Confused about Social Security spousal benefits after filing at 62 with husband already collecting at 67
I've been struggling to decide when to start my Social Security and finally took the plunge to apply this year at 62. My husband started collecting his benefits when he turned 67 about two years ago. His monthly payment is quite a bit higher than what mine will be (mine's estimated around $1,450 while his is $2,875). Now I'm wondering - do I qualify for any spousal benefits since his benefit amount is larger? And if I do get some kind of spousal boost, would that reduce his monthly payment at all? I've heard conflicting things from friends and family about how this works. Sorry if this is confusing...I'm trying to figure out if I made the right choice by filing early or if I should have waited longer. Thanks for any help!
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Olivia Clark
Yes, you may qualify for spousal benefits, but there are important details to understand. Since you're filing for your own benefits at 62 (before your Full Retirement Age), you'll receive a reduced benefit amount - both on your own record and any spousal benefit. The SSA will automatically pay you the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit. The good news is this won't affect your husband's payment at all. His benefit remains exactly the same regardless of when or how you file. Here's how it works: The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but since you're claiming early at 62, that amount will be reduced. Also, you'll only receive the difference between your own benefit and the spousal amount if the spousal benefit is higher. Based on the numbers you shared, you should contact SSA directly to find out the exact calculation for your situation.
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Yara Assad
•Thank you for explaining! That's a relief his payment won't be affected. I was worried I might mess up his benefits somehow. Do you know if I need to specifically apply for the spousal benefit or will SSA automatically figure this out since we're married? The lady who took my application didn't mention anything about spousal benefits when I applied online.
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Javier Morales
my wife did this exact thing last yr. she got her own benefit at 62 (smaller) and they automatically gave her extra $ from mine. didnt affect my check AT ALL so dont worry bout that part. SSA does the math for u
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Olivia Clark
•That's correct. SSA automatically calculates and pays the higher amount. However, there's a key detail to highlight - the benefit calculation becomes somewhat complex when filing before FRA. The early filing reduction is applied to both benefits, and the amount can vary based on exact filing age and PIA amounts. The automated systems should handle this, but sometimes it's worth calling to verify the calculation is correct.
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Natasha Petrov
You NEED TO CALL the actual SSA office to get this straight!!! Don't trust what people tell you here or anywhere else online! When I filed early they COMPLETELY messed up my spousal calculation and I had to fight for 8 MONTHS to get it fixed!!!!! The computer systems don't always work right and the people answering phones give WRONG information half the time. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and get names of who you talk to!!!!
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Connor O'Brien
•I understand your frustration with the SSA systems, but I'd like to clarify that most applicants don't experience these issues. The SSA's automated systems generally handle deemed filing correctly for married couples. That said, it's always good practice to follow up with SSA directly about your specific situation. The calculation depends on multiple factors including exact birth dates, work history, and benefit amounts. Keep in mind that filing at 62 means your own retirement benefit is reduced by about 30% from your full retirement amount, and the spousal benefit would also be reduced since you're filing before your Full Retirement Age.
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Amina Diallo
I went through this exact situation last year. Tried calling SSA for weeks but could never get through to an actual person - just endless hold times and disconnects. After my fifth attempt I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent within 20 minutes instead of waiting hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. The agent confirmed I was eligible for a combined benefit (part my own record, part spousal) and explained exactly how the reduction worked since I filed before FRA. Definitely worth getting official confirmation from SSA rather than guessing.
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GamerGirl99
•thx for sharing! phones are impossible with ssa lately. bookmarked this for later
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Hiroshi Nakamura
I think youre making this too complicated. my understanding is if ur own benefit is less than half his, they give u the diffrence. if its more than half his, u just get ur own. pretty simple. but ya filing at 62 means u get less overall no matter what.
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Olivia Clark
•This is close but not quite accurate. The calculation is more nuanced when filing before Full Retirement Age. The spousal benefit is up to 50% of the higher-earning spouse's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), but that gets reduced when claiming early. The reduction percentages differ for retirement and spousal benefits, and they're calculated separately before being combined. This is why it's important to get the exact calculation from SSA for your specific situation.
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Yara Assad
Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm going to try calling the SSA office tomorrow to confirm exactly what I'll be getting. It sounds like I'll probably get some extra amount on top of my own benefit, which is great news. And I'm very relieved to know my husband's payment won't be affected at all - that was my biggest worry. I appreciate all the explanations about how the early filing reduction works too. I'll update once I talk to SSA directly about my specific situation.
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Connor O'Brien
•Good plan! When you call, specifically ask them to explain your "deemed filing" situation and request a breakdown of how they calculated your combined benefit. Make sure they factor in the reduction for filing at 62 for both your retirement and spousal benefits. It might also be helpful to ask if you should expect to see both benefits separated on your payment notice or if they'll be combined into a single amount. Best of luck!
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Javier Morales
just remembered something else - when my wife got hers they did back pay too. she applied like 3 months after turning 62 and they gave her a lump sum for those months. might happen for u too
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GamerGirl99
•yep this happened to me too! got a nice chunk of unexpected $$ about 6 weeks after my first regular payment started. ss can backdate up to 6 months i think
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Natasha Petrov
Just watch your first few payments CAREFULLY!!! Make sure the amount matches what they TOLD you it would be! I got underpaid for MONTHS because they didn't add the spousal portion correctly! Don't assume the computers get it right!!
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Yara Assad
•That's a good point, I'll definitely keep an eye on my payments once they start. I'm planning to create a folder to keep all my Social Security paperwork and notes from phone calls so I can track everything carefully.
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