Can I claim SS retirement at 62 on my work record then switch to ex-spouse benefits at 67?

Yes, you CAN claim your own benefit first and then switch to ex-spouse later, but it might not be the best strategy depending on the numbers. Since you were married more than 10 years, you qualify for ex-spouse benefits. The key question: how much will your own benefit be at 62 compared to 50% of his FRA benefit (what you'd get at YOUR FRA as ex-spouse)? You can actually run these calculations using the tools on ssa.gov or by scheduling an appointment with SSA. I've helped many people in similar situations figure this out!

hi there im in a similar situation but i was married 22 years. my ex already gets his ss and i tried to call ssa about it but they kept me on hold for 2 HOURS then disconnected me!!! typical government nonsense. anyway my sister told me you have to be unmarried to claim on your ex's record so if u remarried u might be out of luck

There's a key misunderstanding here I want to clear up. Under current Social Security rules, you can no longer use the "file and switch" strategy you're describing. This was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. What you CAN do: - File for ALL benefits you're eligible for at once (either at 62 or later) - SSA will pay you the highest benefit you qualify for If your ex-spouse's 50% benefit would be higher than your own, you'd get that amount (reduced if claiming before FRA). If your own benefit is higher, you'd get that instead. But there's no longer a way to take the smaller benefit first and then switch to the larger one later - you get the higher of the two, period.

My cousin just went through this exact thing!!! She said the trick is you HAVE TO CALL and talk to an actual person because the online stuff doesn't explain divorced spouse benefits right. She waited forever but finally got someone who helped her.

I THOUGHT I COULD SWITCH TOO BUT THEY TOLD ME NO!!!! The Social Security people said that rule changed and now you just get whichever is bigger. So annoying because my friend's sister did the switching thing years ago and now we can't!! The government always changes rules to give us LESS money!!!

wait i just remembered something important - you have to be UNMARRIED when you apply for ex-spouse benefits! if you remarried you can only get benefits on your current spouse

Based on what others are saying about the rule changes (which is correct), your best strategy might be to calculate: 1. What your own benefit would be at 62 (reduced) vs. at your FRA of 67 (full) 2. What your ex-spouse benefit would be at 62 (reduced) vs. at your FRA (full 50% of his FRA amount) Then compare these numbers to decide when to file. If you only worked for 4 years, your own benefit might be quite small, so the ex-spouse benefit could be much better. If you can afford to wait until 67, you'd get the full 50% of his FRA benefit (not what he's actually receiving, since he took it early).

To answer your follow-up question about estimating without calling: Unfortunately, the SSA website calculators don't handle ex-spouse benefits well. You need information about your ex's earnings record, which you don't have access to online. Your best options are: 1. Schedule an in-person appointment at your local SSA office (often 1-2 month wait) 2. Call SSA directly (long wait times but they can access all records) 3. Create a my Social Security account to at least see YOUR estimated benefits And yes, your ex-spouse benefit would be based on 50% of his FULL retirement age amount, regardless of when he actually claimed. So him taking it early at 62 doesn't reduce what you can get.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! After trying for weeks to get good information, I finally got through to SSA using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me a callback from SSA in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU When I talked to the SSA rep, I found out my ex-spouse benefit was almost DOUBLE what my own benefit would be (I also had limited work history). They confirmed I couldn't do the switch strategy but helped me calculate exactly when would be optimal to file based on my specific numbers. Turned out waiting until 65 was my sweet spot - not quite FRA but better than taking it at 62.

Yes, Claimyr was super straightforward! I was skeptical at first, but it literally just took a couple minutes to set up. The part I found most valuable was being able to get concrete numbers for different filing ages - 62 vs 65 vs 67. In my case, the difference between filing at 62 vs 67 was about $450 per month, which adds up to over $5,000 a year. When the SSA agent looked at both my record and my ex's, they were able to tell me exactly what I'd get at each age.

I want to add an important point about Medicare timing that affects this decision. Even if you delay taking Social Security until your FRA of 67, you should still sign up for Medicare at 65 to avoid late enrollment penalties. This is separate from your Social Security decision but commonly overlooked in retirement planning. Regarding your primary question: with only 4 years of full-time work, your own benefit is likely to be quite limited. The ex-spouse benefit (50% of his FRA amount) will almost certainly be higher. The key decision is timing - each year you delay between 62 and 67 increases your benefit amount by about 7-8%.

Yes, absolutely file for Medicare at 65 regardless of your SS decision! The two systems are connected but have different optimal timing. That 7-8% annual increase for delaying SS is why many financial advisors recommend waiting if you can afford to. But if you need the income sooner, taking it at 62 isn't wrong - it's just a different strategy. Your personal financial situation (savings, other income sources, health, etc.) should guide this decision more than anything else.