Social Security filing at 62 with younger spouse, child benefits, and health concerns - need perspective
I'm debating whether to take SS benefits at 62 next month or wait until later. My situation is complicated and I'd love some feedback. If I file now, I'd receive about $2,100/month versus around $3,000 if I waited until my FRA of 67. The wrinkle is my wife is significantly younger (16 years) and makes nearly $190,000 annually as a hospital administrator. We also have a 7-year-old son who would qualify for benefits until he's 18. Health is another factor - I was diagnosed with stage 2 lymphoma last year. Treatment has gone well and doctors are optimistic, but I'll need regular screenings indefinitely. I'm working part-time at a hardware store (about 25 hours weekly) and plan to continue. I'm leaning toward filing early because: 1) My son could receive benefits for 11 years 2) My health situation, while stable, creates some uncertainty 3) My wife's earnings provide financial security regardless. Am I missing anything important in my thinking? Has anyone been in a similar situation with the younger spouse/child benefits scenario? Any perspective would be greatly appreciated!
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Liam Mendez
You're facing a complex decision with multiple factors. Here's what you should consider: 1) Child benefits are definitely valuable, but remember they're subject to the family maximum benefit (usually 150-180% of your PIA). 2) If you're still working, be aware of the earnings test. In 2025, if you earn over $22,750 before your FRA, SSA will withhold $1 for every $2 you earn over that limit. 3) Your wife's age difference is significant. If something happened to you, she'd potentially receive survivor benefits for many years. Those benefits would be permanently reduced if you file at 62. 4) With your wife's high income, tax implications are important - up to 85% of your SS benefits could be taxable. Given your health concerns, I understand the desire to file early. Just be sure to calculate the long-term impact on potential survivor benefits for both your wife and child.
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Emily Jackson
•Thank you for this detailed response. I hadn't fully considered the survivor benefit angle for my wife - that's definitely something to think about more carefully. Do you know if my son would receive the same survivor benefit amount regardless of when I start my retirement benefits? And regarding the earnings test - if I'm making about $18,000 annually at my part-time job, I should be under that limit, correct?
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Sophia Nguyen
I was in YOUR EXACT situation 3 years ago!! Had cancer (colon), younger wife (12 yrs diff), and a young daughter. I took SS at 62 and have ZERO regrets!!!! The money NOW helped with medical bills not covered by insurance & my daughter gets her benefit too. Doctors said I was "cured" but 18 months after treatment ended, I had a recurrence. Not trying to scare you but TOMORROW isn't guaranteed for anyone!!! Take the $$ now and enjoy life with your family. BTW my wife still works full time making good money so we're not hurting financially. Smart move to think about this carefully!!
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Emily Jackson
•I'm so sorry to hear about your recurrence, but I appreciate you sharing your experience. That's exactly my thinking - having those benefits flowing now might be more valuable than a larger amount later. How has the child benefit worked out for your family? Was it straightforward to set up?
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Jacob Smithson
I waited until FRA and regret it. Could have had 5 years of payments. Everyone's situation is different but with your health history, why wait? Money now is better than money later in my opinion. Just watch out for the earnings limit if you're still working.
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Isabella Brown
•Important clarification - while taking benefits early might make sense in the original poster's situation, it's not universally better to claim early. The earnings limit for 2025 will be around $22,750 annually if under FRA, and the reduction for claiming at 62 versus FRA is permanent (about 30% less for life). For many healthy people with average life expectancy and no eligible dependents, waiting can result in significantly more lifetime benefits, especially if they're still working full-time. Each person needs to analyze their specific situation carefully.
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Maya Patel
my brother had cancer and took ss early. he passed away 3 years later. his wife now gets survivor benefits that are reduced because he filed early. she struggles financially now. something to think about maybe
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Emily Jackson
•I'm sorry about your brother. That's a really important perspective and exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping to learn from. I need to discuss the survivor benefit implications more thoroughly with my wife.
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Isabella Brown
While others have covered the technical aspects well, I'd suggest looking at this decision from a household strategy perspective: 1) Your wife's high income means you're already in a higher tax bracket. Adding SS benefits now could mean more of those benefits are taxed. 2) Given the 16-year age gap, survivor benefits become extremely important. If you claim at 62, your wife's survivor benefit would be about 30% lower for potentially decades. 3) Child benefits are valuable but temporary (11 years remaining). 4) Have you considered a hybrid approach? You could file at 62 to start child benefits, then suspend your own benefits at FRA to earn delayed retirement credits until 70. This is complex but might offer the best of both worlds. A financial advisor familiar with Social Security strategies could run calculations specific to your situation.
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Emily Jackson
•The hybrid approach sounds interesting - I didn't know that was possible. So my son could get benefits based on my record even if I suspend my own? That might be worth exploring. And you're right about the tax situation - we're definitely in a higher bracket because of my wife's income.
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Aiden Rodríguez
i tried to call SSA for WEEKS about a similar issue (child benefits) and could NEVER get through!!! just busy signals or disconnects after waiting 2+ hours. so frustrating!!!
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Emma Garcia
•I had the same problem but found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. It was a lifesaver when I needed to sort out survivor benefits for my kids after my husband passed. Their website is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Much better than trying to reach SSA on your own.
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Liam Mendez
One more thing I forgot to mention - if your son receives benefits on your record, they won't be reduced because you filed early. Child benefits are always based on 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what you would receive at FRA, regardless of when you actually file. Your own benefit is reduced for early filing, but dependent benefits are based on your PIA. There is still the family maximum to consider, but this is an important distinction.
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Emily Jackson
•That's extremely helpful information - thank you! So my son would get 50% of what my FRA benefit would be ($3,000 in my case), meaning potentially around $1,500 monthly until he's 18, regardless of when I file? That definitely strengthens the case for filing early in my situation.
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Maya Patel
whats FRA mean? sorry new here
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Liam Mendez
•FRA stands for Full Retirement Age. It's the age when you can receive your full Social Security retirement benefit without reduction. For people born between 1955-1959, it's between 66 and 2 months and 66 and 10 months. For people born in 1960 or later, FRA is 67.
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Jacob Smithson
With your wife's high income, have you two discussed how Social Security fits into your overall retirement plan? At her income level, you might want to think about how your decision impacts your combined tax situation too.
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Emily Jackson
•We've discussed it somewhat, but probably need to look at it more carefully. Her retirement accounts are substantial and she'll likely work another 20+ years given our age difference. The tax implications are definitely something we need to explore more fully.
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Aiden Rodríguez
nobody knows how long theyll live. take the money now and enjoy life thats my philosophy!
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Sophia Nguyen
•EXACTLY!!! I've been saying this for years!! Too many people try to maximize some theoretical "lifetime benefit" and then drop dead a month after claiming. Life is SHORT especially after facing something like cancer.
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Isabella Brown
After reading all the comments and your responses, it seems like filing at 62 might make sense in your specific situation. The child benefits alone could total well over $100,000 over the 11 years. Just be absolutely sure both you and your wife fully understand the long-term implications for survivor benefits. One resource I recommend is the book "Social Security Made Simple" by Mike Piper. It's very accessible and covers these complex situations well. You might also consider consulting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security strategies before making your final decision.
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Emily Jackson
•Thank you for the book recommendation - I'll definitely check that out. I think we're leaning toward early filing, but I want to make sure we're fully informed. I appreciate everyone's insights on this decision!
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