Will my ex-spouse's SS benefit of $3000 continue to grow even while he's collecting early? Confused about my spousal top-up options

The answer to your specific question is yes, your ex-spouse's benefit amount WILL continue to receive COLA increases even though he's already collecting. However, there are several important things to consider with your overall strategy:1. Since you started collecting at 63, your spousal benefit is permanently reduced (approximately 30% less than if you waited until your FRA).2. If you want to undo this decision, you have 12 months from when you started collecting to withdraw your application and pay back all benefits. This gives you a clean slate.3. Your plan to save the money until 70 is interesting, but remember that spousal benefits don't grow beyond your FRA - there's no advantage to waiting until 70 for the spousal portion.Have you calculated exactly how much more you'd get monthly by waiting until your FRA instead of taking reduced benefits now?

Thank you so much for clarifying about the COLA increases! I hadn't calculated the exact difference yet. The SSA rep estimated I'm getting about $1150 now (at 63), but would get around $1500 at my FRA. So that's about $350 more per month if I wait. I didn't realize spousal benefits don't increase after FRA! That's really helpful information. So there would be no advantage to waiting beyond my FRA (which is 66 and 8 months) since I'm primarily getting the spousal benefit? I thought everything kept growing until 70.

my frend had almost this same situation took ss at 62 but her ex made wayy more $$ than her. she tried saving it all too but ended up needin it for dental work lol. anyway she said she wishs she waited cause the payment is so much smaller taking it early. dont u lose like 6% for each year early??

It's actually closer to 5% per year for spousal benefits (compared to about 6.67% for retirement benefits on your own record). So filing 4 years early would reduce spousal benefits by approximately 20-25% permanently. That said, it takes years to break even when comparing early filing vs. waiting. If the OP is genuinely able to save all those early payments, the math might actually work in their favor depending on their life expectancy and what they do with those saved funds.

oh thx for explaining! i get so confussed with all these SS rules and %s

I think you made a HUGE mistake taking it early!!!! You're leaving THOUSANDS on the table. My sister waited until FRA for her spousal benefit and gets almost $500 more per month than her friend who took it at 62. That's $6000 a year difference!!

Oh no, now I'm really worried. That's a massive difference over time. I have about 9 months left before my 12-month window to withdraw closes. I just wasn't sure if paying everything back was worth it... it's been such a comfort seeing that money pile up in my savings account.

Let's look at the math here. You're currently receiving approximately $1150/month at age 63. If you wait until your FRA (66+8mo), you'd get about $1500/month.If you withdraw now and pay back roughly $11,500 (10 months of benefits), you'd forgo 3 years and 8 months of payments (44 months × $1150 = $50,600) to eventually receive the higher amount.The break-even point would be: $50,600 ÷ $350 (the monthly increase) = 144.5 months or about 12 years after your FRA. So around age 79 is when waiting would start paying off.This doesn't account for what you might earn if you invest that $1150/month now, which could actually push the break-even point even further out.Is your life expectancy significantly beyond 79? Do you have longevity in your family?

This is EXACTLY the kind of breakdown I needed! Thank you! My mom lived to 92 and dad to 86, so longevity seems likely. But your point about investing the current payments is important too. I've just been putting them in a savings account earning minimal interest. Maybe I should look at some conservative investments that could grow that money between now and when I need it?

I went through a similar dilemma last year trying to make decisions about my SS benefits. After weeks of calling the SSA and never getting through, I found Claimyr (claimyr.com) and was able to speak with an agent in under 10 minutes! They have a service that gets you through to a real person at Social Security quickly instead of waiting on hold for hours. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with ran calculations for different scenarios - taking benefits early vs. waiting until FRA vs. repaying benefits. Getting those personalized numbers made my decision much clearer. Might be worth trying instead of guessing about what's best in your situation.

Thank you for the suggestion! I didn't know something like that existed. I tried calling SSA twice but gave up after being on hold for over an hour each time. I'll check out that service - having someone run the actual calculations specific to my situation would be so helpful.

EVERYONE ALWAYS SAYS WAIT TILL FRA but nobody talks about how many people DIE before they even reach that age!!! My husband waited to file and then died 3 months after starting benefits. ALL THAT MONEY LEFT ON THE TABLE!!! If you need the money now or it helps you sleep better having it saved up, then don't let the \

I'm so sorry about your husband. That's a perspective we don't hear enough. There's no guarantee any of us will reach the

Thank you. I just get upset when people act like there's only ONE right answer with Social Security. It's a personal decision with many factors.

Something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: Since you mentioned your ex started collecting before FRA, his benefit is already permanently reduced. Your spousal benefit is based on what your ex would receive at HIS full retirement age, not his reduced benefit. So if his $3000 is his reduced benefit, the base amount for your spousal calculation would actually be higher.However, if $3000 is what he would have received at his FRA (before his early reduction), then that's the correct base for your calculation. Just wanted to clarify this point since it significantly impacts your numbers.

Oh! This is confusing. The $3000 is what I understood to be his benefit at his FRA, but he's not actually getting that since he filed early. I think I need to verify this with SSA. Thanks for pointing this out - it makes a big difference in my calculations!

Just wanted to share that I was in a somewhat similar situation last year. I decided to withdraw my application within the 12-month window and pay everything back. It was a bit painful returning that money, but the peace of mind knowing I'll get the full amount going forward was worth it for me. The SSA made the process pretty straightforward actually.

Thank you for sharing your experience! Was it difficult to pay it all back? Did you have to do it as one lump sum? I've saved all the payments so I could return them, but I'm still so torn about whether it's the right move.

Based on everything in this thread, here's what I would recommend:1. Verify the actual FRA benefit amount for your ex-spouse with SSA (this is crucial for accurate calculations)2. Since you have family longevity and you're primarily saving these funds anyway, the math suggests withdrawing your application might be favorable if you live beyond 793. However, if you decide to keep receiving benefits now, consider putting those funds into something with better returns than a savings account - perhaps a mix of I-bonds, short-term treasuries, or conservative ETFs depending on your risk tolerance4. Remember that once you reach your FRA, you can work and earn any amount without affecting your benefitsThe one certainty is that you should make a decision before your 12-month window closes, as that option disappears after that.

Thank you for this summary. I think my next step is definitely to get accurate numbers from SSA about my ex's FRA benefit amount and then make some calculations. Really appreciate everyone's insights!