Can my wife claim spousal benefits at 62 when I start Social Security at 65?

Yes, your wife can absolutely apply for spousal benefits when you start collecting your retirement benefits. Since she's applying at 62, which is before her full retirement age (probably 67), her spousal benefit will be permanently reduced. At 62, she would receive approximately 32.5% less than if she waited until her full retirement age. So instead of getting 50% of your primary insurance amount (what you'd get at your full retirement age), she'd get about 32.5-35% of your PIA. One thing to consider: if you file at 65, you're also taking a reduction from your full benefit amount. This doesn't affect the percentage your wife gets (it's based on your PIA, not your actual benefit), but it does mean both of you will have permanently reduced benefits.

I went thru this EXACT situation last year!!!! My wife never worked outside our home (raised 3 kids) and we applied for her spousal when I started my SS. She was 63 and I was 66. They approved her right away but the amount was WAY less than we expected!!!! They said because she was taking it early. I was SO MAD because nobody warned us about this. We could have waited another year if we knew. The SSA phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE to get thru on so we couldn't even ask questions before applying. Make sure u understand exactly what she'll get before u both apply!!!!!

I want to clarify something important here. Your wife's spousal benefit will be reduced because she's claiming early, but there's another factor to consider. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is the benefit you would receive at your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Since you're claiming at 65, which is before your FRA of 67, YOUR benefit will be reduced, but this reduction doesn't affect what your wife would receive as a spouse. Here's how it works: Let's say your PIA (benefit at 67) would be $2,000. Filing at 65 means you'd get approximately $1,760 (a 12% reduction). Your wife's maximum spousal benefit would be based on the $2,000 figure, not your reduced amount. So her maximum spousal benefit would be $1,000 (50% of $2,000). But since she's claiming at 62 instead of her FRA, that $1,000 gets reduced by about 32.5%, meaning she'd receive around $675 per month. This is why planning the timing of Social Security claims is so important for married couples.

my wife tried to file online for spousal benefits and the website kept giving her errors. we had to go to the ss office in person and wait for 3 hours!!! the person there told us she couldn't even apply until i had already filed and been approved. make sure you file first and get approved, then have her apply after.

Doesn't this depend on if she has the 40 credits to qualify for SS benifits on her own record? My aunt was a housewife but worked part-time at a school for like 12 years and they made her apply on her own record first, even though my uncles benefit was higher. Something about dual entitlement?

Just wondering but have you considered waiting till your FRA? My husband claimed at 65 and regrets it now. The reduction is permanent and with inflation and everything it makes a difference. Just something to think about

Something no one has mentioned yet - if you're planning to file at 65, make sure you've also enrolled in Medicare! The initial enrollment period starts 3 months before your 65th birthday month and ends 3 months after. Missing this window can result in permanent penalties on your Medicare Part B premiums. This is separate from your Social Security retirement application, though you can apply for both at the same time if you're filing for SS at 65.

Thank you all for the helpful information! After reading everything, I think we'll still proceed with me filing at 65 and my wife filing for spousal benefits at 62. The reduced amount will still help our situation, and with my health concerns, waiting doesn't make sense for us. I've already enrolled in Medicare (did that last month), so we're all set there. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge - this has been really valuable for our planning!