Can my elderly mom switch to spousal benefits from her own Social Security? Dad's benefit much higher

If ur mom applied for SS after her full retirement age AND your dad was already receiving benefits at that time, she should've automatically been evaluated for both her own benefit and the spousal benefit, with SSA giving her whichever was higher. But if she claimed early or if your dad wasn't receiving benefits when she applied, then she might not be getting the max amount! I'd call SSA ASAP to check - they should be able to tell you if she's eligible for more. The amount of money we're talking about over 10 years could be huge!!!

This is actually a common situation. For spousal benefits, your mother could potentially receive up to 50% of your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but this would only be advantageous if that amount exceeds her own benefit. Since your father's monthly benefit is $2,850, 50% would be $1,425, which as you noted is higher than her current $1,125. A couple of important points: 1. If your mother started collecting her own benefits before her Full Retirement Age (FRA), her spousal benefit would be permanently reduced. 2. The SSA should have automatically calculated this when your father started collecting benefits if your mother was already receiving her own benefits. I recommend contacting SSA directly to request a benefit recalculation. If there was an error, they can adjust her payments and potentially provide back payments (though these may be limited to a certain period). You'll need both your parents' Social Security numbers and a Power of Attorney if you're making the call on their behalf.

My wife was in similar situation but we got it fixed!! Just go to SSA office with both their ss cards and marriage certificate. They fixed it on spot but wouldn't give full backpay, only 6 months back. Better than nothing!!

For clarity on spousal benefits: Your mother is potentially eligible for up to 50% of your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), not his actual benefit amount. The PIA is the benefit amount before any adjustments for early or delayed retirement. A few critical points: 1. If your mother started receiving her own benefits before her Full Retirement Age, her spousal benefits would be permanently reduced. 2. When someone is eligible for both their own retirement benefit and a spousal benefit, SSA pays their own benefit first. If the spousal benefit would be higher, they receive an additional amount to bring the total up to the spousal benefit level. 3. The timing of applications matters significantly. If your mother applied for benefits before your father, she would have needed to apply for spousal benefits separately when he began receiving his benefits. 4. For backpay, SSA typically limits this to 6 months prior to the application for spousal benefits, not the entire period she might have been eligible. I recommend gathering their benefit award letters if available, their marriage certificate, and both SSNs before contacting SSA. Request a detailed benefits review specifically focused on spousal benefits.

I tried for WEEKS to get someone at Social Security on the phone about a similar issue for my parents. Constant busy signals, disconnections, and when I finally got through, I was on hold for over an hour before being disconnected again! I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I actually talked to someone, they confirmed my mom was eligible for the higher spousal benefit and helped me get the paperwork started. Turns out she needed to file an SSA-4-BK form specifically requesting the spousal benefits. The agent was actually really helpful once I could actually reach a human being.

OMG the whole Social Security system is SO UNFAIR to women of that generation who stayed home with kids!!!! My mom was in the exact same boat and we found out she was eligible for more $ from dad's record but only after he passed away. We never knew about the spousal benefit while he was alive and lost out on THOUSANDS. The SSA should automatically check this stuff, not make seniors figure out these complicated rules!!!!

my neighbor had same issue and got it fixed but it was a huge headache and they only gave her like 6 months of backpay even tho she shoulda been getting the higher amount for years. good luck dealing with the ssa lol

One additional point that hasn't been mentioned: When your mother transitions to survivor benefits after your father passes away (I know that's not pleasant to think about, but it's important for planning), she would become eligible for up to 100% of his benefit amount, not just the 50% spousal benefit. This is particularly relevant given your father's health concerns. For the current situation, I recommend taking these specific steps: 1. Gather their Social Security statements showing exact benefit amounts 2. Locate their marriage certificate 3. Find documentation showing when each began receiving benefits 4. Contact SSA with a specific request for a "spousal benefit recalculation" 5. Be prepared to complete form SSA-795 (Statement of Claimant) explaining when you discovered this potential oversight If you encounter resistance about receiving more than 6 months of retroactive benefits, ask specifically about "administrative finality" exceptions, which can sometimes extend this period in cases where SSA may have made an error.