Confused about Social Security spousal benefits top-up - can I increase my benefit after husband filed at 70?

Unfortunately, you're likely already receiving the maximum spousal benefit you're entitled to. When you took spousal benefits at 62, they were permanently reduced because you claimed before your Full Retirement Age (FRA). The fact that your husband waited until 70 to claim his benefits doesn't change your reduction factor. The spousal benefit maximum is 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's what he would have received at his FRA, not including his delayed retirement credits. Since you claimed at 62, you likely received approximately 32.5% of his PIA due to the early claiming reduction. The 'top-up' you're referring to might be the difference between your own retirement benefit and the spousal benefit, but that only applies if you qualified for your own benefit AND it was less than your spousal amount.

Thank you for explaining. So even though he's getting those big delayed credits, I don't get any benefit from that? That seems so unfair! Is there anything I can do now to increase my benefit? I'm 67 now.

same thing happend 2 me!! my husband waited til 70 and i took mine at 63. they NEVER told me i shoulda waited!!! so now he gets almost $4300 and im stuck with like $1100. its total BS how they trick us!!

This isn't a trick - it's just how the spousal benefit rules work. Spousal benefits don't include delayed retirement credits, only the base PIA amount. And any benefit claimed before FRA gets permanently reduced. The good news is that if your husband passes away before you, you would be eligible for survivor benefits, which DO include those delayed retirement credits.

I went through the exact same confusion last year! The SSA representative I spoke with explained that the

Calling SSA is a complete waste of time. Tried calling about my wife's benefits last month and spent 4 hours on hold only to get disconnected!!!

I got my benefits based on my wife's record after I stopped working to care for my mom. It SUPER confusing and all the online calculators make no sense!!!!! Did you know there's a family maximum benefit too? Nobody ever explains these things properly.

You're right that the family maximum benefit can further complicate things. This is a cap on the total amount that can be paid on a worker's record. But in this specific case with just spousal benefits, the family maximum likely isn't affecting their payment.

Try using Claimyr to reach an actual SSA agent quickly - https://claimyr.com. I was struggling with a similar spousal benefit question, spent days trying to get through the SSA phone lines with no luck. Used Claimyr and got connected to an agent in under 20 minutes who reviewed my specific case details and explained everything clearly. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUThe agent confirmed for me that my spousal benefit was calculated correctly and explained exactly how the reductions work. It was really helpful to have someone look at my specific situation instead of just general answers.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check out that service. I've been trying to call SSA for weeks and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours. It would be worth it to actually talk to someone who can look at my specific case.

Your situation is actually very common. Here's a clear breakdown of what's happening:1) Spousal benefits are based on the worker's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is their benefit at Full Retirement Age2) The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's PIA, but only if claimed at YOUR Full Retirement Age3) Since you claimed at 62, your benefit was permanently reduced by approximately 35%4) When your husband started collecting doesn't affect your reduction - it was locked in when you filed5) The delayed retirement credits your husband earned by waiting until 70 only benefit HIS payment, not your spousal benefitIf you had waited until your FRA to claim spousal benefits, you would receive 50% of his PIA. There's unfortunately no way to increase your benefit now, unless you qualify for a higher survivor benefit later.

Thank you for explaining it so clearly. Wish I had known this before I claimed early! At least I know where I stand now.

you guys r making this wayyy to complicated!! OP just needs to call SSA and tell them to fix her benefit! thats what my sister did and they gave her more money!

I'm afraid that's not how it works. SSA can't just

My wife's situation was similar but she DID get an increase - turned out she had some missing earnings from a government job in the 90s that wasn't counted properly. Definitely worth checking your earnings record!

Just to clarify something important: if your husband passes away before you, your situation would change significantly. As his widow, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving - including all those delayed retirement credits from waiting until 70. This is actually one of the key retirement planning strategies for couples with age differences. The higher earner often delays benefits until 70 specifically to maximize the survivor benefit for the younger spouse. So while you don't benefit from his delayed credits now, they could provide significant financial protection for you later.

That's actually comforting to know. I didn't realize survivor benefits would include his delayed credits. At least there's some benefit to his decision to wait until 70.