Can I claim Social Security spousal benefits at 62 with no work credits of my own?

That's not quite correct. Your husband does NOT need to file for his own benefits first for you to claim spousal benefits. This rule changed with the 2015 budget act. You can claim spousal benefits at 62 while your husband continues working, but you'll only receive 35% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) due to the early filing reduction. If you wait until your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you'd get the full 50% of his PIA. Remember though, if your husband hasn't filed yet, your spousal benefits will be deemed 'independently entitled' which means they're calculated differently than if he had already filed.

Thanks for the clarification! I was confused about whether my husband needed to file first. So I could actually claim at 62 even if he's still working? And did I understand correctly that I'd get 35% instead of 50% of his amount if I claim early?

Thanks for sharing your sister's experience. I'm definitely concerned about the permanent reduction. Do you happen to know if her benefits increased once her husband actually filed for his own benefits?

Nope, whatever reduction you take by filing early is permanent. She's still getting the same percentage. That's why I told my husband I'm waiting till my full retirement age no matter what!!

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation! It's very helpful. I'm curious - if my husband delays his benefits until 70 to get the delayed retirement credits, would that increase the amount I could get as a spouse? Or is my spousal benefit only based on what he would get at his full retirement age?

Great question! Unfortunately, spousal benefits do NOT increase with delayed retirement credits. Your spousal benefit is based on 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - which is what he would receive at his Full Retirement Age (67 for him). If he delays until 70, his benefit will increase by approximately 8% per year (24% total), but your spousal benefit remains based on his PIA at FRA. The delayed credits only affect his own benefit and would affect survivor benefits if he passes away, but not spousal benefits while he's alive.

I had the same problem trying to reach Social Security for accurate information! After getting disconnected multiple times and receiving conflicting information, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me hours of frustration and I was able to get clear answers about my spousal benefits situation directly from SSA. Much better than trying to piece together information from different sources.

OMG thank you!!! Going to check that out RIGHT NOW! I've been trying to ask them about my Medicare enrollment and keep getting disconnected!!

That's a really good point about the survivor benefits that I hadn't considered. So by my husband waiting until 70, he's essentially setting up a higher survivor benefit for me if he passes first. I appreciate you sharing your experience - it's making me rethink my plans about claiming early.

Thank you for explaining that. I do have some work credits from before I became a stay-at-home mom, but not enough for my own benefit. It sounds like the system will automatically give me whichever is higher between my own (likely very small) benefit and the spousal benefit. Is that correct?

Exactly right. The system will automatically calculate and pay you the higher of the two. In your case, with 16 years of zero earnings, your own benefit is almost certainly going to be lower than even a reduced spousal benefit. When you file, SSA will calculate both and pay you the higher amount. But remember: if you file at 62, BOTH benefit calculations will be permanently reduced. Your own benefit would be reduced by 30%, and your spousal benefit would be reduced to about 32.5% of your husband's PIA instead of the full 50% you'd get at your FRA.

Yes, he's still working full-time and makes about $78,000 per year. But he's planning to work until his FRA (67) and then claim. Would the earnings test affect me if I claim spousal benefits at 62 while he's still working but hasn't filed yet?

The earnings test would only apply if your husband claims benefits before his FRA while still working. Since he plans to wait until his FRA to claim, the earnings test won't affect his benefits or any benefits paid on his record (including your spousal benefits). You can claim your spousal benefits at 62 (with the permanent reduction) while he continues working, and his earnings won't impact your benefit amount. The earnings test would only apply to you if YOU were working while collecting benefits early.