Can I claim spousal Social Security at 62 when my husband (64) isn't collecting yet?

Unfortunately, you cannot receive spousal benefits until your husband actually files for his own retirement benefits. This is one of the most misunderstood Social Security rules. Under current law (after rule changes in 2015), you cannot claim spousal benefits while your husband delays his claim - he must be receiving benefits for you to receive a spousal benefit. Your options are: 1) Take your own reduced benefit now at 62 and when he files at 67, you'll get the difference to bring you up to the reduced spousal amount, or 2) Wait until he files and then apply for spousal benefits. But waiting doesn't make much sense in your case given the small benefit amount.

This is exactly what happened to my sister last year. She ended up taking her own tiny benefit at 62 ($640) because her husband was delaying until 70! The Social Security rep told her that once her husband files, she'll automatically be evaluated for the spousal benefit and will receive whichever is higher. But yes, because she took benefits early, her spousal amount will be permanently reduced too.

just fyi the rules changed few yrs ago... used to be able to do what ur asking but not anymore!! got burned by this myself...

Have you considered whether your husband should file and suspend his benefits? I think that might be a strategy that could help in your situation.

This is a common situation and you've got a few things to consider. If you take your own benefit at 62, it will be permanently reduced to about 70% of your full retirement age benefit. When your husband files at 67, you'll get a spousal boost, but that amount will also be reduced because you claimed early. At that point, your total payment will be your reduced benefit PLUS the difference to get you to the reduced spousal level (about 35% of his FRA amount instead of 50%). One thing to calculate: take your $530/month for 5 years (about $31,800) versus waiting and getting a higher amount but missing those 5 years of payments. Often, it takes 12+ years to break even when waiting. Given your small benefit amount, taking it early is often mathematically advantageous.

EXACTLY the same boat!!! My husband is 63 and waiting til 70, I'm 62 with a tiny benefit ($640). I called SSA 8 TIMES trying to get answers about this and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!! Most frustrating experience of my life. Finally got someone who explained I can't get spousal until he files, period. So I just took my tiny check now because waiting makes ZERO sense financially. The system is SO UNFAIR to spouses who raised kids instead of working.

My wife just went through this exact dilemma! She decided to take her own benefit early and we calculated it would take about 14 years to break even if she had waited. Are you still working? Remember the earnings limit if you take benefits before FRA.

my neighbor said u can file a restricted application for just spousal and keep ur own benefit growing, maybe ask about that?

Based on your situation, here's a clearer picture of what happens: 1. If you claim at 62, your own benefit is reduced to $530. 2. When your husband files at 67, your spousal benefit would be calculated as the difference between your reduced benefit and the reduced spousal amount. 3. The spousal benefit is reduced because YOU claimed early, not because of WHEN he files. 4. The reduction is permanent. For most people with small benefits, claiming early still makes mathematical sense despite the reduction. You'd need to live well into your 80s for delayed filing to pay off financially in your specific situation.

One last thing to consider - even though your husband is delaying until 67, you might want to discuss if it makes sense for him to file earlier to enable your spousal benefits, especially if your family longevity isn't exceptional. Sometimes the combined strategy works better when one spouse has a very small benefit compared to the other. You might run the numbers both ways to see which gives you more total household income over time.