Social Security spousal benefits timing question - wife needs to apply after my approval

Your wife can technically apply for her spousal benefits now, but there's a catch - SSA won't process her application until your benefit is actually in pay status (which starts in January). If she applies now, they'll just hold her application until then. Since your claim is already approved, she should go ahead and apply now so everything is ready when your benefits kick in. As for how to apply, she has three options: 1. Apply online at ssa.gov (easiest) 2. Call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule a phone appointment 3. Visit your local office (may require appointment) Make sure she mentions she's applying for the spousal top-up since she's already receiving her own benefit. This is called a "dual entitlement" case.

my wife did this last year lol...big headache...she applied online and nothing happened for weeks then they told her she had to wait til my benefits started...but then they didnt process it for 2 months after that!! call them now its gonna take forever

I tried calling SSA last month about adding spousal benefits and spent TWO DAYS trying to get through. Kept getting disconnected or put on hold for hours. It's ridiculous! I finally tried Claimyr.com and got through to an agent in under 15 minutes. They have this service that gets you through the phone system - you can see how it works in their video demo here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at SSA!

Just to add some clarification to the excellent advice above: the technical term for what your wife needs to file is an "auxiliary benefit application" based on your record. The important timing issue here is that spousal benefits can only be paid once the primary worker (you) is in current payment status. Since your benefit is approved but not yet in pay status until January, your wife's application would be accepted now but held in a pending state until your benefits actually begin. There's an important advantage to applying early though - it establishes her protective filing date, which could matter for backdating purposes. I recommend she applies about 2-3 months before your benefits start (so right about now) to ensure smooth processing. The online application for spousal benefits is fairly straightforward when the person is already receiving their own benefit.

WRONG!! My husband applied for his SS in May and I had to WAIT to apply for spousal until after his first payment!! The SSA rep told me they can't even PROCESS a spousal application until the primary worker gets their first payment. This happened just 3 months ago so I know the rules!!!!

When i went thru this last year the SSA website was so confusing about spousal benefits! I couldn't even figure out how to apply online for just the spousal portion since my wife already got her own benefit. We ended up going to the local office but had to wait 6 weeks for an appointment. Then they told us we could have just called! The whole system is designed to make you give up, i swear. BUT! Important thing I learned: make sure your wife understands she doesn't get both benefits added together. They just pay the higher of the two amounts. So if her own benefit is $1500 and the spousal benefit would be $1800, she only gets $1800 total, not $3300. Took us forever to understand that part.

Quick question - does anyone know if there's a way to check the status of a spousal benefit application online? I've been trying to figure this out for my mom.

my wife got backpay but not automatic...had to call and complain...they said because she waited to apply after I was already getting paid for months she lost some $$$...apply as early as possible!

One more thing nobody mentioned... when your wife applies, make sure she has your SSN handy. They'll ask for it to link her application to your record. And if she does the online application, it's a bit confusing because it still asks her about her work history even though she's already receiving her own benefit. Just have her fill it out completely and in the remarks section at the end, have her clearly state she's applying for the spousal supplement to her existing benefit.

Based on all the advice here, I'd recommend your wife apply now through her mySocialSecurity account. This establishes her protective filing date. In the application, she should clearly indicate she's already receiving her own benefit and is applying for the spousal supplement (dual entitlement). Then in January, after your first payment is processed, call SSA to confirm her spousal application is moving forward. This two-step approach (apply now, follow up later) gives you the best chance of getting everything processed correctly and timely.