Will my SSDI conversion to retirement benefits at FRA affect husband's delayed SS filing until 70?
Hi everyone, I'm confused about how my benefits converting from SSDI to retirement will affect my husband. I'm currently receiving SSDI (about $2,100/month) and it will automatically convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits this June when I reach my Full Retirement Age (66 years, 8 months). My husband is still working full-time and plans to delay claiming his Social Security until he turns 70 to maximize his benefit amount. I've been reading posts here that mention when one spouse files for Social Security, they are "deemed" as filing for both retirement and spousal benefits. Does this mean my conversion from SSDI to retirement will somehow trigger something with my husband's benefits or force him to file early? I'm worried my FRA conversion might mess up his plan to wait until 70. Does anyone know how this works? Will my getting regular retirement benefits instead of SSDI affect his strategy at all?
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NebulaNova
You have nothing to worry about. Your SSDI converting to retirement benefits at your FRA won't impact your husband's claiming strategy at all. The "deemed filing" rule only applies to an individual claiming their own benefits - it means YOU can't separately file for just spousal or just retirement benefits (you're "deemed" to file for both). It has absolutely no effect on when your spouse chooses to file for HIS benefits. Your husband can still wait until 70 to maximize his retirement benefit with the delayed retirement credits. The fact that you're receiving benefits doesn't force him to file. Each spouse makes their own filing decision based on their own circumstances.
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Yara Sayegh
•Thank you so much for explaining that! I've been stressing about this for weeks. So just to be 100% clear - the "deemed filing" rule only affects MY ability to choose between my own benefit and a spousal benefit, but has nothing to do with when my husband files for his benefits? That's a huge relief!
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Keisha Williams
My wife got SSDI n it changed to regular SS when she hit 67 last year. I kept working n didn't take mine yet. No problems at all! Your fine.
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Yara Sayegh
•That's reassuring to hear someone who went through almost the exact same situation! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Paolo Conti
Not sure if you know this, but when your husband DOES file at 70, you might be eligible for a spousal benefit if half of HIS benefit is higher than your current benefit. The SSA will automatically give you the higher amount. So there could actually be an advantage to him waiting! But I'm not an expert so maybe someone else can confirm if I'm right about this??
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NebulaNova
•You're close but not quite correct. She would only get a spousal benefit if 50% of her husband's PRIMARY INSURANCE AMOUNT (PIA, which is his benefit at FRA) is higher than her own benefit. The delayed retirement credits he earns by waiting until 70 don't factor into spousal benefit calculations. Since she's already getting $2,100/month on her own record, it's unlikely a spousal benefit would be higher. Her husband waiting is still good for maximizing his own benefit and potentially providing a higher survivor benefit if he passes away first.
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Amina Diallo
Congrats on reaching FRA! I remember when my SSDI switched over - literally nothing changed except the name of the benefit on my statement. Same payment date, same amount. The conversion is automatic so you don't have to do anything.
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Oliver Schulz
I was in a similar situation last year. My SSDI converted to retirement at my FRA, and I spent HOURS trying to get through to SSA to make sure everything was handled correctly. After being on hold for over 2 hours and getting disconnected twice, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed exactly what others here are saying - your conversion won't affect your husband's claiming strategy at all. Each person makes their own claiming decision. They also said the conversion happens automatically in their system.
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Yara Sayegh
•Thanks for the tip about Claimyr! I've been thinking I should talk to someone at SSA directly just to be 100% sure, but dreading the wait times. I'll check this out.
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Amina Diallo
•I used that service too! Saved me from spending my entire day on hold.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
The confusion you're experiencing is common! Let me clarify how this works: 1. When YOUR SSDI converts to retirement benefits at FRA, nothing needs to be done - it's automatic. Your payment amount stays the same. 2. The "deemed filing" rule changed with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. It means that if you file for any retirement benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for (retirement and spousal). 3. This rule doesn't force your spouse to file when you file. Your husband can still wait until 70. 4. When your husband does file at 70, the SSA will automatically check if you qualify for an additional spousal benefit. Given your SSDI amount ($2,100), it's unlikely that half of his PIA would exceed your own benefit. 5. However, your husband waiting until 70 is still beneficial because it maximizes his own benefit (increasing approximately 8% per year from FRA to 70) and potentially provides you with a higher survivor benefit if he passes away before you.
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Yara Sayegh
•Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! This is exactly what I needed to know. One last question - when the SSDI converts to retirement at my FRA, will there be any change to my Medicare coverage? I became eligible for Medicare when I got approved for SSDI.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•Great question! Your Medicare coverage continues unchanged when your SSDI converts to retirement benefits. The only thing that changes is the internal classification in the SSA system - from a practical standpoint, you'll see no difference in your Medicare benefits or premiums. Your Part B premiums will still be deducted from your monthly benefit payment just as they are now.
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AstroAdventurer
My sister went thru this EXACT situation!!! The SSA is SO CONFUSING with all there rules!!! They make everything complicated ON PURPOSE I swear!! She had to go to the office THREE TIMES to get a straight answer because everyone told her something different!!!
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NebulaNova
•While SSA rules can be complex, this particular situation is actually straightforward. The SSDI to retirement conversion is automatic, and one spouse's filing decision doesn't force the other spouse to file. No office visits are necessary for this.
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Keisha Williams
wait tho aren't you entitled to half ur husbands benefit when he files? my neighbor got her own SS then got extra $ when her husband filed for his
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•You're only entitled to a spousal benefit if 50% of your spouse's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA, which is their benefit at Full Retirement Age) is higher than your own benefit. Since the original poster is receiving $2,100/month from her own work record, her husband's PIA would need to be more than $4,200/month for her to receive any spousal benefit. This is possible but above average. Your neighbor likely had a much smaller benefit on her own record compared to her husband's.
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