Social Security spousal benefits when retiring early at 62 - do I get 50% or reduced amount?
I'm trying to figure out the best timing for claiming my Social Security benefits. I'm turning 62 next month (my FRA is 67), and my husband is already receiving his retirement benefits (he's 66). He was always the higher earner in our household. If I claim now at 62, will I receive 50% of his benefit amount as a spousal benefit? Or will the spousal benefit be reduced because I'm claiming early? Also, if I take my own reduced benefit at 62, can the spousal amount be added once I reach my FRA at 67? I'm really confused about how the timing affects the spousal benefits calculation.
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Kristian Bishop
Unfortunately, you won't get the full 50% of your husband's PIA if you claim spousal benefits at 62. Since you're claiming 5 years before your FRA, your spousal benefit would be reduced to about 32.5% of his PIA. The reduction is permanent too - it doesn't increase when you reach your FRA. As for your second question, that's not quite how it works. If you're eligible for both your own retirement benefit and a spousal benefit, the SSA will pay your own benefit first. Then, if your spousal benefit would be higher, they pay an additional amount so the combination equals the higher spousal rate. They don't add them together.
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Eva St. Cyr
•Thank you for explaining this! So if I understand correctly, I'd be permanently reducing both my own benefit AND the spousal benefit by claiming at 62? Is there any benefit to waiting until my FRA to claim if my husband's benefit is significantly higher than mine would be?
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Kaitlyn Otto
OMG i was sooo confused about this same thing!!! my husband is 5 yrs older then me and he started his SS last yr. i thought i would get half of his when i turn 62 but the SS office told me NO WAY, they said id only get like 1/3 of his benefit, not half. its so frustrating!!!!!
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Axel Far
•The reduction actually follows a specific formula. For spousal benefits, they're reduced by 25/36 of 1% for each month you claim early for the first 36 months, and 5/12 of 1% for each additional month. So claiming at 62 when your FRA is 67 means a 35% reduction from the full 50% spousal benefit. That's why it ends up being about 32.5% instead of 50%.
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Jasmine Hernandez
I just went through this last year. If you take benefits at 62 you get a reduced amount of both your own and any spousal benefits. Once you file early that reduction is PERMANENT even after you reach full retirement age. My advice wait if you can afford to.
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Luis Johnson
SSA PENALIZES early filing! I filed at 62 because I NEEDED the money and now I'm STUCK with a tiny check forever!! The whole system is designed to PAY OUT LESS if you're desperate enough to need your benefits early! It's absolutely CRIMINAL how they reduce benefits for early filers when that's when most people actually NEED THE MONEY!!
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Ellie Kim
•same with me, took mine early and regret it every month when i see how small my check is
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Fiona Sand
my mom did this and she says biggest mistake she ever made financially... just sayin
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Axel Far
Let me clarify a few important points about early claiming and spousal benefits: 1) If you claim at 62 with an FRA of 67, your own benefit will be reduced by 30%. 2) Your spousal benefit would be reduced to about 32.5% of your husband's PIA (instead of the full 50%). 3) Once you file, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for (both retirement and spousal). 4) The reduction percentages are permanent - they don't increase when you reach FRA. 5) You only receive the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit, not both added together. The financial impact of claiming early can be substantial over your lifetime. For many people, waiting until at least FRA makes financial sense if you're able to do so.
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Eva St. Cyr
•This is so helpful - thank you! One more question: if I take my own reduced benefit at 62, and then my husband passes away later, would my survivor benefit also be reduced? Or would I get his full amount as a survivor?
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Fiona Sand
u should just call ssa and ask them directly what ur benefit would be...thats wat i did
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Eva St. Cyr
•I've tried calling several times but can never get through. Always busy signals or disconnected after waiting for an hour or more. It's so frustrating!
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Kristian Bishop
Survivor benefits are different from spousal benefits. If your husband passes away, you could get up to 100% of what he was receiving (not just 50%), but it would still be reduced if you claim before your FRA. At 62, a survivor benefit would be reduced to about 81.5% of his benefit amount.
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Luis Johnson
I spent WEEKS trying to get through to SSA on the phone!! Called EVERY DAY, sometimes 5-6 times, only to get disconnected or told the wait time was 2+ HOURS!!! The system is COMPLETELY BROKEN!
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Jasmine Hernandez
Have you tried using Claimyr? I was in the same boat trying to reach SSA about my spousal benefits calculation. After weeks of failed attempts, I found this service at claimyr.com that got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It was actually really helpful for getting my specific questions answered about the benefit reductions.
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Eva St. Cyr
•I hadn't heard of this before! I'll check it out. Getting specific numbers for my situation would definitely help me make a better decision. Thanks for sharing!
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Ellie Kim
my sister waited till 67 to get her spousal benefit and got the full 50%. my brother-in-law tried at 63 and got way less. just depends if u need the money now i guess
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Kristian Bishop
To answer your question about survivor benefits more specifically: If your husband passes away, you would be eligible for survivor benefits, which can be up to 100% of what he was receiving (not the 50% limit of spousal benefits). However, if you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, they would be reduced. Unlike with retirement benefits, you can actually claim survivor benefits as early as age 60 (or 50 if disabled). At 60, you'd receive about 71.5% of your deceased spouse's benefit, and the percentage increases until you reach FRA, when you'd get 100%. The rules for survivor benefits are different from spousal benefits in several important ways. You can also switch between your own retirement benefit and survivor benefits at different times to maximize your lifetime benefits.
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Eva St. Cyr
•Thank you! This is really helpful information. I think I need to carefully consider whether the permanent reduction is worth getting benefits earlier. It sounds like there's a significant financial advantage to waiting until FRA if I can manage it.
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