Can my husband get spousal benefits with WEP-reduced Social Security and I'm taking early retirement?

Yes, your husband likely qualifies for a spousal benefit! When there's a big difference between benefit amounts like in your case, it can make sense even with WEP. Since your husband is past his FRA (66), he can receive up to 50% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) minus his own PIA before WEP reduction. The calculation isn't based on what you'll actually receive when filing early, but on what you'd get at your FRA. For example, if your PIA is $4,025, his potential spousal benefit would be $2,012.50. Then subtract his own PIA of $1,240 (before WEP), which would leave him with a spousal benefit of about $772.50 on top of his own reduced benefit. But here's the important part - he needs to wait until you file for your own benefits before he can get the spousal portion. And since you're filing early, your benefit will be permanently reduced, but his spousal benefit is still calculated on your full PIA.

Let me add something important here. I dealt with almost this exact situation with my parents. The WEP reduction that affects your husband's own benefit does NOT apply to the spousal benefit portion he would receive. The formula works like this: 1. Calculate 50% of your PIA ($4,025 ÷ 2 = $2,012.50) 2. Subtract his PIA before WEP reduction ($1,240) 3. The difference ($772.50) is his spousal benefit He'll receive this in addition to his own WEP-reduced benefit. Since he's already past his FRA, he'll get the full spousal benefit amount - no reduction for his age. One crucial thing: to maximize your lifetime benefits as a couple, you might want to run calculations on whether delaying your filing until closer to your FRA would provide better overall returns, since your benefit is so much larger and would be the survivor benefit eventually.

No, he doesn't get both full benefits - it's more like a "top-up." He gets his own benefit, then an additional amount to bring his total up to the spousal benefit level if that's higher. In this case, his own benefit is reduced by both early filing (he took it at 62) and WEP. Then Social Security adds enough on top to reach the spousal benefit level he's entitled to (which is 50% of his wife's PIA minus his own PIA before WEP). The key is that he's already receiving his own benefit, so the spousal benefit is just the difference between that and what he would be entitled to as a spouse.

I went thru this EXACT situation last year with my husband!!! We both had SSA reps tell us COMPLETELY different things about how WEP affects spousal benefits. One said there's no spousal benefit available when WEP is involved, another said there is!!! So frustrating!!!!! We finally got it sorted by talking to a supervisor, but it took MONTHS of phone calls and getting disconnected and waiting on hold. The system is BROKEN when even their own employees don't understand these complicated rules!!! BTW, my husband DID end up getting spousal benefits even with his WEP reduction. But they calculated it wrong at first and we had to fight to get it corrected.

Yes we did get backpay but only after MULTIPLE calls and getting disconnected over and over!! It was a nightmare trying to get through to someone who actually understood the WEP rules. Each time we called we got different info which made it even worse!!!

I faced similar issues reaching the SSA when sorting out my husband's benefits last year. After being disconnected multiple times and waiting on hold for hours, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual SSA representative without the endless waiting. You still talk directly with Social Security, but their system keeps your place in line and calls you when a representative is available. Saved me so much frustration! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU For complicated situations like WEP and spousal benefits, speaking directly with an SSA rep who can look at your specific records is really the only way to get accurate information.

ppl here giving all this advice but the truth is SSA makes mistakes ALL THE TIME with WEP cases. My bro in law had to hire a lawyer to get his benefits right after 2 years of wrong payments. the govt workers dont even understand their own rules

You should really consider if filing at 64-65 makes financial sense for you. With such a high benefit amount ($4,025), you're giving up a lot by filing before FRA. Each month you delay adds approx 0.55% to your benefit. Could be tens of thousands over your lifetime, especially if you live past 80. Plus, if your husband passes away before you, your survivor benefit would be based on his record (including any increases from delayed retirement credits if he had waited). Just something to consider in your planning.

I'd like to clarify something important about the WEP and spousal benefits calculation that hasn't been mentioned yet. When SSA calculates a spousal benefit for someone affected by WEP, they use what's called the "WEP PIA" (the reduced amount) when determining the person's own benefit, but they use the non-WEP PIA when determining how much to subtract from the spousal benefit. So in your case, if your husband's PIA before WEP was $1,240, and after WEP it's (let's say) $840, they would: 1. Calculate 50% of your PIA ($4,025 × 50% = $2,012.50) 2. Subtract his PIA before WEP ($1,240) 3. Resulting in a spousal benefit of $772.50 He would receive his WEP-reduced benefit of $840 (further reduced for early claiming) plus the $772.50 spousal benefit. This is a complex area even for SSA employees, so when you apply, specifically ask them to check the WEP-spousal benefit calculations carefully.

One more thing - DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!! Write down every conversation with SSA, get names of reps, take screenshots of your MySocialSecurity account info!!!! Trust me on this!!!!!

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I'm going to put together all these calculations before I make my filing decision. It sounds like my husband should definitely apply for the spousal benefit once I file, regardless of when I decide to start taking benefits. I'll make sure to document everything and specifically mention the WEP-spousal benefit calculation when we apply. And I'll definitely look into that Claimyr service - sounds like it could save a lot of frustration with the phone calls. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this complicated situation!