Can I collect spousal Social Security after taking my own benefit at 62? Age requirements and reduction questions

Your gonna get reduced benefits no matter what if you collect at 62! My sister did this and regretted it so much!!!

There are a few things to understand here: 1. Yes, you can eventually collect spousal benefits after your husband files, regardless of your age at that time. 2. By filing for your own benefits at 62, you'll take a permanent 30% reduction on your own benefit amount. 3. When your husband files, you'll be eligible for spousal benefits IF his primary insurance amount (PIA) would give you more than your own benefit. 4. The spousal benefit would be the difference between your PIA (not your reduced benefit) and 50% of his PIA, but that difference will also be reduced because you took benefits early. So yes, taking your benefit early will affect both your retirement benefit and any potential spousal benefit. It's called "deemed filing" - when you file for one benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for.

in my experience whatever u do DONT call the SS office right now they are impossible to reach i tried for 3 weeks straight and coudlnt get anyone. waited on hold for hours and it just disconnects me.

The most important thing to understand is that by taking your benefits at 62, you're locking in a permanent reduction to ANY benefit you'll ever receive from Social Security. I was in a similar situation. My husband is 4 years older than me, and I started my benefits at 62. When he filed at his Full Retirement Age, I was able to switch to spousal benefits because they were higher than my own reduced benefit. But I didn't get the full 50% of his benefit because I had filed early. If maximizing lifetime benefits is your goal, you might want to reconsider taking benefits at 62, especially if your husband's benefit is substantially higher. Each year you wait between 62 and your FRA increases your benefit by about 7-8%. Have you considered other options for the next few years if you need to work less?

my aunt took her own benefit at 62 and then when my uncle filed at 66 she got a little bit more added to hers. not as much as she hoped but something. the trick is that your spousal benefit is reduced if you take it before YOUR full retirement age. but sounds like in your case you will have already hit your FRA by the time your husband files if hes going to wait til 70, so that part shouldn't be an issue for you i think.

This whole system is RIDICULOUS!!! I spent HOURS trying to figure this out when I was in your situation. The SSA website is useless and the phone lines are a joke. I ended up talking to THREE different agents and got THREE different answers!! One told me I could get 50% of my husband's, another said I'd get less because I filed early, and a third said I might not get any spousal benefit at all because my own was too high. I STILL don't know if I'm getting the right amount!!! 😡😡😡

To summarize the key points that might help you decide: 1. Filing at 62 means a permanent 30% reduction to your retirement benefit 2. Later, when your husband files, you'll be eligible for spousal benefits equal to the greater of: - Your own reduced benefit, OR - A reduced spousal benefit 3. The reduced spousal benefit would be calculated as: [50% of your husband's PIA - 100% of your PIA] plus a reduction factor based on your age when you first filed (62) 4. Since your husband's benefit is about twice yours, you'll likely get some additional amount when he files, but it won't be the full difference between your benefit and 50% of his If possible, I'd recommend setting up an appointment with an SSA claims specialist who can run the exact numbers for your situation.