Can I get spousal benefits at FRA if I already took my own SS at 62 (husband waiting until his FRA)?

Yes, you may be eligible for additional spousal benefits when your husband files at his FRA, but it won't be the full 50% due to your early filing. Since you took your benefit at 62, your spousal benefit will be permanently reduced. The calculation is somewhat complex, but essentially the SSA will pay you the higher of either your own reduced benefit OR up to 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) minus your PIA, with a reduction factor applied since you filed early. In simpler terms, you'll get a "top up" that equals the difference between your reduced benefit and what your reduced spousal benefit would be, but only if that spousal benefit is higher than what you're currently receiving.

im in a similar situation my wife took hers at 62 and im waiting til 67 (my FRA). from what i understand you DONT get 50% of his benefit you get the DIFFERENCE between your benefit and 50% of his...and since u took early its even less. kinda stinks but thats how SS works!!

I can provide some more specific information about your situation. Since you took your benefit at 62, you received about 70% of what your full benefit would have been at your FRA. When your husband files at his FRA, Social Security will automatically determine if you're eligible for additional spousal benefits. The calculation works like this: 1. SSA calculates what 50% of your husband's PIA would be 2. They subtract your own PIA (not your reduced benefit amount) 3. If that difference is positive, they apply a reduction factor based on when you claimed benefits (at 62) 4. That reduced amount becomes your spousal "top-up" The reduction is permanent, about 30% for claiming at 62. So you'll get your own reduced benefit plus potentially a reduced spousal add-on. You don't need to apply separately - SSA should automatically recalculate and adjust your benefit once your husband files.

My sister went thru this exact thing and got like $212 extra a month when her husband claimed. She said it wasnt as much as she hoped but better than nothing!

YOU PROBABLY WON'T GET ANYTHING!! I went through this EXACT situation and got ZERO extra!!! My husband's benefit was higher than mine but not by enough to matter after they did all their calculations. They make it IMPOSSIBLE to understand on purpose!! The whole system is designed to confuse us!!! Everyone's situation is different but don't count on getting any significant "top up" - they PUNISH us for taking early benefits! I'm still bitter about this whole experience.

Have you tried calling SSA to ask about this? I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through to someone who could answer a similar question. Kept getting disconnected or waiting on hold for hours. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Totally worth it because the agent was able to look at my specific situation and tell me exactly what my spousal benefit would be. They can see your earnings record and do the calculations based on your actual numbers.

To add some clarity here: your spousal benefit adjustment (if any) would happen automatically when your husband files for his benefits. You don't need to submit a separate application. The system will recognize your marital status and recalculate. Based on current rules, your maximum spousal benefit would have been 50% of your husband's PIA if you had waited until your FRA to file. Since you filed at 62, your spousal benefit is permanently reduced to about 35% of your husband's PIA instead of 50%. However, you don't simply get that amount. Social Security will pay you the higher of your own benefit or your spousal benefit, not both. Since you're already receiving your own benefit, you'll only get the difference if your entitled spousal benefit is higher than your current payment. For example, if your monthly benefit is $1,000 and your spousal benefit would be $1,200, you'd get your $1,000 plus an additional $200, for a total of $1,200.

Thank you all for the helpful information! This is clearer now, though still complicated. I understand I'll get a partial spousal benefit as a 'top-up' if my reduced spousal amount is higher than what I'm currently getting, and it will happen automatically when my husband files. I'm going to try contacting Social Security to get specific numbers for our situation. It sounds like I might get something, but I shouldn't count on it being substantial. I appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and experiences!

good luck with SS! bring lots of patience lol

let us know what u find out! im curious what they tell u since ill be in the same boat in a couple years