Can I switch to spousal benefits after taking my own SS at 62? Husband already collecting

Unfortunately, you can't switch from your own reduced benefit to a full spousal benefit later. If you file at 62, you're deemed to be filing for both your retirement AND spousal benefits simultaneously (this is called "deemed filing"). Your spousal benefit will be permanently reduced because you're taking it early. What you CAN get is a reduced retirement benefit PLUS a reduced "excess spousal" amount that brings your total up to the reduced spousal rate (which would be less than 50% of his FRA benefit). As for waiting vs. claiming early, it depends on your own benefit amount. If your own benefit at your FRA would be substantially higher than 50% of your husband's FRA benefit, waiting might be better. But if the spousal benefit would be higher anyway, there's less incentive to wait.

my sister tried to do this exACTLY thing last year. got her own at 62 and wanted to switch to husbands later. SSA told her no way, she was STUCK with the early filing reduction forever!!!! they said she already made her choice when she filed. so frustrating for her, she could have gotten like $600 more per month if she waited. think long and hard before you do it!!

Based on the numbers you shared in your reply ($2,300 own benefit vs $1,950 spousal), you'd actually want to wait until your FRA and claim your own benefit. The math clearly favors delaying in your situation. However, there are other factors to consider: 1. Your health and family longevity (shorter life expectancy might favor filing earlier) 2. Whether you need the income now 3. If you're still working (earnings limit might reduce benefits if you claim before FRA) The break-even point for early vs. delayed filing is typically around age 78-82. If you expect to live beyond that, waiting to 67 provides more lifetime benefits. One other consideration: if your husband passes away, you'd be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving. These are completely separate from spousal benefits and have different rules.

I went thru similar situation but my husband is only 2 yrs older than me. I tried calling SSA for 3 days straight and couldn't get through!!! so frustrating!!! I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a real person at SSA in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent was really helpful and explained all my options. In my case, waiting until FRA made more sense because my own benefit was higher than spousal. Definitely worth talking to SSA directly about YOUR specific situation because everyone's numbers are different.

Just my 2 cents but I took my benefits at 62 and I regret it now. I'm 72 and I'll be getting those reduced checks FOREVER. If you can afford to wait, DO IT!! The system is designed to pay out roughly the same amount over your lifetime no matter when you claim, but that assumes average lifespan. If you're healthy and your parents lived into their 80s or 90s, waiting is usually better.

There's a calculation you need to understand here regarding spousal benefits. If you file at 62, you would receive: 1. Your own reduced retirement benefit (about 70% of your FRA amount) 2. PLUS potentially a spousal add-on The spousal add-on is calculated as: the difference between your reduced spousal benefit (which would be about 32.5% of your husband's FRA benefit if you claim at 62) MINUS your own reduced retirement benefit. If your own reduced benefit exceeds the reduced spousal benefit you'd be entitled to, you get $0 in spousal benefits. Based on your numbers ($2,300 own vs $1,950 spousal at FRA), your reduced own benefit at 62 would be approximately $1,610, while the reduced spousal benefit would be about $1,365. Since your own reduced benefit exceeds the reduced spousal amount, you would not receive any spousal add-on by filing at 62. Waiting until your FRA would give you the full $2,300, which is clearly advantageous in your case.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - if you're still working and claim before FRA, you'll be subject to the earnings test. For 2025, you can earn up to $22,900 without penalty, but beyond that, they withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. Just something else to factor into your decision!

Thank you all SO MUCH for these detailed responses! I've learned a lot and now I understand why the decision is more complicated than I thought. Based on your advice and my personal situation (good health, higher own benefit, still working part-time), waiting until my FRA seems like the smarter choice. I'm going to try contacting SSA directly too just to confirm everything for my specific case.

You've gotten some excellent advice here! As someone who also faced this decision recently, I can share that getting an actual benefit estimate from SSA was really helpful. You can create a my Social Security account online and see your projected benefits at different claiming ages. This will give you the exact numbers rather than estimates, which can help confirm your decision. Also, since you mentioned you're still working part-time, definitely factor in the earnings test that Simon mentioned. Even if the withheld benefits are eventually restored, the cash flow impact while you're between 62 and FRA can be significant. One last thought - you might also want to consider what happens if your husband's health declines. Sometimes couples need to balance the "optimal" financial decision with practical considerations about when they might need the income most. But given your numbers and good health, waiting until 67 does seem like the right call financially.

I just wanted to add something that might be helpful - if you do decide to wait until your FRA, you could also consider waiting even longer until age 70 to get delayed retirement credits. Since your own benefit would be $2,300 at age 67, it would grow to about $2,852 at age 70 (roughly 24% more). That's a significant increase if you can afford to wait and don't need the income immediately. Of course, this only applies to your own retirement benefit - spousal benefits don't earn delayed retirement credits past FRA. But given that your own benefit is already higher than the spousal benefit, the delayed credits could really add up over time. The trade-off is you're giving up 3 years of payments, so you'd need to live into your early 80s to break even, but if longevity runs in your family it might be worth considering. Just another option to think about as you're planning! The most important thing is making a decision you're comfortable with based on your specific financial and health situation.

I'm glad you found all this information helpful! One small correction to add - while the delayed retirement credits do increase your benefit by about 8% per year from FRA to age 70, the actual calculation is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), so the numbers might be slightly different than the rough estimate given. Also, since you mentioned you're still working part-time, remember that continuing to work can actually increase your Social Security benefit even after you start collecting, since SSA recalculates your benefit each year if your current earnings are higher than one of the 35 years used in your original calculation. The my Social Security account that Sophia mentioned will show you these precise projections, including the delayed retirement credit amounts. It's really the best tool for seeing exactly how much you'd get at 62, 67, and 70 with your actual earnings history. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works with seniors on benefit planning - you've received some really excellent advice here! The key takeaway from all these responses is that your situation is actually pretty straightforward: with your own benefit being higher than the spousal benefit, waiting until your FRA (or even age 70) makes the most financial sense. One thing I'd add is to consider getting a comprehensive Social Security claiming strategy analysis if you're still unsure. Many fee-only financial planners offer this service, and it can help you see all the variables laid out clearly. They can also help you think through scenarios like "what if my husband passes away first" or "what if I become unable to work." The my Social Security account everyone mentioned is definitely your best first step though - those official projections will give you the exact dollar amounts to work with. And don't forget that once you create the account, you can run different scenarios to see how your benefits change based on different claiming ages. Sounds like you're on the right track with waiting until 67 (or possibly 70). The peace of mind that comes with making an informed decision is worth a lot too!

This has been such an informative thread! As someone approaching this same decision in a couple years, I've learned so much from everyone's experiences and expertise. @Hazel Garcia, it sounds like you've gotten excellent guidance here - your situation with higher own benefits versus spousal benefits really does make waiting until FRA (or even 70) the clear winner financially. One thing that struck me from reading all these responses is how the 2015 law changes really eliminated a lot of the "file and switch" strategies that used to be available. It's unfortunate but good to understand the current rules before making decisions. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and create my own Social Security account to start planning. The point about considering longevity, health, current income needs, and potential scenarios like spousal death really shows how personal these decisions are, even when the math seems straightforward. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world advice that's so hard to find elsewhere!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently 59 and starting to think about my own Social Security strategy. What really stands out to me is how the deemed filing rule has changed everything - it's so different from what my older relatives experienced when they were making these decisions. @Hazel Garcia, your situation really illustrates why it's crucial to run the actual numbers rather than making assumptions. The fact that your own benefit at FRA ($2,300) is higher than the spousal benefit ($1,950) makes the decision much clearer, even though it might feel counterintuitive to "leave money on the table" by not claiming early. One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who mentioned using the my Social Security account, how accurate have you found those projections to be? I've heard mixed things about whether the estimates account for future cost of living adjustments or if they're in today's dollars. Also, I really appreciate everyone sharing their personal experiences, both positive and negative. It's sobering to hear from those who took benefits early and now regret it, but also valuable to understand the real-world implications of these decisions that you have to live with for decades.

As someone who recently went through this exact decision process, I can tell you that waiting was absolutely the right choice for me. I was in a similar situation - turning 62 with a husband already collecting, and my own projected benefit at FRA was higher than the spousal benefit. What really helped me was creating that my Social Security account everyone's mentioned and seeing the actual dollar amounts. The projections showed me clearly how much I'd lose permanently by claiming early versus waiting. In my case, the difference was about $700 per month - money I'd never get back. I also want to emphasize something that @Yara Haddad mentioned about considering different scenarios. When I was 62, my husband and I were both healthy and I was focused on maximizing our combined benefits. But two years later, his health started declining, and I realized how important it was that I had waited to maximize MY benefit, especially thinking about potential survivor benefits down the road. One practical tip: if you're worried about "missing out" on money by waiting, try calculating the total amount you'd receive if you claimed at 62 versus waiting until FRA, factoring in your life expectancy. For most people in good health with family longevity, the break-even point makes waiting worthwhile. You've gotten excellent advice here - trust the math and your instincts about waiting until 67!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding Social Security claiming strategies! I'm 64 and facing a somewhat similar decision, though my numbers are different. What strikes me most about @Hazel Garcia's situation is how clear-cut it becomes once you have the actual figures - her own benefit at FRA ($2,300) versus spousal benefit ($1,950) makes waiting an obvious choice mathematically. I want to emphasize something that several people touched on but bears repeating: the deemed filing rule really has changed everything since 2015. My financial advisor actually had outdated information when I first consulted with her - she was still thinking in terms of the old "claim and switch" strategies that no longer exist. It's crucial to work with professionals who understand the current rules. For anyone reading this thread who's in a similar situation, I'd also recommend looking into whether you have any pension benefits that might be affected by Social Security timing. Some government pensions have offset provisions that can impact your Social Security benefits, and the timing of when you claim each can matter. The personal experiences shared here about people regretting early claiming really resonate with me. At 64, I'm definitely feeling the pressure to "get something while I can," but the math and all this wisdom from folks who've been through it are pushing me toward patience. Thanks everyone for such a thorough and helpful discussion!

This has been such an incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted, I felt compelled to jump in because this thread covers so many important aspects of Social Security planning that I wish I had understood earlier. What really stands out to me is how @Hazel Garcia's question sparked such a comprehensive breakdown of the current rules. The deemed filing explanation from @Laila Fury was particularly helpful - I had no idea that claiming at 62 means you're automatically filing for both benefits simultaneously with permanent reductions on both. The personal stories from folks like @Khalil Urso and @Geoff Richards about regretting early filing really drive home the long-term consequences of these decisions. It's one thing to see the math on paper, but hearing from real people living with reduced benefits decades later makes it much more tangible. I'm 58 and starting to think seriously about my own strategy. This thread has convinced me that I need to: 1) Create that my Social Security account to get accurate projections, 2) Factor in longevity since my family tends to live into their 90s, 3) Consider the survivor benefit implications that @AstroExplorer mentioned, and 4) Maybe consult with a fee-only planner who understands the current rules. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's so valuable when navigating these complex decisions!