Will I get spousal benefits at 62 when husband already receives SS retirement?

yes u will get a spousal benefit! but filing at 62 means ur taking a reduced amount. think its like 35% reduction from what youd get at your full retirement age. but u get both - ur own benefit PLUS the extra to bring u up to the spousal amount. but both r reduced cuz ur filing early.

Yes, you're eligible for spousal benefits, but there are some important things to understand: 1) At your Full Retirement Age (FRA), you'd be entitled to 50% of your husband's FRA benefit amount. So that would be $950 (half of his $1900). 2) Since you're filing at 62 (before your FRA), your spousal benefit will be permanently reduced. The reduction for spousal benefits at 62 is approximately 30-35% depending on your exact FRA. 3) SSA will pay your own reduced retirement benefit first, then add enough to bring you up to your reduced spousal benefit amount. In simpler terms, you'll get approximately $622 (your reduced benefit) plus an additional amount to reach your reduced spousal benefit level. The total will be somewhere around $650-$700 depending on your exact FRA and reduction percentages. To get an exact calculation, you should contact SSA directly or use their online calculators.

When I applied for spousal benefits they messed up my application TWICE!!! Had to keep calling and got disconnected every time. FINALLY got it straightened out but took 3 months to get my first correct payment. Make sure you specifically say you want BOTH your retirement AND spousal benefits when you apply!!! The SSA website is USELESS for this!!

my sister just went thru this. they automatically check for spousal when u apply so dont worry too much.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year!!! I ended up waiting until 63 to file because I read somewhere that the reduction is a little less bad if you wait. I think my own benefit was like $580 and I got about $730 total after they added the spousal portion. The bad part was I had to wait FOREVER to get through to SS to file my application. Kept getting busy signals and disconnected.

Just to clarify some misinformation above: You will receive your own reduced retirement benefit ($622) PLUS an additional amount to reach your reduced spousal benefit level. The total will be less than 50% of your husband's FRA amount due to the early filing reduction. The exact formula for your case: 1. Your retirement benefit at 62: $622 2. Your husband's FRA amount: $1900 3. Maximum spousal benefit at your FRA would be $950 (50% of $1900) 4. Reduced spousal benefit at 62 is approximately 32.5% less: $641 ($950 - 32.5%) 5. Your total benefit will be $641, not the sum of both amounts This is because you only get the HIGHER of either your own benefit OR the spousal benefit, not both combined. The way SSA explains it is confusing - they say you get your benefit "plus" the difference, but the total doesn't exceed the maximum you're eligible for. If you wait until your FRA, you'd get a higher amount (the full 50% of his FRA amount).

DONT TRUST THE ONLINE CALCULATORS!!!! They told me one thing and then when I actually filed I got something completely different!! ALWAYS talk to an actual person at SSA!!

@Original Poster - To answer your follow-up question about whether to wait: It depends on your financial situation and health outlook. If you wait until your Full Retirement Age (probably 67 if you're turning 62 now), you would get the full 50% of your husband's FRA benefit ($950) instead of the reduced amount of around $641. That's a difference of over $300 per month for life. However, by claiming at 62, you'll collect payments for an additional 5 years. It takes approximately 9-10 years of higher payments at FRA to make up for those 5 years of early payments. If you need the income now or have health concerns, taking it early might make sense. If you're financially comfortable and have longevity in your family, waiting could be better long-term.

my aunt just turned 62 and she got a spousal benefit that was like $200 more than her own benefit would have been. but she worked part time most of her life so her own benefit was pretty small.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned a lot about how the spousal benefit works. I think I'm going to go ahead and file now at 62 since we could use the extra income, even though it's reduced. One last question - do I need to bring anything special to prove my marriage when I apply?