Social SECURITY SPOUSAL BENEFITS - WHAT PERCENTAGE AM I ENTITLED TO IF HUSBAND WAITED UNTIL FRA?

There's a lot to unpack here, but I think I understand your situation. The 50% spousal benefit only applies if you're ONLY taking the spousal benefit and not your own retirement benefit. If you're getting both, the SSA gives you the higher of the two amounts, not both added together. The fact that you're getting $1,350 suggests you're receiving your own benefit based on your work record, with a small spousal add-on. The spousal portion is reduced if you claimed before your Full Retirement Age (FRA). Did you apply for benefits before reaching your FRA?

Based on your numbers, it looks like the SSA is calculating your benefit correctly. When you take benefits early, both your own retirement benefit AND any spousal benefit you're eligible for are permanently reduced. Since you filed at 62, your own benefit was reduced by about 30%, and your spousal benefit was reduced by approximately 35%. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA - what he would get at his FRA), but only if you wait until your own FRA to claim it. Also important - the spousal benefit is actually the difference between your own benefit and the spousal amount you're entitled to. So if your own benefit is already close to 50% of his, you'd only get a small spousal add-on. Unfortunately, this reduction is permanent - waiting until your FRA won't increase it now that you've already filed.

I think everyone is making this more complicated than it needs to be. The 50% is just the MAXIMUM you can get as a spouse. If you took benefits early, you get less. That's how SS works - you take it early, you get less forever. Simple as that.

When I was trying to figure out a similar situation with my wife's benefits, I spent WEEKS trying to get through to SSA on the phone. Always busy signals or disconnects after waiting on hold forever. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with was able to pull up my wife's record and explain exactly how her spousal benefit was calculated, including the early filing reduction and the offset from her own benefit. Totally worth it to get a clear explanation instead of guessing.

Have you checked if the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) applies to you? If you ever worked for a state or local government where you didn't pay Social Security taxes, these rules can drastically reduce your SS benefits. My cousin's spousal benefit was almost completely eliminated because of her teacher's pension.

To give you a clearer picture of how the math works: Let's say your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is $3,200. The maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of that, so $1,600. But that's only if you waited until your FRA to claim. Since you claimed at 62, your spousal benefit is reduced to about 32.5% instead of 50% (that's approximately the reduction for claiming at 62 vs FRA). 32.5% of $3,200 = $1,040 However, you're also entitled to your own retirement benefit. If your own benefit at 62 is higher than $1,040, you'd just get your own benefit. If your own benefit is lower, you'd get your own benefit plus the difference to bring you up to $1,040. Based on your payment of $1,350, it sounds like you're getting your own reduced retirement benefit, which is higher than the reduced spousal benefit you'd be entitled to.

I HATE how SSA makes everything so confusing!!! My husband and I went through this EXACT same thing last year. We thought I'd get 50% of his benefit ON TOP OF my own benefit. NOPE!! They only give you the higher amount, not both. And because I took mine at 63, it's permanently reduced too. The worst part was trying to get someone on the phone to explain it. I spent HOURS calling and getting nowhere!!!

A lot of misinformation in this thread. The spousal benefit isn't always 50%. That's just the maximum. The actual formula is more complicated and takes into account whether you're eligible for your own retirement benefit, when you file, and whether the WEP/GPO rules apply. Calling SSA directly is your best bet. Ask them for a breakdown of your benefit calculation. They can tell you exactly how your benefit was determined and whether there are any options to increase it. You might need to speak with a technical benefits advisor though, not just the first person who answers the phone.

One more thing to consider - if your husband passes away, you would become eligible for survivor benefits, which can be up to 100% of what he was receiving (depending on your age when you claim them). So while your current spousal benefit might seem low, the survivor benefit would be significantly higher. If your husband is in good health, you might want to discuss having him delay taking his own benefits as long as possible (up to age 70) to maximize the eventual survivor benefit you'd receive if he passes before you. Each year he delays past his FRA increases his benefit by 8%, which also increases the survivor benefit you'd eventually receive.