Confused about whether to claim my own Social Security benefits or my wife's - how is this determined?

The Social Security Administration will NOT automatically give you the higher benefit - you need to specifically inquire about spousal benefits! My brother-in-law lost out on nearly $400/month because he didn't know to ask. Basically, you can receive either your own benefit or up to 50% of your wife's full retirement benefit, whichever is higher. But here's what complicates things: your wife needs to have filed for her own benefits before you can claim spousal benefits based on her record. If you're reaching full retirement age soon, I'd recommend calling SSA directly to discuss your specific situation. Just be prepared to wait forever on hold or get disconnected multiple times. The phone system is absolutely terrible.

Here's what you need to know about choosing between your own benefits and spousal benefits: 1. You'll receive whichever is higher - your own Social Security benefit OR up to 50% of your spouse's full retirement age benefit amount (if your spouse has filed for their own benefits) 2. If your wife hasn't applied yet, that "notification" doesn't count as filing. She needs to actually apply for benefits before you can claim spousal benefits on her record. 3. The timing matters! If you take benefits before your Full Retirement Age (FRA), both your own benefit AND any spousal benefit will be permanently reduced. 4. The SSA will calculate both options, but you should specifically mention you want to explore spousal benefits when you apply. I recommend making an appointment with your local SSA office or calling the main number to discuss your specific situation. They can run calculations based on both your earnings records to help you make the best decision.

When I was facing this exact situation last year (my husband is 3 years older), I found it impossible to reach anyone at Social Security by phone. After multiple disconnections and hours on hold, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an SSA agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke with someone, they explained that yes, my husband had to file for his benefits before I could claim spousal benefits. And the "notification" your wife did online isn't an actual application - it's just for planning purposes. The agent ran calculations for both scenarios and in my case, my own benefit was slightly higher than the spousal benefit would have been. But everyone's situation is different based on your earnings history.

DONT BELIEVE THE SSA WILL FIGURE THIS OUT FOR YOU!!! They make MISTAKES all the time! My sister got the wrong amount for 3 YEARS because they didn't properly calculate her spousal benefit option. She had to fight with them forever to get it fixed and only got 6 months of backpay even though it was THEIR ERROR!! You NEED to understand this yourself: - Your benefit = based on YOUR work history - Spousal benefit = up to 50% of your wife's FRA benefit - You get the HIGHER of the two - But she MUST file first before you can get spousal - That "notification" means NOTHING officially DO YOUR OWN MATH and double-check their work!!!!!

just wanted to add that if u wait til your full retirement age to claim, u get more money. my husband waited til 67 (his FRA) and got way more than if he'd started at 62. but everybody's situation is different!

To answer your follow-up question: The optimal strategy depends on your specific situation, but here are some general guidelines: 1. If your wife's benefit is significantly higher than yours would be, it might make sense for her to file at her FRA, then you could file for spousal benefits when you reach your FRA. 2. If your own benefit might be higher than the spousal benefit, you might want to delay filing for your own benefits until age 70 to maximize them (they grow by 8% per year beyond FRA until age 70). 3. Before 2016, there was a strategy called "file and suspend" that allowed more flexibility, but that's no longer available. 4. Remember: taking spousal benefits early (before your FRA) permanently reduces the amount. The Social Security timing decision is extremely specific to your individual earnings records, ages, health status, and financial needs. I recommend consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security strategies before making your final decision.

my cousin works for ssa and told me they NEVER automatically give you spousal benefits you have to ask for them specifically!!!! the computer doesn't just figure it out. when i applied i told them i wanted to compare my benefit to my husbands spousal amount and the difference was only $31 more for spousal but still that adds up over time!!!