Will collecting my Social Security at 62 reduce my husband's SS benefits while I'm still working?
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about when to start my Social Security benefits. I'm 62 and still working (though I downshifted to a lower-paying position last year - needed less stress in my life!). My husband is 69, already collecting his SS benefits, and fully retired. He had the higher-earning career between us. I'm considering claiming my benefits now while continuing to work, but someone told me that if I start collecting at 62, it would somehow reduce my husband's current SS payment. That sounds crazy to me, but is there any truth to it? We could really use the additional income from my benefits, but obviously not if it's going to cut into what he's already receiving. The whole thing seems unfair if true. Has anyone dealt with this specific situation? Any insights about spousal benefits when one person is already collecting and the other starts early?
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Yuki Sato
No, your claiming your own retirement benefits will NOT reduce your husband's benefit payment. Each person's retirement benefit is calculated separately based on their own work record. Your husband's payment is fixed (except for COLA increases) once he started collecting. What might be confusing you is how spousal benefits work. If your own benefit amount is less than half of your husband's, you could be eligible for a spousal benefit to make up the difference. But claiming early (before your Full Retirement Age) would reduce that spousal amount permanently. Also remember that since you're working, if you earn over the annual limit ($21,240 in 2025 for those under FRA), your benefits will be reduced $1 for every $2 you earn above that threshold until you reach your Full Retirement Age.
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Ethan Wilson
•Thank you so much for clarifying! That's a huge relief. I think whoever told me that must have been confused about how spousal benefits work. I do need to think about that earnings limit though. I'm making about $45,000 at my current job, so I'd be well over that threshold. Would that make claiming now a bad idea?
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Carmen Flores
I was in an almost identical situation last year! Was 62 while my husband was collecting at 70. I started my benefits early while still working and had ZERO problems with his payments being affected. They're completely separate. The only issue I ran into was with the earnings test. Since I was still working and making decent money, they withheld some of my benefits. But here's what many people don't realize - you actually get that money back later! Once you hit your Full Retirement Age, they recalculate your benefit to credit you for those months they withheld benefits. If you really need the extra income now, have you tried calling SSA to discuss your options? I had to call like 15 times before I got through, but then found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes! Check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or go to claimyr.com. Totally worth it to actually speak with someone who can walk through your specific numbers.
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Andre Dubois
•Does that service actually work? I've been calling the SS office for 3 days straight and cant get a human!
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CyberSamurai
Your friend is WRONG. My wife started her benefit at 62 last year and mine stayed exactly the same. The SSA is taking enough of our money already without making up fake rules lol
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•This is correct. I worked for 30+ years in financial advising. Claiming your own retirement benefit never affects your spouse's existing benefit. They are completely independent. However, there is a grain of truth that might explain the confusion. When calculating survivor benefits (after one spouse dies), the timing of when each person claimed their benefits does affect the surviving spouse's options. But that's completely different from the situation described here.
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Jamal Carter
I'm confused too about all this SS stuff... I thought if you take your own benefit early then you can't get the full spousal benefit later? Is that maybe what your friend meant? But I don't think it reduces what your husband gets...?
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Yuki Sato
•You're right about spousal benefits. If you take your own retirement benefit early (before FRA), and later become eligible for a higher spousal benefit, that spousal benefit will be reduced because you took your own benefit early. But this doesn't affect what the primary worker (in this case, her husband) receives.
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Mei Liu
THE SSA IS THE WORST!!! They told me the same thing when I called but it was COMPLETELY WRONG! My husband's benefit never changed when I filed. But they DID take a huge chunk of my benefit because I was still working. The earnings limit is a total scam - I earned $30k over the limit and they took $15k of my benefits away! You might be better off waiting until your Full Retirement Age if you're going to keep working at that income level.
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Carmen Flores
•While I understand your frustration, it's important to note that those benefits aren't permanently lost due to the earnings test. Once you reach Full Retirement Age, SSA recalculates your benefit and gives you credit for the months they withheld benefits. It effectively means you get a higher monthly payment for the rest of your life after reaching FRA.
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Mei Liu
•Maybe so, but I need the money NOW not years from now when I'm 67!!! And they never explained that when I filed.
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Ethan Wilson
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! From what I'm understanding, my husband's benefit won't be reduced if I claim early (phew!), but I need to be careful about the earnings limit since I'm still working. I'm going to sit down and do some calculations to see if it makes financial sense to claim now or wait given my current income level.
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Yuki Sato
•That's a good approach. Another factor to consider is your long-term health and family longevity. If you expect to live well into your 80s or beyond, waiting until at least your Full Retirement Age (66-67 depending on birth year) will maximize your lifetime benefits. But if you need the income now or have health concerns, claiming earlier might make sense despite the reduction.
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Ethan Wilson
•That's a good point about longevity. Both my parents lived into their 90s, so I should probably factor that in too. This is getting complicated!
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Andre Dubois
my brother told me the same thing but its not true. husband benefit stays same no matter what you do
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Carmen Flores
Just wanted to add - if you do decide to file, make sure you're clear about whether you're filing for just your retirement benefit or for both retirement and spousal benefits. The SSA representatives sometimes assume you want both when that might not be the best strategy. That's why I found it so helpful to actually speak with someone who could run through my specific numbers. After trying for days to reach someone at SSA, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through in minutes. The agent was able to show me exactly how much I'd receive with different filing strategies.
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Ethan Wilson
•Thank you! I'll definitely look into that service if I decide to file. Getting accurate information about my specific situation seems crucial, and I've heard the wait times for SSA are brutal right now.
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