Social Security spousal benefits vs survivor benefits - confused about working after FRA

Yes, you've got the basic concept right but let me clarify a few things. When your husband files at his FRA, you become eligible for spousal benefits, but you'll need to wait until your own FRA to get the full 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) without reduction. If your own retirement benefit is higher than half of his, you'll just get your own benefit. If your own benefit is lower, you'll get your benefit plus the difference to bring you up to that 50% of his PIA (that's the "top-up" you mentioned). As for survivor benefits, if he passes away, you would be eligible for 100% of what he was receiving, not just 50%. You would essentially step into his shoes benefit-wise as a widow. Regarding working: once you reach your FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, so you can work as much as you want without any reduction to either your retirement, spousal, or survivor benefits.

my wife and i did this exact thing last year she got half my benefit because it was more than hers would of been. just make sure you talk to ssa directly because they don't automatically give you the higher benefit you have to ask for it specifically!!

Yes to your questions, but let me clarify the terminology since it's important when dealing with SSA. What you're referring to isn't technically called a "spousal top-off" in their system. SSA calculates your own retirement benefit based on your work record. Then they calculate your spousal benefit (up to 50% of your husband's PIA). You receive the higher of the two amounts, not both added together. For survivor benefits: if your husband passes away, you would receive his actual benefit amount (which could be higher than his PIA if he delayed claiming past FRA). This would replace your current benefit—you don't get both. And yes, after your FRA, the earnings test disappears completely. You can earn unlimited income without affecting any type of Social Security benefit.

I was in a similar situation with my husband! When he claimed at FRA I was still working. I waited until my FRA to claim anything because I didn't want the earnings penalty. Make sure you understand that working before FRA affects benefits but after FRA you're free to earn as much as you want. Good luck!

I've been through this whole process and it was so frustrating trying to reach the SSA to get clear answers! After trying for weeks to get through, I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I finally spoke with an agent, they confirmed what others have said - after FRA, you can work as much as you want with no penalty. For the spousal benefit, they'll automatically calculate if you qualify for the additional amount. And yes, survivor benefits would give you 100% of your husband's amount if it's higher than your own.

also remember that survivor benefits aren't just for if he passes away after you both already get ss, it's anytime. my neighbor's husband passed unexpectedley before either was on ss and she still got survivors benefits based on his record at her fra.

The SSA people NEVER explain this stuff properly!! When I went in for my appointment, they told me one thing, then when I called the 800 number they told me something completely different! Does ANYONE at Social Security actually understand their own rules?! It's INFURIATING when you're trying to plan your retirement and can't get consistent information.

One more important point - don't confuse spousal benefits with survivor benefits. They have different rules: - Spousal benefits: max of 50% of your husband's PIA, and you must be married - Survivor benefits: up to 100% of what he was receiving, and available only after he passes away Also, for survivor benefits, if you claim before your FRA, they will be reduced. But if you wait until your FRA, you get the full 100% of his benefit. And again, after your FRA, you can work unlimited amounts without affecting either benefit type.

I see some confusion in this thread about how SSA processes claims. When you apply for any benefit, they should automatically calculate all benefits you're eligible for and pay you the highest amount. However, they don't always have all your information correctly input in their system, so it's always good to explicitly mention that you're applying for both retirement and spousal benefits (if eligible). And yes, after FRA there's no earnings test, so work away!

Waiting until my FRA was definitely right for me because I was still earning good money and didn't want the penalty. Plus my husband's benefit was significantly higher than mine would have been so the spousal benefit was worth waiting for. Everyone's situation is different though!

Just wanted to add one clarification that might help with your planning - when you're thinking about survivor benefits, keep in mind that if your husband delays claiming past his FRA (say until age 70), his benefit will grow by about 8% per year due to delayed retirement credits. If he passes away after that, your survivor benefit would be based on that higher amount, not just his original PIA. So his claiming strategy can significantly impact your potential survivor benefits down the road. Also, regarding the earnings test - it's worth noting that even if you claim benefits before your FRA and have earnings that reduce your monthly payments, those "withheld" benefits aren't lost forever. SSA will recalculate your benefit at FRA to give you credit for those months when benefits were reduced due to earnings. But once you hit FRA, it's a clean slate - work as much as you want with zero impact on benefits!