Can I claim Social Security now at 63 then switch to spousal benefits at my FRA?
I'm turning 63 next month and trying to figure out the best strategy for my Social Security benefits. My husband just started receiving his full retirement benefits (he hit his FRA at 66 years and 10 months last week). His monthly benefit is around $2,800. I've worked most of my life but took several years off to raise our kids, so my own benefit would be about $1,400 if I claim now at 63. What I'm wondering is: Can I start collecting my own reduced benefits now, and then when I reach my full retirement age (67), can I switch to receiving 50% of my husband's benefit instead? This would give me around $1,400 per month starting now, and then $1,800 when I hit 67. Or does it not work that way? Would starting my own benefits now permanently prevent me from getting the higher spousal amount later? I'm so confused by all these rules!
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Isabella Ferreira
Unfortunately, that strategy no longer works since the rule changes in 2015. If you file for your own benefits at 63, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for (including spousal). This is called "deemed filing." Since your husband is already collecting, if you file at 63, SSA will automatically give you whichever is higher: your own reduced benefit OR your reduced spousal benefit. And that reduction is permanent. If you wait until your FRA to file, you would get your full benefit or 50% of your husband's PIA, whichever is higher. But you can't switch between them - they compare them once when you file.
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Malik Thompson
•Oh no! I didn't know about those 2015 rule changes. That changes everything for my planning. So if I understand correctly, if I file at 63, I'd get my own reduced benefit forever since it's higher than the reduced spousal benefit would be at this age? And I can't switch later?
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CosmicVoyager
I did what ur talking about but it was back in 2014 and yes it worked great for me!!! I took mine at 62 then when i hit my full age i switchd to my husbands. BUT i heard they changed the rules now so maybe call SS and ask them directly??
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Malik Thompson
•Thanks for sharing your experience! Sounds like I just missed the window for that strategy. Ugh, so frustrating. I've been trying to call SSA for the past week but keep getting disconnected or put on hold forever.
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Ravi Kapoor
The previous responses are correct. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 eliminated these switching strategies for anyone born after January 1, 1954. Since you're 63 now, you're subject to deemed filing. Your options are: 1) File now at 63 and receive your own reduced benefit (about 70% of your full benefit) permanently 2) Wait until your FRA (67) and receive either your full benefit OR 50% of your husband's benefit, whichever is higher 3) Wait until 70 to maximize your own benefit if it would grow to be larger than the spousal benefit Based on the numbers you provided, if your benefit at 63 is $1,400, your FRA benefit would be approximately $2,000. This is higher than the spousal benefit of $1,400 (50% of your husband's $2,800), so you'd likely never receive spousal benefits in your case.
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Malik Thompson
•Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! I think I misunderstood how the spousal benefit works. I thought I'd get 50% of his actual payment ($2,800), which would be $1,400. But you're saying at my FRA, my own benefit would be about $2,000, which is higher than the spousal benefit I'd qualify for. This is so complicated!
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Ravi Kapoor
Just to clarify - the spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is his benefit amount at his FRA. So if his benefit at FRA is $2,800, then your maximum spousal benefit would be $1,400, but only if you wait until your own FRA to claim it. If you claim spousal benefits before your FRA, they're reduced permanently. And yes, if your own benefit at FRA would be around $2,000, then you would receive your own benefit since it's higher than the spousal benefit.
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Freya Nielsen
•Have you tried using claimyr.com to reach Social Security? I was in a similar situation trying to figure out my options and couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. Used their service and got connected to an agent in 20 minutes who explained all my options. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - was totally worth it to get clear answers directly from SSA.
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Omar Mahmoud
THIS IS WHY I HATE THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM!!! They changed all the rules and didn't tell anyone!!! I planned my whole retirement around being able to claim early and then switch just like you're talking about. Then SURPRISE they changed everything. Now I'm stuck with a permanently reduced benefit. CALL them directly and DEMAND they explain all your options!!!!
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Chloe Harris
•While I understand your frustration, the rule changes weren't made in secret - they were widely reported in financial news when passed in 2015. The real issue is that SSA doesn't proactively educate people about their optimal filing strategies. Everyone's situation is different, and the best strategy depends on life expectancy, income needs, marital status, etc. A one-hour consultation with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning can be well worth it.
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Diego Vargas
wait im confused about something else - does this mean if my wife never worked she cant get 50% of my benefits anymore??
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Chloe Harris
•No, that's different. Your non-working spouse can still claim spousal benefits based on your record. The rule change was specifically about people who qualify for BOTH their own retirement benefit AND a spousal benefit wanting to claim one first and then switch to the other later. A non-working spouse with no benefit of their own would still get the spousal benefit as always.
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Malik Thompson
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I think I understand my options better now. Since my own benefit at my FRA would be higher than the spousal benefit, I need to decide whether to take my reduced benefit now or wait until 67 for the full amount. I'm leaning toward waiting since the permanent reduction seems substantial, but I'll need to look at our overall financial situation. I'm definitely going to try to speak with someone at SSA directly before making my final decision.
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CosmicVoyager
•Make sure u look at how much money ull miss by waiting!!! 4 years of payments is alot of $$$. Sometimes getting smaller checks for longer is better than waiting for the bigger check. Thats what my neighbor always says! 🤔
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Freya Nielsen
I had to make this exact decision last year. The way I looked at it was: if I claim at 63, I'd get about 30% less forever. The break-even point where waiting until FRA pays off is usually around age 78-82 depending on your specific numbers. If you think you'll live past that age (and most women do!), waiting until at least FRA is usually better financially in the long run. I ended up claiming at 64 because I had some unexpected expenses, but I wish I could have waited longer. Definitely try to speak with SSA directly before deciding!
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Malik Thompson
•That's a really helpful way to think about it - looking at the break-even point. I'm in good health and my family tends to be pretty long-lived, so maybe waiting is smarter for me. But you're right, I need to speak with SSA to get my exact numbers first.
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