Ex-spouse Social Security benefits when I'm 62 but ex is only 59 - do I have to wait?

You can claim ex-spouse benefits when YOU are 62 (which you are), as long as you've been divorced for at least 2 years (which you have). Your ex does NOT need to file for his own benefits first. That's one of the big advantages of divorced spouse benefits compared to current spouse benefits. The only requirement is that your ex must be at least 62, so you'll need to wait 3 more years until he reaches that age. When you do file, remember that filing before your own Full Retirement Age means you'll get a reduced benefit amount.

When u file for benefits at 62, SSA automatically gives you whichever is higher - your own benefit OR the spousal benefit. But like the other person said, you gotta wait till your ex is 62 too. Also, filing at 62 means you get a permanently reduced amount - like 30% less than waiting till your full retirement age which is probably around 67 for you. Just something to think about!!

I had a similar situation and found some important details you should know. Yes, you must wait until your ex reaches 62, but there's more to consider: 1. When you file, you'll be deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for (your own and ex-spouse benefits) 2. At 62, you'll receive a significantly reduced benefit - approximately 30% less than at your Full Retirement Age (FRA) 3. The ex-spouse benefit maximum is 50% of your ex's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but reduced further if you claim early 4. If your own benefit exceeds the ex-spouse benefit, you'll just get your own I recommend creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to see your own estimated benefit amounts at different ages. This helps with planning. Also consider your health, other income sources, and life expectancy when deciding when to file.

My sister tried claiming on her ex at 62 and regretted it. The reduction is permanent! Have you considered working a few more years? The difference between 62 and 67 is HUGE in terms of monthly checks.

I think everyone is making this more complicated than necessary. The rules are simple: 1. You must be 62 (check) 2. Your ex must be 62 (not yet) 3. You must have been married 10+ years (check) 4. You must be divorced 2+ years (check) So you have to wait until he's 62. Period. And YES, filing at 62 means a PERMANENT reduction of about 30% compared to your Full Retirement Age benefit. This applies whether you're claiming your own benefit or an ex-spouse benefit. Also, forgot to mention - your benefit as an ex-spouse is capped at 50% of your ex's full benefit amount (and then reduced further if you claim early). So if your own work record would give you more than 50% of his benefit, the ex-spouse benefit doesn't help you anyway.

To answer your question about switching benefits - under current rules, if you file at 62 for your own retirement, when your ex turns 62, SSA will automatically give you the higher of the two benefits. If the ex-spouse benefit would be higher, they'll supplement your own benefit to reach that amount. But remember both benefits would be reduced for claiming before your FRA. One scenario to consider: If your own benefit at FRA would be higher than your ex-spouse benefit, you might be better off waiting to file for your own benefit. The increase for waiting (about 8% per year from FRA to 70) only applies to your own benefit, not ex-spouse benefits.

Do you have any other income? If not, might be worth just taking at 62 despite the reduction. Money now is sometimes better than more money later!

Thanks everyone for all this great information! I think I'm going to hold off filing until I can get a clearer picture of what my benefit amounts would be. I'm working part-time now, so I can manage for a while longer. I'll definitely check out creating that my Social Security account to see the estimates. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - might use that to actually speak with someone about my specific situation!