Social Security spousal benefits confusion - wife's $1,125 seems too low compared to husband's $2,612

Your mom is probably getting her own benefit because it's higher than what she'd get as a spouse. Half of $2612 is $1306, so if she filed early (before her FRA) her spousal benefit would be reduced permanently and might be less than her own $1125.

It's important to understand that Social Security doesn't automatically give someone the higher benefit between their own and spousal benefits. The timing of when each person filed for benefits makes a huge difference. A few important points: 1. If your mother claimed her own benefits before Full Retirement Age (which used to be 65 for her generation), her benefit was permanently reduced 2. Similarly, spousal benefits are reduced if claimed before reaching FRA 3. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your father's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - which is what he would receive at his FRA, not necessarily what he's actually receiving now One scenario that might explain this: If your mother claimed her own benefits early (say at 62), then later applied for spousal benefits after your father filed, she would have been subject to something called "deemed filing" which means she couldn't get the full spousal amount. I'd recommend calling SSA to verify she's receiving the correct amount, but be prepared with their Social Security numbers, birthdates, and approximate claim dates if you know them.

my wife gets WAY less than me too. she didnt work much and i worked 45 yrs. thats just how it works. sucks but thats SS for ya!!!

Have you tried calling Social Security to ask about this? GOOD LUCK!!! I spent THREE WEEKS trying to get through to someone about my widow benefits calculation and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours!!! Their phone system is HORRIBLE and the offices are still not fully open!! It's like they don't want to help us seniors!!

Something else to consider - has your mom ever worked as a teacher, for state/local government, or federal job that didn't pay into Social Security? If so, she might be affected by either the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) which can reduce benefits.

Based on the information you provided, there are several possibilities that could explain why your mother's benefit is $1,125 while your father receives $2,612: 1. Your mother may have claimed benefits early (before her Full Retirement Age), resulting in a permanent reduction. For someone born around 1942, claiming at 62 instead of 65 would reduce benefits by about 20%. 2. Spousal benefits are calculated as up to 50% of the higher-earning spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), not 50% of what they're currently receiving. Your father's PIA might be lower than his current benefit amount due to delayed retirement credits or COLAs. 3. If your mother claimed her own benefits first and later became eligible for spousal benefits, the SSA would pay her own benefit plus the difference to bring her up to the spousal benefit level (if higher). She wouldn't receive both full amounts. 4. If both parents claimed before 2016, the rules about restricted applications and file-and-suspend strategies were different. I strongly recommend contacting SSA to review their claiming history. It's absolutely worth checking - while they can't change when your parents initially filed, if there was a calculation error, SSA can correct it and potentially pay back benefits (usually limited to 12 months of retroactive payments).

My friends mom had something similar happen and turned out social security made an error in her calculation! They fixed it and she got back pay for like 8 months. Def worth checking!!

did ur mom get widow benefits from another husband before ur dad? that messes up the calculations 2

When I called about a similar situation with my parents last year, the agent explained that if you claim early (before FRA), the reduction is permanent. My mom claimed at 62 and got hit with nearly a 30% reduction from what she would have received at her full retirement age. Then when my dad retired later, her spousal benefit was also reduced. I waited on hold for almost 2 hours though! The SSA phone system is completely overwhelmed. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) which held my place in line and called me when an agent was available. They have a good video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU that shows how it works. Saved me a ton of time and frustration. Definitely worth checking your parents' situation though - I found out my mom was eligible for an adjustment based on my dad's record that added about $180 to her monthly benefit.

One more thing to check - make sure your mother is actually receiving her own benefit and not an early widow's benefit. Since she's 83 and your father is 79 and still alive, that's probably not the case, but I've seen situations where the SSA computer system had incorrect death information and automatically converted a spouse to survivor benefits erroneously. Also, if your father had any other marriages that lasted at least 10 years, former spouses might also be drawing benefits on his record (though this wouldn't affect your mother's amount). The most likely explanation remains that your mother claimed her own benefit early, locking in a permanent reduction. The spousal benefit would then be reduced as well. For what it's worth, these benefit amounts do seem plausible given the circumstances you described (your father being the primary earner, your mother working part-time).