Can I switch from my own Social Security to spousal benefits at age 72?
I started collecting my own Social Security retirement benefits back in 2017 when I was 64 (couldn't wait until my FRA because I needed the income). My monthly payment is around $1,250 now after COLAs. My husband was on SSDI for years due to a workplace injury, but when he reached his full retirement age last year, SSA automatically converted him to regular retirement benefits. His monthly benefit is substantial - about $2,850. I've been researching online and found mentions that spouses can collect up to 50% of their husband's benefit amount. Since half of his benefit would be more than what I'm getting now ($1,425 vs my $1,250), am I eligible to switch from my own retirement benefit to a spousal benefit at this point? I'm 72 now, so well past my FRA. Has anyone successfully done this kind of switch years after initially claiming? When I call SSA I can never get through to talk to anyone!
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Ayla Kumar
Yes, you can definitely apply for spousal benefits even though you've been collecting your own retirement for several years! Since you're already past your FRA (which would have been 66 years for your birth year), you're eligible for the maximum spousal benefit - 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). But there's an important detail: you won't receive your full benefit PLUS half of his. Instead, you'll receive the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit. In your case, SSA will pay your own $1,250, plus the difference to bring you up to the spousal amount (about $175 extra per month). You should contact SSA right away because they won't automatically switch you - you have to apply for the spousal benefit.
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Clay blendedgen
•Thank you for explaining that! So I'll get my $1,250 plus about $175 more to equal half of his benefit. That makes sense. Do you know if they'll give me any back payments since my husband reached his FRA last year? I had no idea I needed to apply separately for the spousal benefit!
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Lorenzo McCormick
My situation was almost identical!!! I waited 14 months after my husband's FRA before I realized I could get the higher spousal amount. When I finally got through to SSA they told me I could only get 6 months of backpay even though I was eligible for longer. MAKE SURE you apply ASAP because they limit retroactive benefits!!!!
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Clay blendedgen
•Oh no, that's frustrating! Thanks for the warning about the backpay limitation. I'll try to contact them right away. Did you just go into your local office or did you apply online?
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Carmella Popescu
i think everyone is confusion this is not how spousal benefits work. you CANT switch to spousal if you already took your own bene's early. the rules changed in 2015 with that new law. you are stuck with what you got plus maybe a small addon
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Ayla Kumar
•That's not accurate. What changed with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 was primarily the "file and suspend" and "restricted application" strategies. For someone who's already receiving their own retirement benefit, they can still apply for spousal benefits at any time after their spouse files. The OP will receive their own benefit plus the excess spousal benefit (the difference between their own benefit and 50% of their spouse's PIA) since they're past FRA.
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Kai Santiago
I had almost this exact scenario with my parents last year. My mom had been collecting her own SS for years while my dad was on disability. When SSA converted him to retirement benefits, she didn't know she needed to apply for spousal. She spent THREE WEEKS trying to reach someone at SSA by phone! I finally helped her use Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live person at SSA. They have this service where they navigate the phone systems for you and call you back when they have a live agent on the line. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Within a day she had applied for the spousal benefit and started receiving the extra amount the following month. She also got the maximum 6 months of backpay they allow for retroactive spousal claims.
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Clay blendedgen
•That sounds like exactly what I need! I've been trying to call for days with no luck. I'll check out that service. Did they help her complete the actual application or just get through to someone?
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Kai Santiago
•They just connected her with an SSA agent. The agent helped her complete the application over the phone. It was pretty straightforward once she actually got to speak with someone. The whole process took less than 20 minutes once she was connected.
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Lim Wong
does anyone know if this works if the husband didn't reach FRA yet? my husband is 64 taking early SS and i'm 67 past my FRA but taking my own benefit. can i get the extra spousal part now or do i have to wait until he's at his FRA?
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Ayla Kumar
•If your husband is already receiving retirement benefits (even reduced early benefits), you can apply for spousal benefits now. You don't need to wait until he reaches his FRA. Since you're past your own FRA, you'll be eligible for the maximum spousal benefit (the difference between your own benefit and 50% of his PIA). I'd recommend applying as soon as possible since there's no advantage to waiting.
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Dananyl Lear
This drives me CRAZY about the SSA!!! Why don't they automatically give people the highest benefit they're entitled to?? Instead they make you figure it all out yourself and apply for everything separately. You probably missed out on thousands of dollars because no one at Social Security bothered to tell you that you could get the higher amount. The whole system is designed to keep people from getting their full benefits. SMH.
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Noah huntAce420
•While I understand your frustration, the reality is that SSA handles millions of beneficiaries with complex situations. Their systems aren't designed to automatically determine every possible benefit combination for each person. That's why it's so important for individuals to understand their options or speak with a representative about their specific situation. The SSA website does have information about spousal benefits, but I agree they could do more to proactively inform beneficiaries about potential additional benefits they may qualify for.
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Ana Rusula
Just went through this with my wife! Make sure when you talk to SSA you specifically request the "excess spousal benefit" - that's the technical term for getting your own retirement plus the difference to reach half of your husband's amount. Also, once approved, double-check your first payment to make sure they calculated it correctly. They made an error on my wife's first payment and it took 3 months to fix!
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Clay blendedgen
•Thank you for that specific terminology! I'll definitely use that exact phrase when I talk to them. And I'll be sure to verify the payment amount when it starts. I appreciate the advice from someone who's been through it recently.
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Noah huntAce420
Since you're asking about switching from your own benefit to a spousal benefit, I want to clarify how this will work in your situation. Because you claimed your own retirement benefit before your Full Retirement Age, and because current rules apply to your case (post-2015 law changes), you won't actually "switch" benefits in the way you might be thinking. Instead, if eligible for both retirement and spousal benefits, you receive the higher of: 1. Your own benefit (reduced because you claimed early) 2. Your spousal benefit (reduced if you claimed spousal before your FRA) In practice, this means you'll continue receiving your own $1,250, plus an additional amount (called the "excess spousal benefit") to bring your total up to the spousal benefit amount you're eligible for. Since you're past your FRA now, and your husband is receiving benefits, you should definitely contact SSA to apply for the spousal benefit. The potential increase of $175 monthly would be $2,100 annually - definitely worth pursuing!
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Clay blendedgen
•Thank you for that detailed explanation! I think I understand better now. So I'm not really switching, but adding the extra amount on top of what I already receive. $2,100 a year would make a big difference for us. I'm going to try to contact SSA this week.
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