Getting spousal benefits with husband on SSDI for cancer - do I wait until I'm 62?

I can help clarify this. As a spouse of someone receiving SSDI, you generally don't qualify for spousal benefits until you reach age 62 (which is the earliest retirement age for spousal benefits). The "top off" concept refers to when your own retirement benefit is less than 50% of your husband's primary insurance amount, and Social Security "tops off" your benefit to reach that 50% level. However, there's an important exception: if you are caring for your husband's child who is under 16 or disabled, you could qualify for spousal benefits now. Or if you have your own qualifying disability, you might be eligible for spousal benefits as early as age 50.

my uncle got SSDI for cancer to and his wife couldnt get any money until she was 62. its stupid but thats how it works. you might wanna look into whether your state has any caregiver support programs. some states will pay family caregivers especially for terminal patients

When my husband got SSDI for heart failure, I was in almost the exact same situation as you. The SSA told me I wouldn't qualify for any benefits until 62, UNLESS I was caring for our child under 16 (which I wasn't). It's frustrating but that's the rule. One thing to keep in mind - when your husband applies for SSDI, make sure all his work credits are counted correctly. My husband's initial benefit calculation was off by almost $450/month because they missed some years where he worked under a different name (before we were married). Getting that fixed took MONTHS of phone calls.

NOBODY TELLS YOU THIS but when your husband applies for SSDI, he should mention that he has a TERMINAL condition in his application!!! The SSA has a program called Compassionate Allowances that fast-tracks applications for certain severe conditions including many stage 4 cancers. My sister has stage 4 breast cancer and got approved in just 3 WEEKS instead of waiting months or years! Also, did you know there's a 5-month waiting period after approval before SSDI payments start??? It's RIDICULOUS when someone has cancer! They make you wait even when doctors say you might not live long!

I work with cancer patients and their families on benefit issues, and unfortunately there's no way around the age requirement for spousal benefits unless you have a child under 16 or are disabled yourself. The earliest you can receive spousal benefits is 62. However, I'd recommend looking into these options: 1. If your husband's prognosis is less than 12 months, ask the doctor about applying for SSDI with a Terminal Illness (TERI) designation, which expedites the application. 2. Check if your employer offers short-term disability insurance or family medical leave benefits. 3. Contact the American Cancer Society (cancer.org) about financial assistance programs specific to cancer patients. 4. When your husband does qualify for SSDI, he'll become eligible for Medicare after 24 months (regardless of age), which can help with medical expenses.

When my wife got her cancer diagnosis, I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Social Security to figure out all this stuff. Got disconnected 4 times and gave up. Finally someone told me about this service called Claimyr that got me through to a live SSA agent in 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. Saved my sanity! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU and their website is claimyr.com They connected me to an agent who explained everything about SSDI and the compassionate allowance program for terminal illness. Made the whole process so much less stressful during an already terrible time.

Sorry about your husband! My cousin got ssdi for cancer and his wife tried to get benefits too but couldn't till she turned 62. But! If you have any kids under 18 they can get benefits on his record! My cousin's teenagers got like $1200 each month which helped a lot since his wife had to cut hours to take him to treatments. Just thought I'd mention that in case you have any younger kids.

To answer your specific question about "topping off" - that term usually refers to the situation where you're eligible for your own retirement benefit AND a spousal benefit. In those cases, SS pays your own benefit first, then "tops it off" with additional spousal benefits if 50% of your spouse's benefit is higher than your own benefit. So yes, that concept would apply to your situation, but not until you reach age 62 at the earliest. And as others have mentioned, taking spousal benefits at 62 instead of waiting until your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 for you) would result in a permanent reduction to about 32.5% of your husband's benefit instead of the full 50%.

the whole system is a mess tbh. my neighbors husband has parkinsons and she had to keep working till 62 even tho she needed to care for him. and when she finally got benefits they were way less than she expected cuz she took them early. don't count on getting much from social security

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. I went through something similar when my spouse was diagnosed with a terminal illness at 52. The reality is harsh but straightforward - you won't be eligible for spousal benefits until age 62 unless you're caring for a child under 16 or become disabled yourself. However, here are some things that helped us during that difficult time: 1. Make sure your husband mentions the stage 4 diagnosis prominently in his SSDI application - this should qualify for Compassionate Allowances and speed up approval significantly. 2. Look into your state's caregiver support programs. Some states do provide assistance for family caregivers of terminal patients. 3. Contact your local Area Agency on Aging - they often have resources for younger caregivers too, not just seniors. 4. Check if your husband's employer offers any extended disability benefits or if there's a pension that might provide survivor benefits. 5. Consider speaking with a social worker at the hospital or cancer center - they're incredibly knowledgeable about available resources. The financial stress is real, but focus on getting his SSDI approved first. That will at least provide some stability while you figure out the rest. Sending you both strength during this incredibly difficult time.

I'm really sorry about your husband's diagnosis. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while dealing with a serious illness. Just to add to what others have shared - you mentioned being worried about finances if he can't work anymore. While you won't qualify for spousal benefits until 62, there are a few other things to consider for immediate financial planning: 1. If your husband has been working recently, he may qualify for short-term disability through his employer before SSDI kicks in. 2. Look into whether you qualify for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits if you need to take time off to care for him - it won't pay you, but it protects your job. 3. Some cancer centers have financial counselors who specialize in helping patients and families navigate insurance, disability applications, and finding financial assistance programs. 4. Don't forget that once your husband qualifies for SSDI, any back payments he receives will be calculated from when his disability began, not when he applied. So even though there's a 5-month waiting period, he may receive some retroactive payments. The system definitely isn't set up well for situations like yours where someone becomes disabled at a younger age. Focus on getting his application submitted with all the terminal illness documentation, and take it one step at a time.

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. As others have mentioned, you unfortunately won't qualify for spousal benefits until age 62 unless you're caring for a child under 16 or become disabled yourself. One additional resource I wanted to mention that helped my family tremendously - contact 211 (dial 2-1-1 from any phone). It's a free service that connects you to local resources including financial assistance programs, food banks, utility assistance, and caregiver support services. They have operators available 24/7 and can provide information specific to your area in Wisconsin. Also, when your husband applies for SSDI, make sure he keeps detailed records of all his medical appointments, treatments, and how his condition affects his daily activities. This documentation can be crucial if there are any issues with the application process. The cancer diagnosis is overwhelming enough without having to navigate all these systems. Take care of yourself too during this difficult time - many cancer centers also have support groups for caregivers and family members.

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. This is an incredibly difficult situation, and I want to echo what others have said - you're absolutely right to be concerned about the financial aspects while dealing with such a serious health crisis. Unfortunately, the age requirement for spousal benefits is firm - you won't be eligible until 62 unless you're caring for a child under 16 or become disabled yourself. But I wanted to add a few things that might help: 1. When your husband applies for SSDI, make sure the application clearly states "Stage 4 lung cancer" upfront. This should qualify for the Compassionate Allowances program, which can dramatically speed up approval - sometimes to just a few weeks instead of months. 2. Don't overlook potential survivor benefits planning. If your husband's prognosis is poor, understanding what benefits you might be eligible for as a widow could be important for long-term financial planning. Widow's benefits have different age requirements than spousal benefits. 3. Check if your husband has any life insurance through his employer that might have accelerated death benefit options for terminal illnesses - some policies allow you to access a portion of the death benefit early. 4. Look into local cancer support organizations beyond the big national ones - they often have emergency financial assistance funds for families dealing with cancer. The system really isn't designed well for situations like yours. Focus on getting his SSDI application submitted correctly first, and take advantage of every resource available to you during this incredibly challenging time.

I'm so sorry about your husband's diagnosis - this is such an overwhelming situation to face at your ages. You're absolutely right to be thinking about the financial implications while dealing with such a serious health crisis. Unfortunately, as others have confirmed, you won't be eligible for spousal benefits until age 62 unless you're caring for a child under 16 or become disabled yourself. The system really isn't designed well for younger families facing disability situations like this. However, I wanted to add one thing I didn't see mentioned - if your husband passes away before you reach retirement age, you would be eligible for widow's benefits as early as age 60 (or age 50 if you become disabled). While I hope this won't be relevant, it's important information for your long-term planning given his diagnosis. Also, make absolutely sure when he applies for SSDI that "Stage 4 lung cancer" is prominently mentioned right at the beginning of the application. This should trigger the Compassionate Allowances program and get his case expedited significantly. In the meantime, definitely look into your state's caregiver support programs, contact 211 for local resources, and see if his cancer center has a financial counselor or social worker who specializes in benefits and assistance programs. Many hospitals have people who are experts at navigating these systems. Wishing you both strength during this incredibly difficult time. Focus on getting his SSDI application submitted properly first - that foundation will help with everything else.

I'm deeply sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. This is such a challenging situation to navigate, especially at your ages. From what I understand about Social Security rules, you're correct that there's generally no spousal benefit available until age 62 unless you're caring for a child under 16 or become disabled yourself. The "topping off" concept others mentioned refers to situations where your own Social Security benefit would be less than 50% of your spouse's benefit - in those cases, they supplement yours to reach that 50% level. One thing I wanted to add that I haven't seen mentioned much - make sure to also look into whether your husband has any employer-sponsored benefits beyond just short-term disability. Some employers offer supplemental life insurance with living benefits for terminal diagnoses, or long-term disability insurance that might bridge the gap during SSDI processing. Also, when gathering documentation for his SSDI application, include not just medical records but also statements from you and family members about how his condition affects his daily functioning. Sometimes personal accounts can be really valuable in painting the full picture of his limitations. The financial uncertainty during a health crisis like this is incredibly stressful. Focus on one step at a time - getting his SSDI application submitted with all the terminal illness documentation should be the priority. Everything else can be addressed once that foundation is in place. Sending you both strength during this difficult journey.