Can I claim Social Security on my husband's record at 60 before switching to my higher benefit later?

There's some confusion in your question that I want to clear up. At age 60, you can only claim survivor benefits if your husband has passed away. Spousal benefits (when your husband is still living) can't be claimed until age 62 at the earliest. If you're expecting your own benefit to be higher than your spousal benefit would be, the strategy you're describing (claiming one type first, then switching) doesn't really work anymore since the 2015 rule changes. Now, if you file for any benefit, you're deemed to be filing for all benefits you're eligible for, and you'll just get the higher amount. The exception is survivor benefits - those can still be claimed separately. So if your husband passes away, you could claim survivor benefits at 60 and switch to your own higher benefit later.

Your plan won't work how you think. Nobody gets to double-dip and collect BOTH benefits!!! The SSA only gives you the HIGHER of the two amounts, not both added together. My sister tried to do this same thing and got a rude awakening. Also the age 60 thing ONLY applies when someone DIES. Then you can get survivor benefits at 60. Otherwise its 62 minimum for ANY social security retirement or spousal benefits. And thanks to the rule changes a few years back, the clever strategy of taking lower benefits first then switching later is GONE for most people.

Just to build on what others have said with some specifics: The strategy you're describing was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which ended what was called the "restricted application" strategy for anyone born after January 1, 1954. If your husband has been in a teaching system that doesn't pay into Social Security, you need to be aware of both the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The WEP could reduce any Social Security benefits HE earned from non-teaching work, while the GPO could reduce any spousal or survivor benefits YOU might receive from his record by two-thirds of your government pension. Since you mention your benefit will be higher anyway, GPO might not impact you much, but it's something to be aware of in your planning.

just wondering whats your husbands health like? if hes not doing great (sorry to be morbid) then you might actually be able to get survivors at 60. thats what happened with my aunt, she took survivors at 60 then switched to her own at 67. saved her financially

I went through a similar situation trying to figure out the best way to maximize benefits. After HOURS of trying to reach someone at Social Security to explain my options, I finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected. The agent walked me through all the rules about spousal benefits vs. my own record. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to actually talk to someone who could look at both our records and explain exactly what would happen in different scenarios. With all these WEP/GPO rules mentioned above, it's really case-by-case.

Just to add one more important point: Since your husband has been in a teaching position not covered by Social Security, make sure you both request your Social Security statements or check your mySocialSecurity accounts online. The estimates shown there won't automatically account for WEP or GPO reductions, so the actual benefits could be lower than what's displayed. It's worth considering a consultation with a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning for public employees, as these provisions can be quite complex and dramatically affect your optimal claiming strategy.

Based on what you've described, your best strategy is likely to focus on your own benefit. Since it will be higher than your potential spousal benefit (50% of your husband's FRA amount), you'll want to consider whether to take your own benefit early at 62 (with a permanent reduction) or wait until your Full Retirement Age (67) or even age 70 (for maximum benefits). Each year you delay claiming from 62 to 70 increases your benefit by approximately 8%, which is a guaranteed return that's hard to beat elsewhere. But of course, that depends on your health, financial needs, and other retirement income sources. And as others mentioned, definitely account for any potential WEP/GPO impacts in your calculations.