Spouse got Social Security retirement benefits but no spousal 'bump-up' - my application still pending after 3 months

Yes, this happens more often than you'd think! When you and your spouse apply around the same time but the applications go to different offices, they don't always coordinate properly. Your wife will NOT need to submit another application - once your application is approved, the system should automatically recalculate her benefit to include the spousal portion. The error message she got when trying to apply for spousal benefits was actually correct - she can't apply for those separately in your situation because she's already receiving her retirement benefit. However, I'd recommend calling SSA to check on the status of your application since it's been 3 months. They might be missing some information or documentation that's causing the delay. You can also ask them to make a note that your wife should be eligible for the spousal supplement once your claim is processed.

The same thing happened with me and my husband in 2023. His benefit was approved first, then mine 6 weeks later. Once mine went through (I was the higher earner), they automatically adjusted his payment to include the spousal portion. The increase showed up two months after my benefit was approved, but they did include back pay for the months they'd underpaid him. BUT - and this is important - you should definitely call to check on your application. 3 months is longer than normal unless there's something unusual about your work history or if they're missing wage information. My husband's took longer because he had some foreign employment they had to verify.

Calling SSA is your best bet to resolve this quickly. But as others have said, your wife won't need to submit another application. The system will automatically calculate her spousal benefit once your application is approved, and she'll receive any retroactive amount she's entitled to. It's important to understand how the spousal benefit works though - she'll receive either her own benefit or up to 50% of your full retirement age benefit, whichever is higher. Based on the numbers you shared, her own benefit ($1,750) is already more than 50% of your benefit ($3,200 ÷ 2 = $1,600), so she might not get any additional spousal supplement unless I'm missing something in your specific situation. Regardless, calling to check on your application status is definitely the right move after 3 months.

GOOD LUCK getting anyone on the phone at SSA these days!! Tried calling about my disability review for TWO WEEKS - either endless busy signals or disconnected after 30+ minutes on hold. Their phone system is completely broken and they know it. The local offices aren't taking walk-ins for this kind of thing anymore either - you need an appointment which takes WEEKS to get. The whole system is designed to make you give up.

Not sure this helps but my aunt had a similar issue and she said the way retirment and sposal benefits work is that you don't get BOTH. So if your wifes own retirment is more than what shed get as a spousal benefit (which is 50% of yours) then she just gets her own. The system will choose the higher ammount automaticlly. But they should have explained that better! That error message about "unable to process" is probably showing up because she already has her own retirement claim approved.

To answer your question about retroactivity - yes, once your benefit is approved, if your wife is entitled to any additional spousal amount (though based on what others pointed out, she might not be if her benefit is already higher than 50% of yours), it would be paid retroactively to the month you both began receiving benefits. But you really should follow up on why your application is taking so long. Three months is definitely on the longer side for a retirement application unless there are complicating factors. Sometimes applications get stuck in the system, and a simple call can get things moving again.

Looking back at your numbers more carefully - if your benefit will be $3,200 and half of that is $1,600, but your wife's own benefit is $1,750, then she won't receive any additional spousal benefit because her own retirement benefit is already higher than what she'd get as a spouse. The error message makes perfect sense now - the system won't let her apply for spousal benefits because it can already see she's getting more on her own record than she would get as your spouse. Still worth calling about your delayed application though!

Regarding calling SSA - if you're having trouble getting through on their 800 number, try calling your local office directly. The number should be on the SSA website when you search for office locations. Sometimes it's easier to get through to a local office, and they can check on your application status just as well as the national call center. Also, if your application has been pending for over 3 months, you can contact your Congressional representative's office. They have liaisons specifically for helping constituents with federal benefits issues, and they can often get information more quickly than you can on your own.