Can I get Social Security spousal benefits if I already took my own benefits at 62?

Both reps are partly right, but the second one is more correct. You didn't \

Thank you! That explanation makes sense. Do you know roughly how much the reduction would be since I took benefits at 62? And will this happen automatically or do I need to actually apply for the spousal benefit?

my mom had this exact situation!!! she took her SS at 62 and when my dad filed at 66 she got a small spousal boost automatically. SSA just added it to her payment. I think it was like $200 extra, not a huge amount but better than nothing right?

That's encouraging to hear! Even a small boost would help with groceries. Did your mom have to do anything to get it or did it just show up in her payment?

it just appeared in her direct deposit the month after my dad started getting his checks! she got a letter too explaining it but the money came first actually lol

I WENT THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE LAST YEAR!!! First, whatever you do, GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!! I had one rep tell me the same thing about being \

Oh my goodness, four calls and an appeal? That sounds terrible! I'm already dreading dealing with this. Did you have to provide any special documentation for the appeal?

YES!! Bring EVERYTHING - your original benefit letter, your husband's benefit letter, marriage certificate, and ANY correspondence you've had with SSA. They \

not sure about the technical stuff but i think its all based on ur earnings record vs his. my aunt got a tiny increase when my uncle filed but my neighbor got nothing because she earned more over her lifetime even tho she took benefits early. each case is different i guess

That makes sense. I definitely earned less than my husband over our working years. He was an engineer while I worked part-time for many years while raising our kids.

Here's the technical explanation: When you take benefits at 62, you get approximately 70% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). For spousal benefits, the maximum is 50% of your spouse's PIA, but since you took benefits early, your spousal benefit is reduced by about 30% as well.However, Social Security will automatically calculate if you're due a \

Thank you for breaking this down! So it sounds like I'd get approximately 35% of his PIA instead of the full 50% because I filed early? That still would be more than what I'm getting now, so that's good news.

That's right. But remember, it's not 35% of his $3,100 - it's 35% of his PIA, which is the benefit amount he would have received at his full retirement age. Since he waited until his FRA to file, his PIA and his benefit amount are the same. You'll get the difference between your current benefit and that reduced spousal amount, only if that calculation results in a higher benefit for you.

I struggled getting through to anyone at Social Security for weeks about this same issue. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUTotally worth it since I found out I was eligible for an extra $276/month in spousal benefits that I didn't know about! The agent explained that my early filing reduced the amount but didn't eliminate it.

Thanks for the tip! I've been trying to get through to someone for weeks. I'll check out that service - getting this resolved would be worth it if I'm eligible for additional benefits.

Just wondering...how long have you been married? My sister-in-law thought she could get spousal benefits but they told her she hadn't been married the required 10 years. Could that be part of the confusion with the reps you talked to?

We've been married for 43 years, so that's definitely not the issue. I think it's just the normal confusion with different reps giving different answers!

Oh wow, definitely not the issue then! The 10-year rule is for divorced spouse benefits anyway, not current spouses. Sounds like classic SSA confusion.

One important point that hasn't been mentioned: When you set up that phone appointment, ask specifically for them to do a

That's very helpful - I'll definitely use those exact words. And good point about having my husband on the call too. I'll update once I know more!

random question but does anyone know if this works the same way if the husband took SS early and the wife waits till FRA? my parents situation is opposite of yours

Yes, the rules work exactly the same regardless of which spouse files early. The early filer gets their own reduced benefit, and then when the other spouse files, the early filer may get a top-up if 50% of the second filer's PIA (reduced for the early filing penalty) exceeds their own benefit amount.