Can my younger husband claim spousal SS benefits at 57 while I'm on retirement at FRA?

your husband cant get spousal benefits at 57 no matter what, minimum age is 62 for that. and even then he'd get reduced benefits cuz hes not at his FRA. not sure bout the survivor part tho.

Let me clear up a few things about your situation: 1. Spousal benefits can ONLY begin at age 62 at the earliest (with a reduction). There is absolutely no way for your husband to claim at 57. 2. If he claims spousal benefits at 62, they will be significantly reduced (about 30% less than if he waited until his FRA). 3. For survivor benefits: If you pass away, your current husband could claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (or age 50 if disabled), but again, with a reduction for early claiming. 4. Important note: Since you both had similar earnings, your husband's own retirement benefit at his FRA might actually be higher than what he'd get from 50% of your benefit. The SSA will pay him the higher of the two amounts. 5. You might want to have him create a my Social Security account to see his projected benefit amounts before making any decisions.

I went through something similar with my wife being younger than me. The whole SS system is ridiculously complicated!!! The most important thing to understand is that NO ONE can get ANY Social Security benefits before 62 except for disability or if caring for a disabled person/child. The 50% spousal benefit rule has so many exceptions and weird calculations that even the SS reps get confused sometimes.

She took her own at 62 because it was higher than half of mine. But we didn't have as big an age gap as you two.

One important consideration for your husband: if he reduces his hours or retires at 57, this will impact his future Social Security benefit amount. Benefits are calculated using your highest 35 years of earnings, so having several low-earning or zero-earning years from 57 onward could significantly reduce what he'll receive on his own record. Regarding survivor benefits: If you were to pass away, he could claim survivor benefits as early as age 60, receiving 71.5% of your full benefit. If he waited until his FRA, he would receive 100% of your benefit. You should both schedule an appointment with an SSA representative to discuss your specific situation and run calculations based on your actual earnings records. The age gap and early retirement create several important strategic considerations for maximizing your household benefits.

When I needed to speak with a Social Security agent about a similar spousal benefit question last month, I was stuck in an endless phone loop for days! Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours or days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent was able to run calculations based on both our earnings records and explained all the age restrictions. Definitely worth getting the official information rather than trying to piece it together online.

Yes! It saved me so much frustration. The SSA phone system is completely overwhelmed right now.

I dont mean to hijack but your post got me thinking about my situation... My husband is 12 years older than me and already collecting his SS. I'm 52 now. The SSA lady told me years ago I could get half his benefit when I turn 62 BUT reading your responses now I'm wondering if that was WRONG advice!!!! Would I get half of what he gets now or half of what his benefit was at his FRA?? Or does it depend on my own earnings?? UGHHHH why is this system so COMPLICATED!!!

lol why would anyone think they could get ss benefits at 57? thats not retirement age anywhere in the U.S system

To summarize what's been discussed and add a bit more clarity: 1. The earliest your husband could receive spousal benefits is age 62, with a reduction (approximately 30-35% less than at his FRA). 2. If he significantly reduces his work or stops completely at 57, this could affect his own future benefit calculation since SSA uses the highest 35 years of earnings. Low-earning or zero years could reduce his personal benefit. 3. The spousal benefit would be up to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (your benefit at your FRA), but is reduced if claimed before his FRA. 4. He will always receive the higher of either his own benefit or the spousal benefit, not both. 5. For survivor benefits, he could claim as early as age 60 if you predeceased him, with a reduction. At his FRA, he would receive 100% of your benefit. 6. If your husband is considering reducing work significantly at 57, you might want to evaluate other retirement income sources to bridge the gap until he can claim Social Security benefits.