Social Security spousal benefit calculation after SSDI - based on actual or potential earnings?

My brother went thru this couple years ago. They use whatever ur ACTUALLY getting not what u might have gotten. That's just how SS works, they don't do what-ifs.

The spousal benefit top-up is calculated based on your actual benefit amount at the time you apply, not what you might have earned. Here's how it works: if 50% of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is higher than your own benefit, you can receive the difference as a spousal top-up. In your case, your wife is receiving $1,750, so 50% of that would be $875. Since your benefit ($2,450) is already higher than that amount, she wouldn't qualify for a spousal top-up based on your record. However, if YOU were trying to get a spousal benefit based on HER record, you'd look at 50% of her PIA. If that amount is higher than your own benefit, you'd get the difference. But since your benefit is $2,450, which is well above 50% of her benefit, you wouldn't qualify for a spousal top-up either.

Went through similar situation last yr... SSA only looks at what ur actually getting NOW not what coulda happened. Whole system is designed to shortchange disabled folks if u ask me!!!

You've gotten some good information already, but I'd like to clarify a couple things about how SSDI conversion works. When you reach Full Retirement Age (FRA), your SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits at the same amount. This is actually beneficial because SSDI already gives you what would have been your full retirement benefit. Regarding spousal benefits: Based on the numbers you provided, neither you nor your wife would qualify for a spousal top-up because each of your individual benefits exceeds 50% of the other's benefit. The spousal benefit calculation is based on your actual benefit amount at the time of application, not potential earnings. On a side note, if you're finding it difficult to get clear information from SSA directly, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help connect you with an actual SSA agent without the typical 2+ hour wait times. I used their service when I had questions about my disability conversion, and they got me through to someone in about 20 minutes. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

Correct - with your current benefit amounts, neither of you would qualify for a spousal top-up. The only scenario where this would change is if one of your benefit amounts were to decrease significantly, which typically doesn't happen with retirement benefits once they're established. One important thing to note: When your SSDI converts to retirement benefits, make sure to verify that the amount stays the same. While it should automatically convert at the same amount, it's always good to check your My Social Security account or benefit statements to confirm there were no errors in the conversion process.

I spent THREE HOURS on the phone with SSA last month trying to get THIS EXACT QUESTION answered!!!! The representative told me they ONLY look at what you're ACTUALLY receiving, not what you might have received if you'd kept working. The whole system is rigged against those of us who became disabled before reaching retirement age! 😠

To answer the question about SSI conversion - SSI (Supplemental Security Income) is actually different from SSDI. SSI doesn't convert to retirement benefits because it's not based on work credits. A person can receive both SSI and retirement benefits if their retirement benefit is low enough to still qualify for SSI. When someone receiving SSI reaches retirement age, they should apply for retirement benefits. If those retirement benefits are less than the SSI payment, they may continue to receive some SSI to make up the difference, subject to SSI's strict income and resource limits.

Just wanted to add that when I called the SSA about my benefits last month, I used that Claimyr service mentioned above. The 3 HOURS I spent trying to call SSA directly got me nowhere, but with Claimyr I got through in about 15 minutes. It was seriously worth it because the agent explained exactly how my conversion would work and what documents I needed to have ready. Made everything so much clearer, especially since the SSA website is so confusing about disability conversion. The video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU shows exactly how it works.

BTW dont forget bout paying taxes on ur SS benifits if ur making other money too!! My brother got hit with a big tax bill cuz he didnt know his part time job would make his SS taxable!!