Should I apply for spousal benefits when my husband retires? My SSDI converted to retirement benefits but mine is higher

Welcome to the group! Since your own retirement benefit is higher than your husband's will be, you wouldn't qualify for spousal benefits on his record since they would be lower than what you're already receiving. Social Security always pays your own benefit first, then supplements with spousal benefits only if they would be higher. When your husband files for his retirement benefits in 2026, he should check if he qualifies for spousal benefits on YOUR record. If 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is higher than his own benefit, he could receive a combination of his own benefit plus a spousal supplement to reach that 50% mark. This doesn't reduce your benefit in any way. Also, make sure you both understand that filing before your Full Retirement Ages reduces benefits permanently. For someone born in 1958, FRA is 66 and 8 months, so your husband will be very close to his FRA when he files.

my situation was the opposite - my wife had higher earnings than me. when i retired they automatically gave me some extra $$ from her record. didn't have to do anything special just applied for my regular ss and they figured it out. check was bigger than i expected lol

Be careful about this! My neighbor thought the same thing and missed out on a lot of money. Make sure your husband specifically ASKS about spousal benefits when he applies. Sometimes the SSA people don't check for this automatically. And keep in mind that if he plans to keep working after filing, the earnings test might reduce his benefits until he reaches his full retirement age!!

When your husband files in 2026, he needs to specifically mention he wants to file for "all benefits for which he is eligible." This includes any potential spousal benefits on your record. It won't affect your payment at all, so no worries there. Another thing to consider: if your husband's work history includes any government employment where he didn't pay into Social Security (like some state or federal jobs), he might be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO), which could affect benefits. If that doesn't apply to your situation, then no need to worry about it. Whenever your husband applies, I recommend he schedule an appointment rather than just walking in. The wait times for walk-ins can be brutal.

One thing NOBODY has mentioned yet... Have you considered survivor benefits? I know it's not pleasant to think about, but if either of you passes away, the surviving spouse can switch to the higher of the two benefits. So even if your husband's benefit is lower now, keeping careful records of both your benefits is important for future planning.

I had EXACTLY your situation!!! I was on SSDI for years from a workplace injury and my husband retired 3 yrs later. Called SSA about spouse benefits and got NOWHERE. Kept getting disconnected or 2+ hour hold times. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at SSA within 20 minutes! They have this demo video showing how it works https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Turns out I wasn't eligible for spouse benefits on his record (like others said) BUT my husband was eligible for some additional amount on mine! I never would've known if I hadn't gotten through to an agent who actually reviewed both our records together. Hope this helps!

dont 4get taxes!!! my sister n her husband both get ss but when they file taxes together they pay more than if they were single. something about provisional income and 85% taxable threshold. might wanna talk to tax person

As others have mentioned, your husband might be eligible for a spousal supplement if 50% of your PIA exceeds his own PIA. One more thing to consider—has your husband checked his earnings record on ssa.gov to make sure all his work years are correctly recorded? It's not uncommon to find errors, especially for jobs from many years ago. If he has 35+ years of work history, also consider whether his current earnings might be higher than some earlier years. Working even just a few more months could potentially increase his benefit if he's replacing a lower-earning year in his top 35.

I wish I could get a straight answer from SSA!!! Their website says one thing, the phone people say another, and then when you go to the office they tell you something completely different! No wonder we're all confused about what benefits we can get. The whole system needs to be simplified!!!