Social Security spousal benefits question - can wife claim 50% at 62 while I'm working past FRA?
I'm trying to figure out the best strategy for my wife and me with Social Security. I'm continuing to work for another year past my Full Retirement Age (I'm 67 now), and haven't filed for my benefits yet. My wife just turned 62 last month and has worked part-time most of her life, so her SS benefit would be much lower than mine. I've heard spouses can get 50% of the higher earner's benefit, but I'm not sure how this works if I'm still working and haven't claimed yet. Can my wife file for spousal benefits now at 62, or does she have to wait until I actually file? And if she can file now, would she get the full 50% of my benefit or is there a reduction because she's only 62? We're trying to balance maximizing our combined benefits while getting some income for her sooner. Anyone dealt with this specific situation before? The SSA website has me confused with all the different rules and exceptions.
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Dominic Green
Your wife cannot receive spousal benefits until you actually file for your own retirement benefits. This is a common misconception. Even though you're past your FRA, since you haven't filed yet, there's nothing for her to claim 50% of. Also, if she claims at 62, she would not get the full 50% - she would get a reduced amount because she's claiming early. The 50% is only if she waits until her own FRA to claim spousal benefits. At 62, it's closer to 32.5% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). You might want to consider filing and suspending your benefits. That would allow her to claim spousal benefits while you continue to earn delayed retirement credits.
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Evelyn Xu
•Thanks for clarifying! I didn't realize she'd get such a big reduction filing at 62. Does the reduction stay permanently or would it increase when she reaches her FRA?
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Hannah Flores
The previous commenter is partly right but slightly incorrect about one thing. The "file and suspend" strategy you could use before was eliminated by Congress in 2015. Now, your spouse cannot collect benefits on your record until you are actually collecting benefits yourself. Your options are: 1. You file for your benefits now, allowing your wife to claim spousal benefits (reduced because she's 62) 2. You continue working and both wait to file If your wife has her own work record, she could file for her own benefits now and then when you file later, she'd get the difference between her benefit and the spousal benefit (if the spousal is higher). Run the numbers both ways to see what makes most financial sense in your situation.
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Kayla Jacobson
•yep ^^^ this is right! my husband and I went through this exact thing last year. the SSA rep told us I couldn't get anything from his record until he started taking benefits himself. we were so disapointed!!
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William Rivera
THE SSA ABSOLUTELY SUCKS AT EXPLAINING THIS STUFF!!! I've been dealing with the same confusion for MONTHS trying to figure out what my wife can get. Every rep tells you something different! I finally got someone on the phone who actually knew the rules after calling like 10 times. They said NO SPOUSAL BENEFITS UNTIL THE HIGHER EARNER FILES. PERIOD. And yes, if she takes it at 62 she gets a PERMANENT REDUCTION for life. Its like they intentionally make these rules confusing so people mess up and get less money. So frustrating!!
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Grace Lee
•This exactly. I spent 3 weeks trying to get accurate information from SSA. Kept getting transferred and disconnected. Eventually used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent without the hours of waiting. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Finally got a knowledgeable agent who explained that yes, no spousal benefits until the primary earner files, and early filing reductions are permanent. Saved me from making a very expensive mistake!
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Mia Roberts
this happened with my inlaws. mother in law tried to get bnefits from father in laws record but he was still working. they made her wait until he filed. she was mad cause she wanted to stop working sooner lol
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Evelyn Xu
•Thanks for sharing that experience. Seems like we might be in the same boat as your in-laws. Did they end up with her waiting until he retired?
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The Boss
I'm so confused about all this SS stuff too. I thought if I waited until my FRA I'd get more money but then someone told me about the breakeven point and now I'm not sure if I should just take it at 62? Or should I wait??? And my husband is 5 years younger than me so what about spousal benefits for him????? The SS website is impossible to understand!!!!! Does anyone know if there's a calculator or something that can tell us what to do??????
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Dominic Green
•There are several good calculators out there. The SSA has one on their site, but it's basic. For more complex situations like yours with age differences, I'd recommend using a more sophisticated calculator like Open Social Security or Maximize My Social Security. They can run different scenarios and help you find the optimal filing strategy. And yes, the breakeven point is important - generally it's somewhere in your late 70s to early 80s for most people. If you expect to live beyond that, waiting to file often pays off in the long run.
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Kayla Jacobson
My neighbor went through the same thing. His wife had to wait for him to file for his SS before she could get the spousal benefit. Really stinks because she wanted to retire earlier!!! Good luck!
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Hannah Flores
To answer your follow-up question - yes, the reduction for taking spousal benefits early is permanent. If your wife files at 62, she'll get about 32.5% of your PIA instead of 50%, and that reduction stays for life. One strategy to consider: If you're only working one more year, and your wife wants income now, she could file for her own benefit at 62 (reduced for early filing), then when you file next year, she can switch to the higher spousal benefit (still reduced, but might be higher than her own). Also keep in mind that if you're still working, your wife's spousal benefit might be affected by the earnings test if she's under her FRA. The SSA will deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above the annual limit (which is $22,320 for 2025).
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Evelyn Xu
•This is really helpful, thank you. I think based on all the responses, our best option might be for me to just go ahead and file now since I'm already past my FRA. I'd get my full benefit amount, and then she could start getting the spousal benefit (even though it's reduced). Does that sound reasonable?
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Dominic Green
That could be a reasonable approach. Since you're already past your FRA, you'd get your full PIA if you file now. You're forgoing the delayed retirement credits (8% per year until age 70), but enabling your wife to start receiving spousal benefits sooner. One thing to consider: If you have longevity in your family and expect to live well into your 80s or beyond, those delayed credits can be valuable. But if you need the income now and want your wife to be able to access her spousal benefits, filing now makes sense. Also keep in mind that your continued earnings may actually increase your PIA if these are among your highest 35 years of earnings. This would also slightly increase any spousal benefit based on your record. Good luck with your decision!
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The Boss
My head is spinning with all these rules!!! I thought Social Security was supposed to be simple? Why do they make everything so complicated with all these different ages and percentages and rules about who can file when???? I'm turning 60 next month and now I'm terrified I'm going to mess everything up when it's my turn to figure this out!!
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Kayla Jacobson
•I feel ya! I made a big spreadsheet with different options and still got confused. ended up just going to the SS office in person and making them explain everything! took half a day but was worth it
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