Social Security spousal vs. own retirement benefits with FERS spouse - which gives better amount at 62?
Hey everyone, I could really use some advice on my Social Security strategy. I'm turning 62 next month and considering filing for early retirement due to some ongoing health issues (nothing critical yet, but enough that working full-time is becoming difficult). My situation is a bit complicated. My husband has been employed with the federal government under FERS for 21 years. Before that, he worked in the private sector since he was 15 (so about 25+ years of SS-covered employment before FERS). I've worked off and on throughout my life, but my earnings were much lower than his. I'm confused about whether I should: 1) File for my own retirement benefits now (which would be reduced for taking them early) 2) File for spousal benefits based on my husband's record (though he hasn't filed for SS yet - he plans to work a few more years) I don't even know if I CAN get spousal benefits if he hasn't filed yet? And I've heard something about FERS causing reductions to Social Security through WEP or GPO, but I'm not sure if that affects spousal benefits. My rough estimate is that my own benefit at 62 would be around $1,100/month, but I have no idea what I might get as a spouse. Any advice on how to figure out which option would give me the higher amount? And does my husband's FERS pension complicate things? Really appreciate any guidance!
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NebulaNomad
This is a common question with federal employees under FERS. Here's what you need to know: 1. You CANNOT receive spousal benefits until your husband actually files for his own Social Security retirement. So if he's planning to work a few more years, that option isn't available right now unless he files and suspends (which has limited usefulness since the 2015 rule changes). 2. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) only affects people who receive a pension from work NOT covered by Social Security. Since your husband is under FERS, his Social Security is reduced by Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), but spousal benefits based on his record are NOT affected by GPO. 3. At 62, you would receive approximately 70% of your full retirement age (FRA) benefit. For spousal benefits, you'd get about 32.5% of your husband's full benefit (instead of the maximum 50% if you waited until your FRA). I'd recommend creating an account at my.ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can see your estimated benefit amounts. For a proper comparison, you should also call SSA to ask what your spousal benefit would be when your husband files.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Thank you for such a detailed reply! I do have a my.ssa.gov account, and that's where I got the $1,100 estimate. I didn't realize I couldn't get spousal benefits until he files. That changes things quite a bit. One more question - if I take my own benefits now at 62, and then my husband files for his benefits in say 3 years, can I switch to spousal benefits then if they would be higher? Or am I locked into my own reduced benefit forever?
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Javier Garcia
my wife was in almost the same exact situation!! took her own benefit at 62 (about $980/mo) and then when i filed at 66 last year she got bumped up to the higher spousal amount. they dont make u choose one or the other permanently, they pay u the higher amount. but just know the spousal benefit is reduced if u take it before ur full retirement age too.
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NebulaNomad
•This is correct. When your spouse files, the SSA will automatically give you the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit. However, both are permanently reduced because you took benefits before your FRA. Specifically, they'll pay your reduced retirement benefit plus the excess spousal benefit (if any). The excess is the difference between your reduced spousal benefit and your reduced retirement benefit.
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Emma Taylor
I'm confused about FERS and how it affects Social Security. My husband is retiring soon from a state job where he didn't pay into SS. Does that WEP thing apply to us too? Will it reduce what I can get from his Social Security? Sorry to hijack your thread but this is so complicated!!!
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Malik Robinson
•You're talking about two different situations. State jobs that don't pay into Social Security are affected by GPO (Government Pension Offset), not WEP. WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) affects people who get pensions from jobs not covered by SS but also have enough SS-covered work to qualify for SS benefits. For the original poster: FERS employees pay into Social Security for their federal service, so your husband's SS benefits will be based on both his FERS years AND his prior work. The fact that he'll get a FERS pension doesn't reduce your potential spousal benefits. But for the person asking about state employment without SS taxes - yes, if your husband gets a pension from that work, your spousal benefits could be reduced by GPO by up to 2/3 of his state pension amount.
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Isabella Silva
Have you looked into disability? If your health issues are bad enough that you can't work, you might qualify for SSDI which would give you your full benefit amount even before FRA. Just a thought since you mentioned health issues.
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Natasha Ivanova
•I've considered it, but my conditions aren't severe enough to qualify for disability. They make working full-time difficult and uncomfortable, but I could probably still do part-time work. From what I understand, SSDI is really for people who can't work at all. But thanks for the suggestion!
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Ravi Choudhury
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - even though you can't get spousal benefits until your husband files, if you file for your own benefits now and he files later, you WILL automatically be eligible for the higher of the two amounts. But both will be permanently reduced because you took benefits early. So if your own benefit at 62 is $1,100, and the spousal benefit would be, say, $1,400 (after reductions for taking it early), you'd eventually get the $1,400 when he files. Not both amounts added together though - just the higher one. Have you considered working part-time instead of retiring completely? If you earn less than the annual earnings limit ($22,320 in 2025), you could work AND receive early SS benefits.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Part-time work is definitely something I'm looking into! That earnings limit is higher than I thought. I was worried I'd lose benefits if I earned almost anything. I'm still trying to figure out what the spousal benefit might be. My husband's full retirement benefit at his FRA would be around $3,200 according to his statement. So if a spouse gets 50% at FRA, that would be $1,600, but reduced at 62 to... I'm not sure. Is it a straight 30% reduction?
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CosmosCaptain
Call SSA directly to get the right answers! I waited on hold for FOUR HOURS last month trying to sort out my widow benefits. Absolute nightmare!!! 😡
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Malik Robinson
•I had the same terrible experience with the SSA phone lines. After multiple attempts and getting disconnected twice, I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person at SSA in under 20 minutes. They connect you with Social Security's phone system but somehow bypass the wait. Really saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to sort out my retirement application. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're interested. Definitely worth it for complex situations like yours where you need personalized advice.
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NebulaNomad
For the reduction calculation: At age 62, the spousal benefit reduction is approximately 35% (not 30%). So if your spousal benefit would be $1,600 at your FRA, at age 62 it would be around $1,040. But that's only if you waited to file until your husband filed for his benefits. If you take your own $1,100 benefit now, and then later your husband files, you'd get your own $1,100 since it's higher than the reduced spousal amount of $1,040. Of course, these are rough estimates. The actual calculation depends on your exact birth date and your exact FRA. I recommend sitting down with a financial advisor who specializes in federal benefits, as FERS adds some complexity to the equation.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Thank you! This is exactly the kind of breakdown I needed. So based on these rough numbers, it actually makes sense for me to claim my own benefit now, since the spousal benefit at 62 would likely be less anyway. And then if something changes, or if the spousal benefit would somehow be higher later, I'd get that automatically. I'll definitely look into a financial advisor who knows federal benefits. Do you happen to know if there's a specific certification or credential I should look for?
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Javier Garcia
I remember one more thing from when my wife was figuring all this out - if you work while getting SS before your full retirement age they take back $1 for every $2 you earn over the limit. so if you do part time work be careful not to make too much or they'll reduce your benefit!!
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Emma Taylor
OMG I didn't realize Social Security was this complicated!!! I'm turning 60 next year and haven't even started looking into all this. Now I'm stressed out!!! 😱
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Ravi Choudhury
•Don't stress! The best thing to do is create an account at my.ssa.gov and look at your statement. That'll give you a good starting point. Then, depending on your situation (married, divorced, widowed, etc.), you can explore your options. The SSA website actually has some decent resources if you know where to look.
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Natasha Ivanova
Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I've made an appointment with a financial advisor who specializes in federal benefits, and I'm going to apply for my own benefits next month when I turn 62. Based on the numbers we worked through here, that seems to make the most sense for now. I also plan to look into part-time work that stays under the earnings limit. Feels good to have a clearer plan now!
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