Will I get spousal benefits top-up at 62 with husband's Social Security or just my own retirement amount?

To answer your questions directly: 1. You won't get an automatic "top up" to 50% of your husband's benefit at 62. The spousal benefit is 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) at your Full Retirement Age (FRA). But since you're taking it early at 62, it would be reduced to about 32.5% of his PIA. AND since your own benefit is so high, you wouldn't receive any spousal benefit because your own benefit exceeds the reduced spousal amount. 2. If your husband passes away, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving when he died. However, if you claim survivor benefits before your FRA, they would be reduced (though not as severely as retirement benefits). 3. Given the significant age difference, you might want to consider: - Claiming your reduced retirement at 62 - Later switching to survivor benefits at your FRA if your husband passes away The math matters here - I'd recommend making an appointment with SSA to go through the specific numbers in your case.

One critical thing to consider is that if your own benefit at 62 will be $2,025, your benefit at Full Retirement Age (67) would be significantly higher - probably around $3,000. The 50% spousal benefit would be calculated on your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is likely around $2,600-2,700 based on his current payment. So 50% of that would be $1,300-1,350. So even at FRA, your own benefit would exceed any spousal benefit. Survivor benefits are different though - you'd get his full amount if he passes away. This is why understanding the actual dollar amounts matters so much with Social Security planning.

I went through this EXACT situation last year!!! The SSA reps told me three different things when I called them - so frustrating!!! Finally got it sorted out though. Here's what I learned: you CAN'T get both your retirement and spousal at the same time. They basically give you whichever is higher. In my case my own benefit was higher than 50% of my husband's (even at my FRA) so I just got my own. The survivor benefit thing is MUCH better though. When my husband passed last fall, I was able to get his FULL benefit amount since it was higher than mine. Made a huge difference for me. HONEST ADVICE: Try to get an in-person appointment at your local office. The phone reps gave me wrong info multiple times!!!

Why don't you just wait until 67 to claim? Your benefit will be so much higher. My sister claimed at 62 and regrets it every month when she gets her check. You're leaving money on the table by claiming early.

Have you heard about Claimyr? After weeks of frustration trying to reach SSA about a similar benefits question, I used their service and got through to a real person at Social Security in under 30 minutes. They basically call SSA for you and connect you once they get through. I was skeptical but watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) and decided to try it. The agent I spoke with ran calculations for both my own benefit at different ages AND what I'd get as a spouse vs. survivor. Having those exact numbers really helped me make my decision. Definitely worth it to speak directly with SSA rather than relying on online calculators.

ur better off taking ur own SS when ur 62. thatswhat my sister did. its more than the spouse benefit would be. but when ur husband passes u switch to survivor benefit. thats the way to do it

One important consideration nobody's mentioned yet: If you claim at 62, you'll be subject to the earnings test if you're still working. In 2027, if you earn more than about $22,400 (estimating based on current limits plus inflation), SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above that limit. This doesn't apply once you reach your Full Retirement Age. If you're planning to continue working while collecting Social Security, this could significantly impact your decision on when to file.

DONT FORGET ABOUT MEDICARE!!!! If you're not working at 65, you HAVE to sign up for Medicare even if you haven't started Social Security yet!!!! They don't automatically enroll you if you haven't started benefits. My friend missed her enrollment period and had to pay penalties for YEARS!!!

Just want to add one more thing that might be helpful - you mentioned your husband is already 76 and collecting $2,350/month. Since he's past his Full Retirement Age, he's not subject to any earnings test, so if he's still working that won't affect his benefits at all. Also, given the 18-year age gap, you might want to consider life insurance planning alongside your Social Security strategy. If your husband passes away and you're relying on survivor benefits, having some life insurance could help bridge any financial gaps, especially if you claim your own benefits early at 62. The good news is that with your own benefit being relatively high compared to the spousal benefit, you have some flexibility in your timing. Just make sure you run the actual numbers with SSA before making your final decision!