teaching career or after retirement that wasn't covered by her government pension, those earnings might count toward SS quarters. Even post-retirement work could help her accumulate the remaining quarters needed, though at 70, she'd need to decide if working to gain Social Security eligibility makes financial sense. If she ever did qualify for her own (even small) Social Security benefit, the WEP would apply to that benefit rather than GPO applying to spousal benefits, which might result in a different calculation.

Just wanted to say I sympathize with your situation - my parents went through this exact same thing! Dad worked for the county, mom was a teacher, and they got caught in both WEP and GPO. It's so confusing because you think with the WEP news everything changes but then you find out GPO is completely separate. Social Security has the WORST communication about these special situations. Hope you get some good news eventually!

Reading all these responses has me totally confused still. Can someone just answer simply: if I take my SS at 62 and my ex-husband has higher benefits, will I automatically get the higher spousal amount when I'm eligible? Or do I have to apply separately for the spousal benefit?

Thank you all for the responses. This has been incredibly helpful. I've learned I can definitely get both divorced spousal benefits (as a top-up if eligible) and later survivor benefits despite being divorced for over 20 years. But I need to apply separately for each benefit - nothing happens automatically. I'm going to call the SSA to get my specific numbers and see what kind of spousal top-up I might qualify for. Sounds like the survivor benefit later could be substantial, especially if my ex delays claiming until 70 (though I have no way to know his plans). That RIB-LIM rule sounds concerning though - I'll make sure to ask specifically how taking my benefit at 62 will affect future survivor benefits.

Since you're considering starting benefits at 62 and then potentially getting a high-paying job, let me offer a different perspective that might be useful for your specific situation: If there's a high probability you'll get this job, consider whether it makes sense to simply delay filing until either: 1. You know for certain about the job opportunity, OR 2. You reach your Full Retirement Age of 67 By delaying, you avoid the complexity of withdrawing your application and repaying benefits. Each year you delay filing between 62 and FRA increases your benefit by approximately 7-8%. And each year from FRA to 70 increases it by 8%. Your specific situation highlights why these filing decisions are so personal and depend on individual circumstances, job prospects, health, and financial needs.

I tried calling SSA like 5 times last month about a similar situation and NEVER got through!!! Just endless holds and disconnects 😡 Has anyone actually reached a real person recently?

One important point nobody has mentioned: for your father's application, make sure he specifically lists all conditions, but especially document the falling asleep episodes in detail. This could indicate several possible conditions: 1. Sleep apnea (common with COPD) 2. Medication side effects from treatments for depression/anxiety 3. Narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia 4. Potential neurological issues He should keep a daily log of these episodes - when they occur, duration, circumstances, etc. This kind of specific documentation significantly strengthens disability claims, especially for symptoms that don't show up well on standard medical tests. Also, since he's 55, check if he qualifies for early retirement as a backup plan while pursuing SSDI. Though benefits would be reduced, it might provide some income during the potentially lengthy disability determination process.

my mom went thru appeals for her fibro too. they kept saying it wasnt real even tho she couldnt even hold a cup somedays. make sure u have a GOOD lawyer, made all the difference for her

btw did u just start Medicare Part B recently too? that might explain it

Just to follow up - this is definitely a Medicare premium refund. One thing to know is that SSA works on a month-behind schedule for Medicare premiums. So when you get your February payment, it will have January's Medicare premium deducted. The system is basically refunding you for premiums you directly paid that will now be covered through the automatic deduction system. It should all straighten out within 1-2 payment cycles.

I applied for mother's benefits last year but got denied because they said I make too much money (I work 30 hrs and make $24k). They have this earnings test thing and if you make over a certain amount they reduce your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit. So annoying that they punish us for trying to work part time while taking care of our kids!!

Thank you all for your helpful responses! I feel much better knowing there's a path forward with Mother's benefits once my daughter's benefits end. I'm going to: 1. Schedule an appointment with SSA 3 months before my daughter turns 18 2. Specifically ask about Mother's benefits as a caregiver for my disabled son 3. Bring documentation of my caregiving responsibilities and his medical condition 4. Be prepared to advocate for myself if they initially say I'm not eligible I'm relieved my current part-time income should be under the earnings limit. This would make such a huge difference for our family's stability.

this reminds me when I filed the ssa office gave me wrong info too said i couldnt get widows benefits till 60 but turns out i could get them at 50 because im disabled! dont even trust the ssa people sometimes they make mistakes

Since we're clarifying misconceptions, let me address the part about being "married way over 20 years" - that duration only matters for divorced spouse benefits (which require a 10-year marriage). For currently married couples, there's no marriage duration requirement for spousal benefits except that you must be currently married. To summarize your situation: 1. You'll get 100% of your own benefit at FRA in March 2025 2. Your husband's early filing has no impact on your benefit amount 3. You'll get either your own benefit OR a spousal benefit (whichever is higher), not both 4. Since you worked your entire life, your own benefit is likely higher than any spousal benefit If you want to verify all this, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and request a benefit verification or speak with a claims specialist.

My cousin is going thru this exact thing!!! She got denied first time cuz the person didnt understand the rules. Had to go back AGAIN and talk to someone else. Got approved the 2nd time. So if they say no, try again with different person!!

One additional important point: if your ex-spouse has passed away (which doesn't appear to be the case here, but for others reading), you might be eligible for divorced survivor benefits which can be up to 100% of what your ex-spouse was receiving, rather than the 50% for divorced spouse benefits when the ex is still living. This is a significant difference that many divorcees aren't aware of. For the original poster, since your ex waited until 70 to claim, his benefit includes delayed retirement credits. However, as a divorced spouse, your potential benefit is based on 50% of his primary insurance amount (what he would get at full retirement age), not including those delayed credits. The reduction for your early claiming would still apply to any divorced spouse benefit you might receive.