Can I collect spousal SS benefits at 65 with state pension then switch to my own at 70?

Something similar happened with my brother in law. He got state pension and tried to get his wifes SS but they reduced it alot. Don't remeber what it was called but SS took most of it away.

You're running into the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which is different from the earnings test. Your state pension WILL affect your ability to collect spousal benefits. The GPO will reduce your Social Security spousal benefits by 2/3 of your government pension amount. For example, if your state pension is $3,000/month, your spousal benefits would be reduced by $2,000. If half of your husband's benefit is less than that reduction, you might not receive any spousal benefits at all. And no, you can't do the "file for spousal at 65 then switch to your own at 70" strategy anymore. That option (called "restricted application") was eliminated for anyone born after January 1, 1954 by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Also, your own SS retirement benefit might be reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) because you worked in a job not covered by Social Security.

My situation was kinda like yours. I retired from county job with pension and tried to get my husband's SS (he passed away). Social Security told me about this Government Pension Offset thing and I only got about $213 of what should have been a $1,700 survivors benefit. It's really confusing but they have a calculator on the SSA website that might help you estimate what you'll actually get. And no, pension isn't counted as earned income for the earnings limit - that's only if you're working a job. But it still reduces benefits because of that GPO thing.

There are several issues to address here: 1. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) will reduce your spousal benefits by 2/3 of your state pension amount. If your state pension is substantial, this might eliminate your spousal benefits entirely. 2. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) may reduce your own Social Security benefit. However, if you have 30+ years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, the WEP won't apply. With 14 years in the private sector, you'll have some reduction, but it won't be the maximum WEP reduction. 3. The "restricted application" strategy (taking spousal benefits then switching to your own) is only available to people born on or before January 1, 1954. If you're turning 65 soon, you were born after this date and cannot use this strategy. When you apply for any Social Security benefit, you're deemed to be applying for all benefits you're eligible for. 4. Pension income is not considered "earned income" for the earnings test, so that particular reduction won't apply. I recommend getting a benefits calculation from Social Security that factors in both WEP and GPO before making decisions. You can call SSA but it's often difficult to get through.

i think yur overthinking this. just take ur own ss at 70 and forget about the spouse thing. my uncle got a teachers pension and his own ss and hes fine.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I had no idea about that restricted application strategy being eliminated - I guess I was reading outdated information. I'll definitely need to look more carefully at the GPO calculator. My state pension will be around $4,200/month, so it sounds like that would completely wipe out any spousal benefits. I guess my best strategy might be to just wait and collect my own Social Security at 70, even with the WEP reduction. I'll try to get specific calculations from SSA using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. This is all so much more complicated than I expected!