Can I get spousal Social Security at 63 when my husband's on SSDI? What about survivor benefits?

u can get spousal benefits at 62 but theyre reduced permanantly. you'll get like 35% less than if u waited till YOUR full retirement age. doesnt matter that he's on SSDI, still works same way. if he passes (sorry) you get survivor benefits but also reduced if you take before YOUR full retirement age.

Let me clarify this situation with the correct information: 1. Spousal benefits: You can claim as early as age 62, but you'll receive a permanently reduced amount. At 63, you'd receive approximately 37.5% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) instead of the full 50% you'd get at your full retirement age. 2. Survivor benefits: If your husband passes away, you could claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, but again with a reduction. At age 63, you'd receive approximately 79.6% of his full benefit amount (either his SSDI amount or what he would receive at his full retirement age). His SSDI benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits at his full retirement age, but the amount stays the same. This conversion doesn't affect what you'd receive as a spouse or survivor.

My sister just went through this!!! She started taking spousal at 63 and a half and got about 41% instead of the full 50%. But she decided the bird in hand was worth it rather than waiting 3 more years. Everyone's situation is different though!!

There's an important factor to consider: if you take reduced spousal benefits early, and then your husband passes away, your survivor benefit will NOT be affected by your early spousal benefit decision. The survivor benefit is calculated separately based on when you claim it relative to YOUR full retirement age. Also, since you mentioned he's on SSDI - that doesn't change anything about your eligibility. SSDI converts to regular retirement benefits at full retirement age (though the amount stays the same). For spousal benefit purposes, it's treated the same way. You might want to run some calculations: if your monthly expenses are covered without taking benefits early, waiting until your FRA would give you significantly more over your lifetime, especially if you have longevity in your family.

when I tried 2 apply for spousal benefits they made me wait 6 months just to get an appointment!!! and then they told me I was eligible for more on my own record anyway so I wasted all that time. the system is BROKEN!!!

I was in exactly your position last year! Trying to get through to SSA was a nightmare - I spent weeks calling and waiting on hold. Finally I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent explained all my options and helped me understand exactly what percentage I'd get by filing at different ages. It was worth it to get clear answers directly from SSA instead of stressing over conflicting information.

My neighbor said something about there being a limit on how much you can earn if you take SS before full retirement age. Does anyone know if that applies to spousal benefits too?? Just wondering if there's anything else the OP needs to know.

btw make SURE you actually dont qualify for your own benefits. my wife thought she didnt have enough credits but when she finally applied they found some missing work history and she qualified for her own benefit which was more than the spousal!

Another important point: If you apply for spousal benefits now and your husband passes away later, you can switch to survivor benefits. The reduction in your survivor benefit would be based on your age at the time you apply for survivor benefits, not when you applied for spousal benefits. If you can manage financially, waiting until your full retirement age to claim spousal benefits would give you the full 50% of his PIA. However, there's always the time value of money to consider - getting some benefits for 4 years versus waiting for the full amount. I suggest creating a simple spreadsheet to calculate your lifetime expected benefits under different claiming scenarios. This can help you make a more informed decision based on your specific financial situation.