Will my Social Security spousal benefit be reduced if my wife files early? (Confused about spousal top-off calculation)

The good news is that your early filing won't reduce your husband's spousal benefit. When calculating spousal benefits, SSA always uses your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - which is your benefit amount at your Full Retirement Age - regardless of when you actually file. So even if you take your benefits early at 66, your husband's spousal top-off will be based on your full PIA amount, not your reduced benefit. This is one of the few situations where one spouse's decision doesn't penalize the other. Your early filing will permanently reduce YOUR monthly benefit by about 6.7% (for filing 12 months early), but it won't impact the calculation used for your husband's spousal benefit.

my sister did this exact thing last year and her husband got the full spousal amount based on what her pia would have been not what she actually got. ss rules are weird but this one actually works in ur favor

To clarify for everyone, here's how the spousal benefit calculation works in this specific situation: 1. When the higher-earning spouse (in this case, the wife) files for benefits, the lower-earning spouse (the husband) becomes eligible for a spousal benefit. 2. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of the higher earner's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). 3. Since the husband already has his own retirement benefit, he'll receive a "top-off" - the difference between his own benefit and the spousal benefit (if the spousal benefit is higher). 4. The key point: The PIA used in this calculation is based on the higher earner's FRA benefit amount, NOT their actually received amount. 5. So even if the wife takes reduced benefits by filing early, the husband's spousal benefit calculation still uses her full FRA benefit amount. This is different from some other Social Security rules where early filing can affect multiple benefits.

I tried calling the Social Security office for 3 days straight to ask this EXACT question last year and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours!!!!! So frustrating. Finally I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent confirmed that spousal benefits are based on the PIA at full retirement age, not the reduced benefit. Saved me so much stress trying to figure this out. Worth checking them out if you need to verify anything else with SSA directly.

NOBODY here has mentioned the IMPORTANT DETAIL about deemed filing!!!! If your FRA is 67 and you file at 66, you're subject to deemed filing rules which means you're AUTOMATICALLY applying for ALL benefits you're eligible for. You can't pick and choose anymore like people could before 2016. So if your husband wants a spousal benefit there's other considerations. Also maximum family benefits could come into play here depending on your exact situation. SSA is NOT always straightforward about this stuff!!!!!

I just wanted to update everyone - I finally got through to SSA this morning after using that Claimyr service mentioned above (it really did work!). The agent confirmed what most of you have said: my husband's spousal top-off will be based on my full PIA amount regardless of when I file. So I will take the reduction for filing early, but his spousal benefit calculation won't be affected by my early filing. Since we need the additional income now for some medical expenses, I think I'll go ahead with filing at 66. Thanks to everyone who helped clarify this confusing aspect of Social Security rules!

I'm still not 100% clear... so does this mean that if I'm the higher earner and my husband is getting benefits on my record, I should ALWAYS file early??? Seems like there's no disadvantage since my early filing only affects me, not him? Am I understanding this correctly?

As someone who just went through this decision process last year, I wanted to share my experience. My situation was very similar - I was the higher earner and my husband had already been collecting his benefits. I was really torn about filing early because I kept reading conflicting information online about how it would affect spousal benefits. What ultimately helped me was creating a spreadsheet comparing different scenarios over 10, 15, and 20 years. Even though my husband's spousal benefit wouldn't be reduced by my early filing, I still had to weigh my permanent benefit reduction against our immediate financial needs. One thing I wish I had considered more carefully was the impact on survivor benefits. Since I'm likely to outlive my husband statistically, my reduced benefit could become his survivor benefit down the road. That's something worth factoring into your decision beyond just the current spousal benefit calculation. Also, don't forget that once you file, you can't change your mind and unfille (except within the first 12 months and only if you pay back everything you received). So make sure you're really comfortable with the permanent reduction to your monthly benefit before you pull the trigger.

I've been following this discussion closely as I'm in a very similar situation with my spouse. One additional consideration I haven't seen mentioned yet is the impact of Medicare premiums on your decision timeline. Since you're turning 66, you'll be enrolling in Medicare soon, and your Social Security benefits can be used to pay those premiums automatically. If you're planning to file early anyway due to immediate financial needs, it might make sense to coordinate the timing with your Medicare enrollment to streamline the premium payments. Also, if you're still working and have employer health insurance, you'll need to factor in how Medicare coordination works with your current coverage. Just another piece of the puzzle to consider alongside all the excellent advice about spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and break-even calculations that others have shared!