Confused about timing for Social Security spousal benefits - FRA 3 months apart
I'm about to receive my first Social Security retirement payment next week (yay!), but I'm confused about applying for spousal benefits. My husband is 3 months younger than me, and he'll get his first SS payment in 3 months. Our Full Retirement Ages fall in different months - mine is in October and his is in January. I know there's some coordination involved with spousal benefits, but I'm not sure when the right time is to apply for the spousal portion. Do I need to wait until after he starts receiving his benefits? Or should I make an appointment now to get everything in order? And speaking of appointments - do I need to physically go to an SSA office for spousal benefits, or can this all be handled over the phone? The nearest office is almost an hour drive each way, so I'd prefer to avoid that if possible. Thanks for any guidance!
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Sarah Jones
Congrats on your upcoming first payment! For spousal benefits, you need to wait until your husband is actually receiving his benefits before you can receive any spousal amount. The general rule is that you cannot receive spousal benefits until the primary worker (your husband) has filed for his own retirement benefits. As for the application process, you don't necessarily need an in-person appointment. You can call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to apply for spousal benefits once your husband is receiving his benefits. Have your marriage certificate and both your SSNs ready when you call. The fact that your FRAs are in different months isn't a problem - what matters is when your husband starts receiving his benefits.
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Drake
•Thank you for the clear explanation! So I should wait until after he gets his first payment in 3 months, then call to apply for the spousal portion? I was worried I might miss out on something if I didn't apply at the right time.
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Sebastian Scott
my wife got her spousal last year and we HAD to go in person bcuz they needed to see our marrige certificate.. dont listen to the other person u WILL need to go to the office!!!
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Sarah Jones
•That's not always the case. Many spousal benefit applications can be completed by phone, especially if SSA already has your marriage information on file from previous interactions. They'll tell you during the call if an in-person visit is required for your specific situation.
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Emily Sanjay
So frustrating how different SSA offices handle things differently!!! I applied for spousal benefits last year and did it ALL over the phone, no problem. But my sister in Arizona had to go in person THREE times because they kept saying they needed different documents each time. The whole system is so inconsistent. One tip - when you do call, be prepared to wait FOREVER. I had to redial for 2 days straight before I finally got through to someone. And then they transferred me and I got disconnected!! ARRRRGH.
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Jordan Walker
•If you're struggling with those ridiculous phone wait times, try using Claimyr.com - it's a service that gets you through to a real SSA agent without the hours of waiting. I was skeptical but it actually worked when I needed to sort out my spousal benefits. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me from pulling my hair out dealing with the constant busy signals and disconnections.
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Natalie Adams
Wait are u already at your full retirement age or did u take early benefits? this makes a BIG difference with spousal stuff
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Drake
•Good question - I'm taking mine 3 months before my FRA (which is in October). My husband is taking his right at his FRA in January. Does that change things?
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Elijah O'Reilly
I think everyone is missing the most important part of your question. Since you filed for your own benefit before your Full Retirement Age, you're deemed to have filed for spousal benefits at the same time under the deemed filing rule. This means when your husband files in 3 months, your spousal benefit (if you're eligible for one) will be automatically processed - there's no separate application needed. The spousal amount is reduced because you filed early. You'll get the higher of either your own reduced benefit OR up to 50% of your husband's PIA (reduced for your early filing). The formula is complicated but SSA calculates it all. The key is that you don't need a separate appointment - your spousal eligibility will be reviewed automatically once your husband is receiving benefits. Just make sure SSA knows you're married to each other (which they should already know from your tax records).
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Drake
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! That's actually a relief to know I don't need to make a separate application. I was worried about missing out on benefits if I didn't apply at exactly the right time. Just to be sure though - I don't need to do anything after he starts receiving his benefits? It will happen automatically?
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Amara Torres
My wife and I went through this last year! Our ages are 4 months apart. Here's what happened: when I filed for my retirement, they asked if I was married. They put a note in the system. When my benefit started, they automatically calculated her spousal benefit and started paying it. We didn't have to do ANYTHING extra! It was all automatic because they already knew we were married from previous tax filings and her application.
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Sebastian Scott
•this is NOT always true!!!! it depends on your local office. some offices are good and do it automatic but mine made us come in with 50 documents and wait for 3 hours!!!!
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Sarah Jones
To clear up some confusion in this thread: 1) Yes, deemed filing applies here since you're filing before FRA 2) While the system SHOULD automatically process your spousal benefit when your husband files, it doesn't always work perfectly 3) My recommendation: After your husband receives his first payment, call SSA to confirm that your spousal benefit calculation is in process. This gives you a chance to verify they have your correct marital status and aren't missing anything 4) If they say they need documents, that's when you'd need to either mail them in or schedule an in-person appointment This approach ensures you don't miss out on benefits while also avoiding unnecessary trips to the office.
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Drake
•This makes perfect sense. I'll wait until after he gets his first payment, then call to confirm everything is processing correctly. Thanks for clarifying!
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Emily Sanjay
WHATEVER YOU DO, make sure they have your marriage certificate on file!!! My sister lost out on 8 MONTHS of spousal benefits because they claimed they never received her marriage certificate (even though she brought it to the office). The whole system is such a MESS. Document EVERYTHING!
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Natalie Adams
heres a completely different question but i've always wondered - why do people even bother with spousal benefits these days? most people worked and have their own SS benefits now, right? is it really worth all this trouble?
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Elijah O'Reilly
•Very good question. Spousal benefits matter when there's a significant earnings difference between spouses. If one spouse was the primary earner or if one spouse earned significantly less (perhaps due to caregiving responsibilities or working part-time), the lower-earning spouse might receive more from spousal benefits (up to 50% of the higher earner's benefit) than from their own work record. Even for two-earner couples, if one earned substantially more than the other, the spousal benefit can provide a meaningful increase. It's definitely worth checking if you qualify.
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Drake
Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I feel much clearer on what to do now. I'll wait until after my husband receives his first payment in 3 months, then call SSA to make sure my spousal benefits are being processed correctly. I'll have our marriage certificate ready just in case they need it. The deemed filing information was particularly helpful - I didn't realize that would automatically tie everything together.
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