Switching from my SS benefits to husband's at 62 - early filing reduction percentages?

Yes, you can start your own retirement benefits at 62, but the reduction is permanent - about 30% less than your full retirement age amount. When your husband files, you can switch to spousal benefits if they would be higher, but those would also be reduced because you started early. The spousal reduction is different - you'd get a maximum of 32.5% of your husband's PIA instead of the full 50% you'd get at your FRA. The SSA calculates this based on the number of months before your FRA that you file. Each of the first 36 months reduces benefits by 5/9 of 1% and additional months by 5/12 of 1%.

When i did this I got so confused!! I think what matters is when YOU file not when he files. My husband is older and I took mine at 63 and it was reduced by like 22% i think? Then when i switched to his later it was still reduced by that same amount. Cant remember exactly tho

Let me clear this up with some specific numbers. At age 62, your own retirement benefit would be reduced by approximately 30% (it's actually 30.83% if your FRA is 67). For spousal benefits, the maximum you can receive is 50% of your husband's primary insurance amount (PIA), but that's only if you wait until your FRA to claim. Since you're claiming at 62, your spousal benefit would be reduced to about 32.5% of his PIA. The key thing to understand is that once you take ANY benefit early, the reduction is locked in. So even if you switch to spousal benefits years later when your husband files, you'll still have that reduction applied because you started benefits early. This is called "deemed filing" - when you file for one benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for at that time. The only way to avoid this reduction would be to wait until your FRA to claim any benefits.

THE SSA MAKES THIS SO COMPLICATED ON PURPOSE!! I tried doing the same thing and ended up getting LESS than if I'd just stuck with my own benefit. The reduction isn't fair because we PAID INTO THE SYSTEM our whole lives!!! The govt just wants to keep our money as long as possible. Good luck getting anyone at SSA to explain it clearly - I spent 4 HOURS on hold last time I called them!!!

Try using Claimyr to get through to an SSA agent quickly - that's what I did when I needed to sort out this exact issue. It helped me skip the hold times completely, which was a lifesaver. I was able to actually talk to a claims specialist who walked me through all my options. You can check it out at claimyr.com or watch how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

To answer your follow-up question - yes, that's exactly right. You'd get 69.17% of your PIA if claiming at 62, and could later switch to 32.5% of your husband's PIA if that amount is higher. One thing to consider: if your husband's PIA is more than twice yours, then even the reduced spousal benefit might still be higher than your own reduced benefit. Let's say your PIA is $1,500 and your husband's is $3,200: - Your reduced benefit at 62: $1,500 × 69.17% = $1,038 - Your reduced spousal benefit: $3,200 × 32.5% = $1,040 In this case, you'd get a tiny bump when switching. But if the difference between your PIAs isn't that large, sticking with your own benefit might be better.

my mom did this and regretted it later. she would've gotten more if she'd just waited til FRA for her own benefit. just something to think about

I just remembered that there's some worksheet on the SSA website that helps u calculate this!!! Google "SSA reduction factors" and it might come up

One question nobody's addressed - have you checked if your husband's FRA benefit amount is actually higher than yours? If your earnings were similar throughout your careers, it might not make sense to switch at all. The best strategy depends on your specific earnings histories and the difference between your benefit amounts. Also, consider how early claiming affects survivor benefits. If your husband passes away, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to what he was receiving. If he delayed claiming until 70, that's a larger survivor benefit for you.