Can my wife claim 50% spousal Social Security at 63 while I work past FRA? Worried about early filing reduction
I've been doing some retirement planning and have questions about my wife's options for Social Security benefits. I'll reach my full retirement age (FRA) in May 2026 when I turn 66 years and 10 months. I'm currently still working and plan to continue for 1-2 years past my FRA. My wife has been raising our kids her whole life (no substantial work history) and will be 63 when I reach FRA. I'm wondering - can she apply for the 50% spousal benefit when I reach FRA even if I haven't filed for my own benefits yet? If she takes spousal benefits at 63, what kind of reduction would she face? Also really concerned about survivor benefits down the road - if she takes reduced spousal benefits early, will her survivor benefits later be permanently reduced too? I've read conflicting information about this online and the SSA website isn't clear about my specific situation.
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Ravi Choudhury
Your wife cannot receive spousal benefits until you actually file for your retirement benefits - this is a common misconception. It doesn't matter if you've reached your FRA; if you haven't filed, she can't get spousal benefits. If you file at your FRA and she claims at 63, her benefit would be permanently reduced to about 35% of your PIA instead of the full 50% due to the early filing reduction. The reduction is approximately 0.69% per month before her FRA. As for survivor benefits - good news here. If you pass away, any reduction she took on spousal benefits will NOT affect her survivor benefits. As your widow, she would be eligible for 100% of what you were receiving if she claims survivor benefits at her FRA. If she claims survivor benefits before her FRA, different reduction factors apply.
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Isabella Silva
•Thank you for that explanation! So to be clear, even if I file and suspend at my FRA, she still couldn't get spousal benefits? And I'm still confused about the survivor benefits - if she takes reduced spousal at 63, then I die when she's 70, would she get my full benefit amount or would it still be reduced?
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CosmosCaptain
Everything the person above said is WRONG. My wife started getting her spousal benefits when I turned FRA even though I DIDN'T FILE. They changed the rules back in 2015 but anyone born before 1954 can still do this. Get your facts straight people!!! The SSA representatives are clueless too, I had to fight with them for MONTHS to get this approved. Don't listen to these internet "experts"!!!
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Freya Johansen
•I'm sorry, but that information isn't accurate for the original poster's situation. The "file and suspend" and "restricted application" strategies were eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Since the original poster turns FRA in 2026, these options aren't available to him or his wife. For anyone born after January 1, 1954, a spouse cannot receive spousal benefits unless the primary worker has filed for their own benefits. What you're describing applied to people born before 1954, which doesn't help the original poster.
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Omar Fawzi
When I was in a similar situation last year, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which helped me get through to an actual Social Security agent in under 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. The agent was able to run calculations for different spousal benefit scenarios which really helped us decide. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. With your specific questions about the interaction between early filing and survivor benefits, talking directly with SSA might give you the most accurate information for your situation.
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Chloe Wilson
•did this really work? i've been trying to get thru to ssa for weeks about my own spousal benefits question
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Diego Mendoza
my mom took spousal at 62 and got like 32.5% i think cause my dad waited til 70 to file. its all super confusing tbh. the survivor thing is seperate tho so dont worry about that part
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Isabella Silva
•Hmm, that doesn't sound right. If your dad waited until 70, how did your mom get spousal benefits before he filed? Did he file and then suspend his benefits?
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Freya Johansen
Here's the complete picture: 1. For spousal benefits: Your wife cannot receive them until you FILE for retirement benefits, regardless of your age. This is non-negotiable under current rules. 2. Early filing reduction: If your wife claims at 63, her spousal benefit will be reduced to approximately 35% of your PIA instead of 50%. The exact reduction is 25/36 of 1% for each month before FRA (up to 36 months) and 5/12 of 1% for additional months. 3. Strategy options: - You could file at your FRA so she can get spousal benefits, even if reduced - You could continue working and delay both your benefits until you stop working - You could file restricted for just spousal (only if born before Jan 2, 1954, which doesn't apply to you) 4. Survivor benefits: These are completely separate from spousal benefits. If you die, your wife would be eligible for 100% of your benefit amount if she claims at her FRA. If she claims survivor benefits early, they would be reduced, but any reduction she took on spousal benefits does NOT carry over to survivor benefits. Contact the SSA directly for calculations specific to your situation.
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Isabella Silva
•This is incredibly helpful, thank you! So it seems like my best option might be to file for my benefits at my FRA, which would allow my wife to get the reduced spousal amount. Then I could suspend my benefits until age 70 to earn delayed credits, which would also increase her potential survivor benefit. Does that sound right?
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Anastasia Romanov
I read somewhere that filing for benefits while still working can mess up your earnings record and reduce your benefit amount. But maybe that's only before FRA? Anyone know?
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Ravi Choudhury
•You're partly right. If you file before your FRA and continue working, the earnings test applies. In 2025, for every $2 you earn above $23,000 (approximate), $1 is withheld from benefits. Once you reach FRA, there is no penalty for working while collecting benefits - you can earn any amount without reduction. Additionally, any benefits withheld due to the earnings test before FRA are gradually returned after FRA through a recalculation of your benefit amount.
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Chloe Wilson
wut about if ur wife has some work history? my wife worked part time for about 10 years total but mostly stayed home with kids. would she get her own benefit or the spousal? which is better?
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Freya Johansen
•With 10 years of work, your wife likely qualifies for her own retirement benefit. She'll automatically receive whichever is higher - her own benefit or the spousal benefit. If her own benefit is less than half of yours, SSA will pay her own benefit plus an additional amount to bring the total up to the spousal rate. However, if she claims either benefit before her FRA, it will be reduced. The calculation can get complex, so it's best to contact SSA directly for estimates based on her specific earnings record.
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Diego Mendoza
i think my grandparents did something where grandpa filed but then paused his benefits so grandma could get hers? can u still do that?
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Ravi Choudhury
•What you're describing was called "file and suspend" which allowed someone to file for benefits (allowing their spouse to claim spousal benefits) and then immediately suspend their own benefits to earn delayed retirement credits. This strategy was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Now, if you suspend your benefits, all benefits payable on your record (including spousal) are also suspended. Your grandparents likely did this before the rule change.
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Isabella Silva
I've been doing some more research, and it seems like I have two main options: 1) File at my FRA so my wife can get spousal benefits, even though they'll be reduced, or 2) Wait until I stop working to file, which means delaying her spousal benefits too. If I go with option 1, would I be able to earn delayed retirement credits between my FRA and age 70 while still having filed for benefits?
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Freya Johansen
•Unfortunately, those specific options don't work quite as described. If you file at FRA, you can't simultaneously earn delayed retirement credits unless you suspend your benefits. But if you suspend your benefits, your wife's spousal benefits would also be suspended under current rules. Your actual options are: 1) File at your FRA, allowing your wife to receive reduced spousal benefits, but you won't earn delayed credits 2) Delay filing until 70, earning delayed credits but your wife can't receive spousal benefits until you file 3) File at FRA, collect for a while so your wife gets spousal benefits, then suspend later to earn some delayed credits (knowing this will suspend her benefits too) The best financial strategy depends on your health, longevity expectations, and immediate income needs.
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