Can I claim ex-spouse Social Security benefits at 62 while delaying my own until FRA?

Unfortunately, the rules changed in 2015 with the Bipartisan Budget Act. You can no longer file for just spousal/ex-spouse benefits while letting your own benefit grow. If you file at 62, you'll be deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for - your own retirement and any ex-spouse benefits. The SSA will pay whichever amount is higher, but you can't choose to take only one type. The only people who can still do this strategy were born before January 2, 1954. Since you're turning 62 next year (2026), you missed that cutoff. As for qualifying for ex-spouse benefits at all - yes, you can potentially qualify if the marriages lasted 10+ years. Your benefit would be up to 50% of either ex's full retirement amount (at their FRA). But here's the key: you'll only get ex-spouse benefits if they're higher than your own benefit. Since you earned more than your second husband and about the same as your first, your own benefit will likely be higher anyway.

The previous commenter is correct - the deemed filing rule means you can't pick and choose which benefit to take first anymore. But there's another important thing to consider: if you file at 62, you'll get a permanently reduced benefit (about 30% less than waiting until your full retirement age). Since you earned more than one ex and about the same as the other, chances are your own retirement benefit will be higher than either ex-spouse benefit anyway. The 50% of ex-spouse benefit is already less than your own 100% benefit if earnings were similar, plus filing early reduces it further. My advice? If you can afford to wait until your FRA (or even age 70), you'll get a much higher monthly benefit for life. Each year you delay between 62 and 70 increases your benefit by approximately 8%.

Let me clarify some confusion here. Yes, you can receive up to 50% of an ex-spouse's benefit IF that amount is higher than your own benefit. But you mentioned you earned roughly the same as your first ex and more than your second ex, so your own benefit would likely be higher than 50% of either of theirs. Here's what happens when you file: 1. SSA calculates your own retirement benefit based on your earnings history 2. SSA calculates any ex-spouse benefits you're entitled to (up to 50% of each ex's FRA amount) 3. You receive whichever amount is HIGHER, not both Also important: unlike survivor benefits, you cannot switch between benefits later. Once you file, you're essentially locked into whichever benefit is higher at that time.

my sister went through this EXACT thing last year!! she thought she could get her ex's benefit at 62 and then switch but the SSA told her NO WAY. she was so mad because her friend who's older got to do it but the rules changed. its totally unfair they changed the rules on us!!!!

I've been researching this extensively because I'm in a somewhat similar situation. One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet is that you might qualify for survivor benefits if either of your ex-husbands passes away (sadly). Survivor benefits CAN be taken separately from your retirement benefit, even under the new rules. So while you can't take ex-spouse benefits at 62 and switch to your own later, you COULD take your reduced retirement benefit at 62, and then if an ex-spouse passes away later, you could switch to a survivor benefit if it's higher (which it likely would be if they earned the same or more than you). Of course, that's not something you can plan on, but it's a scenario worth knowing about.

Have you talked to anyone at the SSA directly yet? When I was trying to figure out my benefits last year, I spent WEEKS trying to get through on the phone. Always busy signals or wait times of 2+ hours only to get disconnected! Finally someone told me about Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it was a lifesaver. They got me through to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video on how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU I needed specific answers about my situation that forums couldn't give me, and the SSA agent was able to look at my actual record and give me exact numbers. Totally worth it for making such an important financial decision.

One more important point: even though the rules changed in 2015, there's still value in checking whether either ex-spouse's record would give you a higher benefit. The SSA doesn't automatically check all possible benefits unless you specifically mention your ex-spouses when applying. Make sure to provide marriage/divorce information for both ex-spouses when you apply. The SSA will then calculate all potential benefits and pay the highest one. Some people assume the SSA automatically knows about and checks all possibilities, but that's not always the case. Always provide complete information about all marriages lasting 10+ years.

wow i didnt know that! my aunt never told them about her ex husband when she applied and maybe shes missing out on money!!

Has anyone mentioned the earnings test yet?? If you claim at 62 but are still working, they'll deduct $1 from benefits for every $2 you earn above the annual limit ($22,500 in 2025). So if your working and making decent money it might not even make sense to file early anyway! Something to consider if your still employed....

Welcome to the community! I'm also navigating Social Security planning and found this discussion really helpful. One thing that might be worth considering is using the SSA's online benefit estimator at ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html - it can give you a rough idea of what your own retirement benefit would be at different claiming ages (62, FRA, 70) so you can compare that to potential ex-spouse benefits. Also, since you mentioned both marriages lasted over 10 years, make sure you have the documentation ready (divorce decrees, marriage certificates) when you do apply. The SSA will need those to verify eligibility for any ex-spouse benefits. Given what everyone's shared about the 2015 rule changes, it sounds like your best bet is probably to focus on optimizing when to claim your own benefit rather than trying to strategize around ex-spouse benefits. But definitely worth having the SSA run all the numbers to be sure!

As someone who recently went through the Social Security claiming decision process, I wanted to share a few additional considerations that might help with your planning. First, don't forget about Medicare! Since you'll be eligible at 65 regardless of when you claim Social Security, factor those costs into your decision. If you're currently getting health insurance through work, you'll need to plan for that transition. Second, consider your overall retirement portfolio. While maximizing Social Security is important, it shouldn't be viewed in isolation. If you have significant 401(k) or IRA savings, you might be able to afford waiting until 70 to claim Social Security for those delayed retirement credits (8% per year from FRA to 70). On the flip side, if Social Security will be your primary income source, claiming earlier might make more sense despite the reduction. Finally, I'd recommend downloading your Social Security Statement from ssa.gov to get your exact earnings record and benefit estimates. This will give you the real numbers to work with rather than guessing about how your benefit compares to potential ex-spouse benefits. The fact that you're thinking strategically about this now puts you ahead of many people. Take your time with the analysis - this decision will affect your income for the rest of your life!

Hi Ravi! I'm new here but have been following this discussion with great interest as I'm approaching a similar decision point. One resource that hasn't been mentioned yet is the AARP Social Security Calculator (aarp.org/retirement/social-security/benefits-calculator/) - it's particularly good at helping you visualize the long-term impact of claiming at different ages. What really opened my eyes was seeing the cumulative lifetime benefits comparison. Even though you get less per month by claiming early, if you live long enough (and most of us hope to!), waiting often pays off significantly in total dollars received. Also, since you mentioned being close to 62, you might want to consider that Social Security makes annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Your benefit amount gets locked in at whatever the rates are when you first claim, then grows with inflation from there. So claiming during a year with a lower benefit calculation versus waiting could compound over decades. Given everything everyone has shared about your likely higher personal benefit versus ex-spouse benefits, plus your continued consulting income, it really does sound like patience might be your best strategy here. I know it's hard when you want to start seeing some return on all those years of contributions! Best of luck with whatever you decide - and thanks for starting such an informative discussion!

Hi Ravi! Welcome to the community - I'm also new here and found this entire discussion incredibly valuable as someone approaching similar decisions. After reading through all the responses, it's clear that the 2015 rule changes really did eliminate the strategy you were initially considering. But honestly, that might be a blessing in disguise since it simplifies your decision-making process significantly. Given your earnings history (earning similar to or more than your ex-spouses), your own Social Security benefit is almost certainly going to be higher than any ex-spouse benefits anyway. The focus should really be on optimizing WHEN to claim your own benefit rather than trying to navigate the complex ex-spouse rules. A few practical next steps based on everything shared here: 1. Download your actual Social Security Statement from ssa.gov to get real numbers instead of estimates 2. Use the benefit calculators mentioned (SSA's estimator, AARP's calculator) to model different claiming scenarios 3. Factor in your continued consulting income and the earnings test if you're considering early filing 4. Consider the break-even analysis several people mentioned to understand the long-term financial impact The consensus seems to be that patience often pays off with Social Security, especially for someone with your strong earnings history. While getting some income at 62 is tempting, the permanent reduction plus the earnings test might make waiting until your FRA (or even 70) the smarter long-term financial move. Thanks for starting such an educational discussion - I've learned so much from everyone's contributions here!

Hi Ravi! I'm new to this community and really appreciate you starting such a comprehensive discussion about Social Security planning. After reading through all the excellent responses, I wanted to add one perspective that might be helpful. As someone who works in retirement planning, I see a lot of people get caught up in trying to optimize every possible angle of Social Security benefits, when sometimes the most important factor is simply having a clear understanding of your baseline scenario. It sounds like you've gotten great advice here about the 2015 rule changes eliminating the file-and-suspend strategy you were considering. One thing I'd encourage you to do is request a Social Security benefit estimate over the phone (or through that Claimyr service someone mentioned) where you can ask specific "what if" questions about your situation. For example, "If I delay claiming until 70 while continuing to earn $X per year from consulting, what would my monthly benefit be?" Having those concrete numbers makes the decision much clearer than trying to estimate based on general rules. Also, don't forget to factor in taxes when comparing scenarios. Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your total income, so the net difference between claiming early vs. waiting might be different than the gross benefit amounts suggest. This thread has been incredibly informative - thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences! It's clear this community is a great resource for navigating these complex decisions.

Hi Ravi! I'm new to this community and found your question really helpful since I'm approaching a similar situation. After reading through all the excellent responses here, I wanted to share one additional resource that might be useful. The National Academy of Social Insurance has a really comprehensive guide called "Social Security Benefits for Divorced Spouses" that breaks down all the current rules in plain language. It's available free on their website (nasi.org) and includes specific examples of how the deemed filing rules work in different scenarios. What I found particularly helpful was their section on documenting your marriage history - they have a checklist of exactly what paperwork you'll need when you apply, which can save time later. Since you mentioned having two qualifying marriages, having all that documentation organized upfront will make the process smoother. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the importance of getting your actual Social Security Statement, but I'd add that you should also check it for accuracy. I found an error in mine where one employer's contributions weren't properly credited, and getting that corrected actually increased my projected benefits. It's worth reviewing those 35 years of earnings history carefully before making your final decision. This discussion has been incredibly educational - thanks for asking the question that prompted so many knowledgeable community members to share their experiences!