Social Security spousal benefits after remarriage at 69 - how long until eligible for top-up from higher-earning husband?

For your mother to be eligible for spousal benefits on her new husband's record, they would need to be married for at least one year before she can apply. This is a standard SSA requirement for spousal benefits in remarriage situations.Regarding your second question - yes, since her potential new husband claimed early at 62, this would affect the spousal benefit calculation. The spousal benefit is based on 50% of the worker's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), but because he took benefits early, the actual amount he receives is reduced. However, your mother's spousal benefit would be based on his PIA, not his reduced benefit amount.As for your mother's age - since she's already past her Full Retirement Age (FRA), she would receive the maximum spousal benefit she's entitled to. The calculation would look at the difference between her own benefit and 50% of his PIA, and she'd get whichever is higher.

Thank you so much for this clear explanation! That's good news that they only need to be married for a year before she can apply. Just to make sure I understand - even though her boyfriend took his benefits early with a reduction, her spousal benefit would still be based on 50% of what he WOULD have received at his full retirement age (his PIA), not 50% of his reduced amount?Also, is there any advantage to her waiting longer after they marry to apply for the spousal top-up, or should she apply right at the 1-year mark?

Just adding to what was already said - tell your mom to make sure she actually would get more with the spousal benefit. It's not automatic that she'll get more just because he was a higher earner. The spousal benefit is 50% of his PIA (what he would've gotten at full retirement age, NOT what he actually gets now at his reduced rate).So if your mom's own benefit is already more than 50% of his PIA, she won't get any spousal top-up at all. You can have her call SSA and ask for an estimate before they even get married, so she knows what to expect. They can run the numbers based on his record.

That's a great point I hadn't considered! Her benefit is about $1,800/month and I think his full benefit would have been around $3,000 if he hadn't taken it early. So it sounds like she might get up to $1,500 as a spousal benefit (50% of his $3,000), which means no top-up since her own $1,800 is higher. I'll definitely have her call SSA to confirm the numbers. We definitely don't want them to make marriage decisions based on incorrect financial assumptions.

I went through almost this EXACT situation last year when I remarried at 70! The one-year marriage requirement is correct, but trying to actually GET the spousal benefit was a nightmare. I couldn't get through on the SSA phone lines for weeks. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUThe agent confirmed everything the first commenter said - the spousal benefit is based on the PIA (not the reduced amount) and I had to be married for 12 months. But in my case, my new husband's PIA wasn't high enough to give me a spousal boost since I had a good earning record of my own.

is that service legit? sounds sketchy to pay someone just to call ss for you

Everyone's giving good info but missing one IMPORTANT detail - if your mom remarries, she'll LOSE any survivor benefits she might have been eligible for from her first husband!!!! The SSA doesn't let you collect survivor benefits if you remarry before age 60. They're VERY strict about this!!!!!

Actually, this isn't quite correct in this situation. The rule about remarriage before 60 affecting survivor benefits is true, but it doesn't apply here for two reasons:1. The original poster mentioned the mother is 69, so well past the age 60 threshold anyway.2. More importantly, the ex-husband was a government employee with a pension instead of Social Security, so there were no SS survivor benefits available from that marriage in the first place.But you're right that remarriage can affect certain types of Social Security benefits, which is why it's always good to check with SSA before making major life changes.

Oh I missed that part! Thanks for correcting me. Guess I should read more carefully before FREAKING OUT lol!!

my aunt got remarried at 67 to a guy with way bigger ss checks and she had to wait exactly 1 yr before she could apply for the spousal thing. she got an extra $400/month after that so definitely worth it for her. but ya gotta actually check the math cuz it doesn't always work out

This is why the Social Security system is so frustrating. Why should your mom have to consider financial implications of MARRIAGE at her age? The system should just give people what they've earned without all these complicated rules about marriage length and ages and reductions. It's ridiculous that two people in love have to calculate if getting married will help or hurt their benefits.

totally agree! my parents actually decided NOT to get married because my mom would lose benefits from her first husband. they've been together 15 yrs but can't marry because of SS rules. crazy system!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned a lot and will definitely have mom check with SSA directly before they make any decisions. It sounds like the one-year marriage requirement is standard, but we need to carefully calculate whether she'd actually get any spousal top-up based on the 50% of his PIA versus her own benefit.I appreciate the suggestion about Claimyr too - getting through to SSA on the phone has been impossible lately, so that might be worth trying.I'll update after we talk to SSA and get the specific numbers for her situation. Thanks again for all the insights!

One thing to keep in mind that I don't think was mentioned - if your mom does qualify for a spousal benefit after the one-year marriage requirement, she'll need to actively apply for it. SSA doesn't automatically switch people to spousal benefits even if it would result in a higher payment. So make sure she follows up and submits the application once they hit that 12-month mark. Also, the effective date of the spousal benefit can only go back 6 months from when she applies, so don't wait too long after becoming eligible or she could miss out on some retroactive payments.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be relevant - if your mom's boyfriend is currently 62 and taking reduced benefits, his monthly payment will continue to be reduced for the rest of his life. However, when he passes away (hopefully many years from now), your mom as his surviving spouse would be eligible for survivor benefits based on what he WOULD have received at his full retirement age, not his reduced amount. So even if the spousal benefit doesn't help her now, the marriage could still provide valuable survivor protection down the road. This is different from the spousal benefit calculation and something else to factor into their decision. Of course, nobody likes to think about these scenarios, but it's part of the overall financial picture when considering remarriage at this stage of life.

Great thread with lots of helpful information! I just wanted to add that when your mom calls SSA to get the estimate, she should also ask about the "deemed filing" rules. Since she's already receiving her own retirement benefit and is past full retirement age, if she does become eligible for a spousal benefit after marriage, SSA will automatically pay her the higher of the two amounts. But it's still worth understanding exactly how they calculate everything so there are no surprises. Also, if they do decide to get married, make sure to keep good records of the marriage date since SSA will need proof of the marriage duration when she applies for any spousal benefits. A certified copy of the marriage certificate will be required. Good luck to your mom - it sounds like you're doing a great job helping her navigate this complex decision!