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.