Can I collect spousal benefits if my SS is higher than my husband's? Confused about excess benefits

The person at your book club is confusing two different concepts. You CANNOT receive both your own retirement benefit AND a full spousal benefit simultaneously. The maximum you can receive is the higher of either your own benefit OR up to 50% of your spouse's benefit. Since your benefit ($2,450) is already higher than 50% of your husband's benefit (which would be $985), you will not qualify for any additional spousal benefits. You're already receiving the higher amount. The confusion might be about 'restricted applications' which allowed some people born before 1/2/1954 to claim only spousal benefits while letting their own benefits grow. But even that strategy required the spousal benefit to be higher, and that option was eliminated for most people by legislation in 2015.

my sister goes thru this same thing and she said it depneds on if u filed at full retirment age or early. did u file early? that matters

You're getting a lot of incomplete information here. The concept your book club friend was likely referring to is called "deemed filing" which applies differently depending on your birth date. For people born on or after January 2, 1954 (which sounds like your situation), when you file for either retirement or spousal benefits, you are "deemed" to have filed for both, and you'll get essentially the higher of the two amounts. Since your own retirement benefit ($2,450) exceeds 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), you don't qualify for additional spousal benefits. There's no such thing as "excess spousal benefits" in the way your friend described. However, if your husband passes away, survivor benefits are different. As a widow, you could potentially receive his full benefit amount if it's higher than your current benefit. But while both of you are alive, you cannot receive both benefits or any "excess.

The SSA ALWAYS gives you misinformation if you call them!! I've never gotten a straight answer from them. They told me I could get spousal benefits while my own benefit increased then later said I couldn't. Cost me thousands of dollars!!!! Your friend is probably thinking of the old file-and-suspend strategy which they eliminated in 2016. The government always takes away the good strategies.

I was in a similar situation last year and spent WEEKS trying to get through to Social Security. When I finally did, they put me on hold for 2 hours and then the call dropped! So frustrating. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 30 minutes instead of waiting on hold all day. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke with an experienced SSA rep, they confirmed what others are saying here - you can't get spousal benefits if your own benefit is higher. The only situation where your husband's record would matter is for survivor benefits if he passes away before you.

Is your freind maybe talking about the lump sum death benefit? When my husband passed I got a one time payment of $255. Not much but it's something I guess.

From my personal experienc, the rules around spousal benefits are VERY confusing! When I claimed SS last year, I found out my ex-spouse benefits would be higher than my own (we were married 22 years), but the SSA office told me three different things before I got it figured out. Definitely not excess benefits though if your benefit is higher.

Just to follow up on a few points that were raised: 1. Since you filed at your Full Retirement Age, you maximized your own benefit (apart from delayed retirement credits) 2. You are correct about survivor benefits - if your husband passes away, you would receive his benefit amount instead of your own (assuming his is higher after accounting for any delayed retirement credits) 3. The "restricted application" strategy that some mentioned was available only to people born before January 2, 1954. It allowed them to take only spousal benefits at FRA while letting their own benefits grow until age 70 4. There is no such thing as "excess spousal benefits" that would allow you to add a portion of your spouse's benefit to your own The confusion often stems from the fact that Social Security will automatically give you the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit you qualify for, but never both simultaneously.

I went through this exact same confusion when I turned 67 last year! The Social Security Administration really needs to do a better job training their phone representatives because the inconsistent information is maddening. What helped me finally understand was getting a copy of my Social Security Statement online at ssa.gov. It shows your estimated benefits and breaks down exactly what you'd get under different scenarios. In your case, since your own benefit ($2,450) is already higher than 50% of your husband's benefit ($985), you're already receiving the maximum you're entitled to while both of you are alive. The only time your husband's higher earnings record would benefit you is if he passes away first - then you could receive survivor benefits equal to what he was receiving (or would have received if he hadn't claimed yet). But that's a completely different program from spousal benefits. I'd recommend creating an account on ssa.gov and reviewing your statement there. It's much more reliable than trying to get consistent information over the phone!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this discussion with great interest since I'm approaching retirement age myself and trying to understand these complex Social Security rules. What really stands out to me from reading everyone's responses is how consistently the experienced members here have explained that there's no such thing as "excess spousal benefits" that would allow you to receive additional money on top of your own higher retirement benefit. The "higher of" principle that multiple people mentioned makes perfect sense once you understand it. I'm particularly grateful for the practical advice shared throughout this thread - from tips about calling SSA at specific times, to requesting Technical Experts, to using the online ssa.gov portal, and even the suggestion about Claimyr for getting through to representatives faster. These are the kinds of real-world insights that you don't find in official SSA publications. Your situation has really helped clarify for me that Social Security spousal benefits are designed as a safety net to ensure spouses receive at least 50% of the higher earner's benefit, not as additional payments stacked on top of your own benefits. Since your $2,450 monthly benefit already exceeds that 50% threshold by a significant margin, you're receiving the maximum available to you. Thank you for starting this discussion - it's been incredibly educational for those of us still learning to navigate the Social Security system!

I'm new to this community and really appreciate how thoroughly everyone has explained these Social Security rules! As someone who's still learning about retirement benefits, this discussion has been incredibly educational. What strikes me most is how the concept of "excess spousal benefits" seems to be a widespread misconception. From all the expert responses here, it's crystal clear that Social Security uses a "higher of" calculation - you get either your own retirement benefit OR up to 50% of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount, whichever is greater, but never both simultaneously. Your situation perfectly illustrates this: your $2,450 monthly benefit far exceeds the maximum spousal benefit you could receive (roughly $985, which is 50% of your husband's benefit), so you're already receiving the optimal amount available while you're both alive. I'm also taking note of all the practical advice shared here - calling SSA early morning or late afternoon, requesting Technical Experts, visiting local offices in person, and using the ssa.gov online portal. The fact that so many people have experienced conflicting information from SSA phone representatives is concerning but makes communities like this even more valuable. Thank you for asking this question! It's helped clarify these complex rules for newcomers like me who are trying to understand how Social Security actually works.