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 someone who works in retirement planning, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - there's no such thing as "excess spousal benefits" that would give you additional money on top of your own higher benefit. Your book club friend is likely mixing up several different Social Security concepts. The key thing to understand is that Social Security uses a "higher of" calculation. You get the higher of either: - Your own retirement benefit ($2,450), OR - 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (roughly $985 based on his current benefit) Since $2,450 > $985, you're already receiving the maximum available to you. One tip: if you want definitive answers about your specific situation, request to speak with a Technical Expert when you call SSA. Regular customer service reps sometimes give conflicting information, but the Technical Experts are specifically trained on complex benefit calculations. You can also visit your local SSA office in person - sometimes that yields better results than phone calls. The survivor benefit situation others mentioned is correct - if your husband passes away first, you could potentially receive his full benefit amount instead of your current benefit, but only if his amount would be higher than what you're currently receiving.

I just want to echo what others have said about the importance of getting accurate information from SSA. I went through a similar situation two years ago and ended up scheduling an in-person appointment at my local Social Security office after getting conflicting phone advice. The key insight that finally clicked for me was understanding that Social Security doesn't "stack" benefits - you don't get your full retirement benefit PLUS spousal benefits. Instead, they calculate what you'd be entitled to under each program and give you whichever amount is higher. In your case: - Your retirement benefit: $2,450/month - Maximum spousal benefit (50% of husband's PIA): approximately $985/month Since $2,450 is clearly higher, that's what you receive. There's no additional "excess" payment available. Your book club friend may have been thinking of divorced spouse benefits or the old "file and suspend" strategies that were eliminated years ago. These rules are genuinely confusing, and unfortunately many SSA phone representatives aren't well-versed in the nuances. I'd strongly recommend visiting your local SSA office with your questions written down. The face-to-face interaction often yields much better results than phone calls, and you can get everything documented properly.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what I learned from my own Social Security experience. The confusion about "excess benefits" is so common! When I was researching this for my own situation, I found it helpful to think of Social Security spousal benefits as a safety net rather than a bonus. They're designed to ensure that a spouse receives at least 50% of the higher earner's benefit, but only if their own benefit is lower than that amount. Since your benefit ($2,450) is already much higher than half of your husband's benefit, you're essentially "self-insured" and don't need that safety net. The system recognizes you've earned a higher benefit on your own work record. One thing that might help explain your friend's confusion: there used to be more complex claiming strategies available, but most were eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. People who benefited from those old rules sometimes still talk about them, not realizing they no longer apply to most people. The good news is you're already maximizing your current benefits! And as others mentioned, survivor benefits would be a completely separate calculation if that situation ever arises.

I'm also dealing with Social Security confusion as a newcomer to retirement! Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. What strikes me is how many people have gotten conflicting information from SSA representatives - that seems to be a widespread problem. I'm curious about one thing that hasn't been fully addressed: when you say your husband gets $1,970/month, is that his full benefit amount or is he receiving a reduced amount because he claimed before his full retirement age? The reason I ask is that spousal benefits are calculated based on the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the full benefit amount at full retirement age, not necessarily what someone is currently receiving if they claimed early. In your case it probably doesn't matter since your own benefit is so much higher, but it might be worth confirming the exact PIA amount for future planning, especially when thinking about potential survivor benefits down the road. It sounds like you've gotten great advice here from the community - much clearer than what you got from those SSA phone calls! The consensus is definitely correct that there are no "excess spousal benefits" available in your situation.