Can my older spouse claim Social Security spousal benefits from my higher earnings record before I retire?
I need some clarification about spousal benefits while I'm still working. My wife is 67 and has been collecting her own Social Security since 62. She worked part-time most of her life so her benefit is pretty small (around $1,125/month). I'm 63 and haven't filed for my benefits yet since I'm still working full-time and making good money. My FRA is 67 and my estimated benefit is much higher than hers (about $3,240 based on my earnings history). Can my wife qualify for spousal benefits based on my work record BEFORE I retire and file for my own benefits? Or does she have to wait until I actually file? Also, would she get 50% of my benefit amount or some other calculation? I've heard conflicting information about whether I need to be collecting benefits myself before she can get the spousal increase. And stupid question maybe, but spousal benefits are completely different from survivor benefits, right? She doesn't have to wait until I'm deceased to qualify for the higher amount?
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Amina Toure
Your wife cannot receive spousal benefits based on your record until you file for your own retirement benefits. This is different from survivor benefits, which only become available after death. Once you file for your benefits, your wife would be eligible for a spousal benefit equal to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) at her Full Retirement Age. Since she's already past her FRA at 67, she'd get the full 50%. However, they'll only pay her the difference between her own benefit and the spousal amount. So if your PIA is $3,240, the spousal benefit would be $1,620. Since she already gets $1,125, she'd receive an additional $495 per month as a spousal supplement once you file for your benefits.
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Paolo Esposito
•Thank you for explaining! So I definitely need to file first before she can get anything extra. That's clearer now. One follow-up question - if I wait until 70 to maximize my own benefit, would her spousal portion be based on my age-70 increased amount or still just on my PIA at my full retirement age?
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Oliver Weber
Just to clarify what the previous commenter said - your wife's spousal benefit will be based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) at your full retirement age, NOT your age 70 increased amount. Even if you delay until 70 and get those nice 8% per year increases, spousal benefits don't include delayed retirement credits. Also, since your wife started her own benefits before her FRA, she's receiving a reduced benefit. When you file and she becomes eligible for spousal, the reduction percentage she took on her own benefit will affect her overall payment. This gets complicated, so I'd really recommend making an appointment with SSA to get personalized calculations before you make any decisions.
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FireflyDreams
•my brother went threw this exact thing! his wife got the spousal benfit when he turned 69 and filed. she was getting around $890 and then got like $600 more from his record. but they told him it would of been the same amount if he filed at 67 or 70 for her part. only his check went up from waiting. the ssa people explaned it real good to them but its confusing to explain here lol
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Wont she qualify for more money if she just waits for you to die? My mom got wayyyy more from my dads record after he passed than when he was alive. I think its 100% of his benefit instead of just 50% - could be wrong tho.
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Amina Toure
•That's correct. Survivor benefits can be up to 100% of what the deceased spouse was receiving (including delayed retirement credits), while spousal benefits max out at 50% of the PIA with no delayed credits. However, I wouldn't recommend financial planning around someone's death! Taking the spousal benefit while both are alive is often the best approach, even if it's less money.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Oh for sure, I wasn't saying he should die to help her lol! Just pointing out that survivor and spousal are really different amounts.
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Javier Morales
I've been trying to get clarification from Social Security for a MONTH about a similar situation with my husband's benefits. Call after call, waiting on hold forever only to get disconnected. So frustrating! Has anyone found a good way to actually talk to a real person at SSA these days? The local office is appointment only and they're booked months out.
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Emma Anderson
•I was in the same boat last month trying to sort out my ex-spouse benefits. After wasting hours on hold and getting disconnected repeatedly, I tried Claimyr.com and it was a game changer. They got me through to an SSA agent in about 15 minutes instead of the usual 2+ hour wait. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically they wait on hold and call you when an agent picks up. Saved me so much frustration, especially since these spousal benefit questions really need a human to explain your specific situation.
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Javier Morales
•Thank you SO much for this suggestion! I'll check it out right now. I'm at my wit's end with the phone system.
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Malik Thompson
If your waiting till FRA anyway, why not just file a restricted application for spousal benefits only? That way you can collect half of her benefit while still letting yours grow until 70. My financial advisor told me this was possible if you were born before 1954.
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Oliver Weber
•Unfortunately, that strategy (restricted application) is only available to people born on or before January 1, 1954. Based on the ages given in the post, the person asking the question would have been born around 1961-1962, so they're not eligible for that approach. The rules changed with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.
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Malik Thompson
•Oh man, I didn't realize that! Thanks for correcting me. These rule changes are so confusing.
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Paolo Esposito
Thanks everyone for the really helpful information. I think I understand better now - my wife can get the spousal supplement but only AFTER I file for my own benefits, and it'll be based on my FRA amount not my increased age 70 amount if I delay. If I'm understanding correctly, our best strategy is probably: 1. I continue working and delay my benefits until 70 to maximize my own amount 2. Once I file, my wife will automatically get the difference between her reduced benefit and half of my PIA 3. If I pass away before her, she'd then be eligible for survivor benefits equal to my full benefit including delayed credits Is that right? I think we need to run the numbers to see whether it makes sense financially for me to file earlier so she can get the spousal supplement sooner, or if the increase to my own benefit from waiting is worth more in the long run.
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Amina Toure
•You've got it exactly right! Running the numbers is definitely smart. The key factors to consider are: 1. Your health/longevity expectations (longer life expectancy favors delaying) 2. How much your wife's benefit will increase with the spousal supplement 3. Your current income needs Since your wife is already 67, for every year you delay filing, that's a year she misses out on the higher spousal amount. But if you live well into your 80s, the higher amount from delaying would make up for it over time.
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