Claiming Social Security at 63 while caring for disabled spouse - spousal benefits possible?
I'm turning 63 in a few months and considering filing for my Social Security retirement benefits. My work history is pretty sparse because I stepped away from my career about 25 years ago to raise my grandchildren full-time. I haven't had any income since then, so my own SS benefit will only be around $850/month if I claim now. My situation is getting more complicated - my husband (64) is currently receiving SSDI (about $2,100/month), and I'm his primary caregiver since his health declined. I'm also taking care of my elderly parents who are both in their 90s. With household expenses increasing, we're really struggling on just his disability payment. I have several questions that I can't seem to get straight answers for: 1. Can I claim any portion of my husband's disability benefit while he's still receiving SSDI? 2. When my husband turns 65 next August, will his disability automatically convert to retirement benefits? 3. Will his benefit amount change when that conversion happens? 4. If I take my own retirement early at 63, will that permanently affect any spousal benefits I might qualify for later? I know claiming early means permanently reduced benefits, but some income now would really help our situation. Any advice from those who've navigated this? What would you do in my shoes?
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Carmen Vega
Hi there, I've been through something similar with my parents. You actually CAN claim spousal benefits based on your husband's record while he's on SSDI, but there are some important things to understand: - You can receive up to 50% of your husband's primary insurance amount (what he'd get at full retirement age), but since you're claiming early at 63, that amount will be reduced. - When your husband reaches full retirement age (which is 66 and 10 months if he was born in 1960), his SSDI will automatically convert to regular retirement benefits, usually at the same amount. - If your own retirement benefit is less than your spousal benefit, SSA will pay your retirement plus the difference to equal the spousal amount. In your shoes, I'd schedule an appointment with SSA to get a calculation of exactly what you'd receive both ways - on your own record and as a spouse. That way you can make an informed decision about when to file.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Thank you so much for this information! I had no idea I could get spousal benefits while he's still on disability. Do you know if I need to apply separately for that, or will they automatically check if I qualify for spousal benefits when I apply for my own retirement? I've been trying to call the SSA office for weeks but keep getting disconnected.
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QuantumQuester
you should definitely file for both your own retirement and the spousal benefit at the same time. my sister tried to just file for her own and didnt know about the spousal option and missed out on 6 months of higher payments!!! the ssa doesnt automatically give you the best deal you have to ask for it specifically
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Carmen Vega
•That's absolutely right - always file for all benefits you might be eligible for. SSA calls this "deemed filing" where when you file for one benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for. However, it's still important to specifically mention you want to file for spousal benefits too, just to be safe.
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Andre Moreau
I'm so angry with how SSA treats caregivers like you!!! You've spent DECADES caring for family members which saved the government MILLIONS in care costs, and now your benefit is only $850?? The system is RIGGED against caregivers, especially women. I went through this with my mom who was in your exact situation. When my dad got SSDI, they kept giving her wrong information about spousal benefits. She had to fight for MONTHS to get what she deserved. Make sure you DOCUMENT EVERYTHING when you talk to them!! And don't trust the first answer they give you - ask to speak to a supervisor or get a second opinion. The frontline people often don't know all the rules about SSDI to retirement conversions!
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I know what you mean about feeling frustrated. I don't regret caring for my grandkids or my husband, but it's hard not to feel penalized for making that choice. Did your mom eventually get the spousal benefits while your dad was still on disability? How much of a difference did it make for her?
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Zoe Stavros
I just want to say hang in there! My wife and I went thru this last year. The spousal benefit really helped us make ends meet even though she claimed early. Better to have something now than wait when you really need it.
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Jamal Harris
After spending hours trying to get through to SSA about a similar situation, I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU It was worth it to actually talk to someone who could pull up my husband's record and calculate exactly what my spousal benefit would be versus my own retirement. The agent was able to run different scenarios about claiming now versus waiting. Turns out in my case, the spousal benefit was almost $400 more per month than my own retirement would have been!
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Yuki Kobayashi
•That's really helpful, thank you. I've been trying for weeks to get someone on the phone without success. I'll check out that service. Did they explain to you how the transition works when your husband moved from disability to retirement?
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Jamal Harris
•Yes, they explained everything. The agent told me that when my husband turns FRA, his disability will automatically convert to retirement benefits, usually at the same amount. They also checked if I'd be eligible for an increased spousal benefit after that conversion (I wasn't in my case, but your situation might be different). Definitely worth getting someone who can look at your specific numbers.
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Mei Chen
im in almost the same boat as you. i took my ss at 62 and it was only 790$ but then i got the spousal benifit from my husbands dissability and now i get 1430$ total each month. you should defintley apply for both! but be careful they might try to say you dont qualify for spousal if you didnt work enough quarters or something. thats what they told me at first but it was wrong.
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Liam Sullivan
•There's a bit of confusion here that I'd like to clarify. For spousal benefits, there's no requirement for quarters of coverage for the spouse - that's only for your own retirement benefit. However, you do need to be married for at least one year before applying for spousal benefits in most cases, or be the parent of the worker's child. It sounds like with 45 years of marriage, the original poster would definitely meet this requirement. Also worth noting: when your husband converts from SSDI to retirement at FRA, his benefit amount typically stays the same, though it will be subject to different rules about working and earning income.
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QuantumQuester
my neihgbor said be careful because if you take ss early it might effect your medicare costs later?? something about IRMAA or whatever its called. anyone know about this??
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Liam Sullivan
•Taking Social Security early doesn't directly affect IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). IRMAA is an additional premium some people pay for Medicare Part B and Part D if their income is above certain thresholds. It's based on your modified adjusted gross income from your tax return from 2 years prior. So claiming SS early only affects IRMAA indirectly - if taking SS early means your total income is higher in those years before Medicare begins, you might face higher IRMAA charges. But for someone with limited income like the original poster, IRMAA is unlikely to be an issue.
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Carmen Vega
One important thing nobody has mentioned: if you're providing care for your disabled husband and elderly parents, you might want to look into whether your state offers any paid family caregiver programs through Medicaid. Many states have programs where family members can get paid (typically minimum wage) for providing care that would otherwise require a professional caregiver. This would give you some income now and help build up your Social Security credits for future benefits. Regarding your original questions: 1. Yes, you can claim spousal benefits on your husband's SSDI record 2. His SSDI will automatically convert to retirement benefits at his full retirement age 3. The amount typically stays the same during this conversion 4. Taking your own benefit early will reduce it permanently, but shouldn't affect spousal benefits you might be eligible for
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Yuki Kobayashi
•I had no idea about paid family caregiver programs! That's definitely something I'll look into. Thank you for that tip and for clarifying about the benefits. I think I'm going to apply for both my retirement and spousal benefits, then look into the caregiver program as well. At least that gives us a starting point to improve our financial situation.
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