Will claiming ex-spouse Social Security benefits at 64 reduce my own SS retirement at FRA?

Unfortunately, the ability to file only for ex-spouse benefits while letting your own benefits grow ended with the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act. If you file for any Social Security benefit now before your FRA, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for. The SSA will pay you essentially the higher of the two amounts, and your benefits will be permanently reduced because you're claiming before FRA. The old \

Oh no! I had no idea about that 2015 change. So there's really no way for me to get some income now without permanently reducing my eventual benefit? That's really disappointing.

my sister tried doing this last yr and they told her she had to take both can't pick just 1 anymore which is stupid if u ask me!!! they change the rules & dont tell nobody

Yes, this catches a lot of people off guard. The SSA isn't great about publicizing these policy changes. The technical term for what's happening is \

well they should make it more clear!! my sister lost $$ because of this!

Went through this exact same thing last year! You have two choices: 1) file now and take the permanent reduction or 2) wait until your FRA. There's no in-between anymore.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Did you end up filing early or waiting? I'm trying to calculate if it's worth the reduction.

I waited. The reduction would've been about 9% and I figured I might live a long time so better to have the higher monthly amount forever. But everyone's situation is different!

This is a common question with a somewhat complex answer. Let me clarify how this works:1. If you file for benefits now at age 64, you'll automatically be deemed to be filing for both your own retirement benefits and any ex-spouse benefits you're entitled to.2. The SSA will calculate both benefit amounts and pay you whichever is higher, but with a reduction factor applied because you're filing before your FRA.3. The reduction is approximately 0.5% for each month before your FRA (this translates to about a 13.3% reduction at your current age).4. This reduction is permanent - your benefit amount won't increase to the full amount when you reach FRA.5. The only way to get your full benefit amount now would be if you qualified for an exception, like being a surviving divorced spouse or caring for a child under 16 from the marriage - neither of which applies in your situation.The best approach depends on your financial needs, health, and life expectancy. If you need the income now, taking it early might make sense despite the reduction. If you can wait, your lifetime benefit will be higher.

Thank you for breaking this down so clearly. This helps me understand my options better. Am I right that if my ex-spouse's benefit (even reduced) is higher than my own retirement benefit would be, I'd get that higher amount? Or do they somehow blend the two benefits together?

You're welcome! To answer your question: you don't get both benefits added together. You'll receive the higher of the two amounts. Specifically, if your ex-spouse's benefit would give you more (even after reduction), you'll receive your own benefit plus the additional amount needed to reach the higher ex-spouse benefit level. It appears as one payment, not two separate ones.Keep in mind that ex-spouse benefits are capped at 50% of your ex's full retirement amount (less if you claim early). So if your own work record would provide more than 50% of your ex's benefit, you'd just get your own benefit amount.

Got it! That makes perfect sense. I appreciate your patience in explaining this. I think I need to sit down and do some calculations based on my statement from Social Security to see which option makes the most financial sense for my situation.

I went through somethign similar. Has anyone been able to reach SSA to discuss these benefit options? I've been calling for DAYS and just get the busy signal or it hangs up on me saying

I had the same awful experience trying to get through to SSA on the phone! After wasting hours being disconnected, I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to a live SSA agent in under 5 minutes. I was skeptical, but it worked perfectly - you can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUThe website is claimyr.com. It saved me so much frustration and I was able to get detailed answers about my specific situation. This was especially helpful for understanding all the complex rules about ex-spouse benefits that aren't clearly explained on the SSA website.

Thank you!!! Going to try this right now. So tired of not being able to get anybody on the phone!

One important detail to consider: have you checked if your ex-spouse has actually filed for their own benefits yet? If they haven't, you can't receive ex-spouse benefits based on their record. If they're not yet receiving benefits, you might want to file only for your own reduced retirement benefit now (if you need the income) and then later file for the ex-spouse benefit when they begin collecting.Also, do you know if your ex-spouse's benefit amount would actually be higher than your own? For many people, especially if both spouses worked similar amounts, their own benefit is higher than the spousal benefit (which maxes out at 50% of the ex's FRA benefit).

You've raised good questions. My ex is 68 and already collecting his benefits (he started right at his FRA). He was the higher earner in our marriage - he was an engineer while I worked part-time in healthcare administration while raising our kids. So I believe the 50% of his benefit would be more than my own, even with the early filing reduction. I just wasn't sure if I could somehow take one now and switch to the other later.

Since your ex is already collecting and was the substantially higher earner, you're right that the 50% ex-spouse benefit might be better than your own, even with the reduction for claiming early. Unfortunately, the \

That's excellent advice. I'll definitely call and get those exact figures. It would be helpful to see the actual dollar difference between claiming now versus waiting.

Has anyone mentioned the break-even point yet? That's what helped me decide. SSA can tell u how many years you need to live past FRA to make waiting worth it. For me it was like 12 years I think?

The break-even point is indeed important to consider. It's typically around age 78-82 for most people comparing early filing vs. FRA. If you believe you'll live beyond that age, waiting until FRA will result in more total benefits over your lifetime. If you have health concerns or family history suggesting a shorter lifespan, filing early might actually maximize your lifetime benefits.The calculation is more complex when comparing divorced spouse benefits to your own record, but the same principle applies. You'd need to calculate the total benefits received over time under each scenario to find your personal break-even point.

This is really helpful. My health is good and my parents both lived well into their 90s, so longevity runs in my family. That probably tips the scales toward waiting for FRA in my case.