Filing for Social Security early - will it reduce my wife's spousal benefits at her FRA?

Yes, your early filing WILL affect your wife's spousal benefit amount, even if she waits until her FRA to claim. The spousal benefit is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but if you file early, her maximum spousal benefit will be based on your reduced benefit amount, not what you would have received at your FRA. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security planning for couples. Your wife's maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of what your benefit WOULD HAVE BEEN at your FRA, not 50% of what you're actually receiving. But that's only if you wait until your FRA to file. By filing early, you're permanently reducing the base amount her spousal benefit will be calculated from.

The previous response contains incorrect information. Your early filing will NOT reduce your wife's spousal benefit calculation. If your wife claims at her FRA, she will receive 50% of your PRIMARY INSURANCE AMOUNT (PIA), which is the benefit amount you would receive at YOUR full retirement age, regardless of when you actually claim. Your decision to take benefits early affects YOUR benefit amount only. It does NOT reduce the PIA upon which your wife's spousal benefit is calculated. This is a common misconception. The key thing to understand is that while your benefit is reduced for claiming early, your PIA (the base amount used for spousal benefits) remains unchanged.

my aunt and uncle had this EXACT situation!!! uncle filed at 62 and aunt waited til her normal retirement age. she still got her full 50% of his full retirement amount even tho he took early benefits. SSA looks at what he WOULD have gotten not what he actually gets!!!!!

I've been trying to reach someone at Social Security for THREE WEEKS to ask this exact question!!! Every time I call it's 2+ hour wait times and then they hang up on me. Their website is impossible to navigate and the calculators don't explain this situation clearly. I'm frustrated beyond belief!!

ppl keep saying different things but whats ur wifes own benefit amount gonna be? cuz she only gets the higher of her own or the spousal, not both added together. lots of ppl dont realize that.

but what about if you die???? did u think about survivor benifits?? my friend's husband claimed early and now shes stuck with a lower survivor benifit for LIFE. so make sure u think about that too!!!

Let me offer some clarity here based on current SSA rules. There are TWO different situations being discussed: 1. SPOUSAL BENEFITS while you're both alive: Your wife's spousal benefit will be based on your PIA (full retirement age amount) regardless of when you claim. So claiming early won't reduce her spousal benefit as long as SHE claims at her FRA. 2. SURVIVOR BENEFITS if you pass away: If you claim early and take a reduced benefit, and then pass away, your wife's survivor benefit would generally be based on your actual (reduced) benefit amount. This is why many financial advisors recommend that the higher-earning spouse delay claiming as long as possible, especially if there's a significant age gap or health concerns.

u should really make an appointment at ur local ss office. better to get the info direct from them than from randos on the internet lol

I went through this exact scenario with my parents a few years ago and can confirm what others have said about the distinction between spousal and survivor benefits. The spousal benefit calculation is indeed based on your PIA, not your reduced amount. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - make sure to factor in the "break-even" point in your calculations. If you claim at 63 vs 67, you'll get 4 years of reduced payments before your wife becomes eligible for spousal benefits. Depending on your health and financial needs, that extra income stream might be worth more than the theoretical maximum spousal benefit. Also, consider that Social Security has cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year. If you claim early, you'll start receiving those annual increases sooner, which can add up over time. It's not just about the base amounts - the timing of when those adjustments start applying to your actual payments matters too. Definitely recommend running the numbers both ways with the SSA's online calculators, and maybe even consulting with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization if the dollar amounts are significant enough to justify the cost.

As someone who just went through this decision process last year, I wanted to share what I learned from meeting with both SSA and a financial advisor. The key insight that helped me was understanding that this isn't just a Social Security question - it's really about your overall retirement cash flow strategy. Yes, your early filing won't reduce your wife's spousal benefit calculation (that's based on your PIA), but you need to consider: Can you afford to wait? Do you have other income sources? What's your health situation? One thing that surprised me was learning about the "restricted application" strategy that used to exist but was phased out - make sure any advice you're getting is current, as SS rules have changed significantly in recent years. My recommendation: Use the SSA.gov "my Social Security" account to get your exact benefit estimates, then consider the total household income picture. Sometimes claiming early makes perfect sense even if it's not theoretically "optimal" on paper. Financial security today might be worth more than maximizing benefits on a spreadsheet. Also, don't forget about Medicare timing - you'll both need to enroll when eligible regardless of when you claim Social Security, and that has its own set of considerations if you're still on employer insurance.

I'm dealing with a similar decision at 64 and wanted to add something that helped clarify things for me - the SSA's online benefit calculators can be a bit misleading if you don't understand what they're showing you. When I first looked at them, I thought my early filing would definitely hurt my spouse's benefits, but that was because I was confusing the different types of benefits. What really helped me was calling SSA and specifically asking them to walk me through the difference between my "Primary Insurance Amount" (PIA) and my "actual benefit amount if I claim early." They explained that my wife's spousal benefit calculation will ALWAYS be based on my PIA (what I'd get at full retirement age), not what I actually receive if I file early. The survivor benefit issue others mentioned is real though - that one IS based on what I'm actually receiving when I die, so there's definitely a trade-off to consider there. One more thing - if you're thinking about claiming early, make sure you understand the earnings test if you're still working. I almost made a costly mistake there by not realizing how much of my benefits would be withheld due to my part-time income.