Can I claim spousal benefits if my husband is on SSDI? I'm already collecting Social Security

Yes, you CAN potentially receive spousal benefits even though your husband is on SSDI rather than regular retirement benefits! SSDI is treated the same as retirement benefits for spousal benefit purposes. Since your husband's benefit is so much higher than yours, you might be eligible for a spousal benefit that would bring your total up to 50% of his benefit amount. The catch is that since you're already collecting your own retirement, you'll only get the DIFFERENCE between your current benefit and half of his (if that amount is higher). You don't have to wait until he converts to regular Social Security at his full retirement age. Call SSA right away to apply!

Thank you! I had no idea SSDI was treated the same way. So if I understand correctly, I might get an additional amount on top of my current $1,100 that would bring me up to $1,400 (half of his $2,800)? That would be such a help with medical bills piling up.

my wife was in similar situation. she got her own SS then i got SSDI and she got extra $$ from mine even tho im younger then her. it was automatic for us they just sent letter and started paying more. might be different in ur state tho.

The spousal benefit process should be the same in all states since Social Security is a federal program. However, the SSA doesn't always automatically adjust benefits - particularly if you were already receiving your own retirement before your spouse began receiving SSDI. It's always best to contact them directly rather than assuming they'll make the adjustment automatically.

oh ok didnt know that. guess we got lucky then

WAIT! Be careful about applying for spousal benefits while already collecting your own SS! I tried this last year when my husband got on SSDI and it REDUCED my payment because of some complicated rule about when I filed for my own benefits!!! The SSA person told me I had filed during some \

You're mixing up two different situations. Restricted application rules affect people born before January 2, 1954 who want to file for spousal benefits WHILE DELAYING their own retirement benefits. Since the original poster is already receiving her own benefits, these rules don't apply to her situation. She would simply receive the higher of either her own benefit or the spousal benefit (effectively getting a \

Maybe that's it, but I still lost money somehow. The whole system is IMPOSSIBLE to understand and the people on the phone give different answers every time!!! All I know is I thought I'd get more $ and ended up with less.

I had EXACTLY this situation with my wife! Here's what you need to know: yes, you can get spousal benefits from your husband's SSDI. BUT, since you're already collecting your own retirement, you'll only get the difference between your benefit and 50% of his (if that 50% is higher). So quick math: 50% of his $2,800 is $1,400. Since you get $1,100, you might qualify for an additional $300 monthly. You need to apply though - they won't automatically give it to you. And good luck getting through to SSA to apply - I spent 3 weeks trying to get someone on the phone!

For getting through to SSA, I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 20 minutes after I'd been trying for days on my own. Check out their demo video at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - saved me so much frustration when I was dealing with my husband's SSDI application. Their website is claimyr.com - way better than waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected.

Oh, that's really helpful! I've been dreading making that call because last time I needed to talk to SSA, I spent almost 2 hours on hold and then got disconnected. I'll check out that service for sure.

when my cousin got spousel benefits they took away her medicaid is that gonna happen to you too??

I'm on Medicare not Medicaid, so I don't think that would be an issue for me. But that's concerning for your cousin - did she get enough extra from the spousal benefits to make up for losing Medicaid?

This is mixing up two different issues. Spousal benefits through Social Security won't directly cause someone to lose Medicaid, but the additional income might put them over Medicaid's income limits. This is particularly important for people on SSI (Supplemental Security Income), which is different from SSDI or retirement benefits. For the original poster who's on Medicare and regular Social Security, this shouldn't be a concern.

oh yeah it was SSI not SSDI sorry i get them confused all the time

One important thing I forgot to mention - when you apply for the spousal benefit based on your husband's SSDI record, bring along documentation of both your benefits. I've seen cases where SSA representatives get confused about the rules when one person is on disability and the other on retirement. The key regulation is that SSDI benefits ARE treated as if they were full retirement benefits for spousal benefit calculations. Don't let them tell you that you have to wait until he reaches retirement age!

That's great advice, thank you! I'll gather both our benefit verification letters before I contact them. Is there a specific form I need to fill out to apply for the spousal benefit in this situation?

You'll want to call and specifically request to file for

Perfect, thank you so much for your help! I feel much more prepared now.

dont they do some kind of math with the primary insurance amount or something?? my brother tried to get spousal from his wifes record and they did some weird calculation with the PIA and then said he wasnt eligible cause of his own benefit. its all so confusing!!!

You're referring to the PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) calculation, which is correct. The spousal benefit is calculated as 50% of the higher-earning spouse's PIA. However, if you're already receiving your own retirement benefit, you'll only get the difference between your own benefit and the spousal benefit (if the spousal benefit is higher). There's no double-dipping - you get the higher of the two amounts, not both combined.

thx that makes more sense now. wish they would just explain it simple like that on their website!!

What about the earnings test?? If your husband is under FRA and getting SSDI, could that affect spousal benefits? My neighbor said something about this but I don't really understand it.

The earnings test doesn't apply to SSDI recipients because they've already been determined unable to engage in substantial gainful activity. The earnings test only affects people who take early retirement benefits (before FRA) and continue working. Since the husband is on SSDI, the earnings test wouldn't apply to his benefits or to any spousal benefits based on his record. That's one advantage of SSDI compared to early retirement benefits.

Oh that makes sense! So many confusing rules with all this stuff!!

I called SSA this morning and was finally able to get through after trying for two days. The representative confirmed what many of you said - I am eligible for additional spousal benefits based on my husband's SSDI record! They're going to process my application, and I should receive approximately $300 more per month (the difference between my benefit and 50% of his). Thank you all for your helpful advice - I would never have known to apply if not for this community!

That's excellent news! Be sure to follow up if you don't see the increase in your benefit within 60 days. Sometimes these adjustments can take a while to process, but they should backpay you to the date of your application if there's any delay. Congratulations on the successful outcome!

Will do! They said it might take 30-45 days for processing. The extra $300 will make a big difference for us.