Will my husband's income affect my Social Security at 62 while he's still working? Confused about spousal benefits

Let me clear this up for you: 1) Your husband's earnings won't affect your benefits at all. The earnings test only applies to YOUR earnings if you work while collecting Social Security before your FRA. His income is completely separate for this purpose. 2) Yes, taking your own retirement benefits early will permanently reduce your spousal benefit. When your husband files at his FRA, you'll be eligible for a spousal top-up, but it will be reduced because you started your own benefits early. The spousal benefit will be the greater of: - Your own reduced benefit - The difference between your reduced benefit and roughly 35% of his FRA benefit (not the full 50%) The reduction happens because you took your own benefits early. Had you waited until your FRA, you'd get the full 50% spousal benefit.

Your husbands income doenst count for your benfits! only yours does! But you should really think about if taking SS at 62 is worth it? You lose a lot of money in the long run...

The other responses are correct, but to add some clarity on your second question: When calculating spousal benefits when you've claimed your own retirement early, SSA essentially gives you the larger of these two amounts: 1. Your own reduced retirement benefit, OR 2. A reduced spouse's benefit The reduction formula is quite complex, but essentially you're permanently reducing your spousal benefit by approximately 30% by claiming 60 months early. So instead of receiving 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), you'd receive about 35%. However, you'll only receive the difference between your reduced retirement benefit and the reduced spousal benefit amount IF the spousal amount is higher. Also important to note: when your husband reaches FRA, he needs to actually file for his benefits for you to receive any spousal benefits. If he decides to delay beyond FRA to increase his own benefit, you can't receive the spousal portion until he files.

I had this exact same situation with me and my husband! I claimed at 62 and he worked till 67. His income didn't affect my benefits at all - only what I earned mattered for the earnings limit. But I was disappointed about the spousal amount later... it was much less than I expected because I claimed early. Just letting you know what to expect!

The rules r so confusing!! My sister thought her husbands income would affect her benefits too but it didnt. SSA needs to make this clearer on there website!!!

Has anyone actually CALLED Social Security to get a personalized calculation? I've been trying for weeks to speak with an agent about a similar situation but keep getting disconnected or told the wait time is 2+ hours. Super frustrating when you need answers for retirement planning!

THIS IS WHY IM WAITING TILL 70 TO CLAIM!!! All these complicated rules and reductions! The system is designed to confuse us and give us less money!!!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing my husband's income won't affect my benefits. I'm a bit disappointed about the spousal benefit reduction, but it makes sense. I'll definitely try to get an exact calculation from SSA about what my top-up might be when my husband reaches FRA. Thanks again!

Just wanted to add one important detail that might help with your planning - when you do become eligible for the spousal benefit (after your husband files), Social Security will automatically calculate and pay you whichever amount is higher: your own reduced retirement benefit OR the reduced spousal benefit. You don't need to apply separately for the spousal benefit. Also, make sure to keep track of any cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that get applied to your benefits over the years. These will increase both your retirement benefit and any future spousal top-up amount, which can help offset some of the impact of claiming early. Good luck with your retirement planning! It sounds like you've thought this through carefully given your personal situation.

I went through this exact same decision process a few years ago! Just to reinforce what others have said - your husband's income absolutely will NOT affect your Social Security benefits. That's one of the biggest misconceptions people have about SS. One thing I'd suggest is creating a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages, which really helped me visualize the trade-offs. The calculator shows both your retirement benefit and potential spousal benefits. Also, since you mentioned health issues - don't let anyone make you feel bad about claiming at 62. Everyone's situation is different, and if you need the income or have concerns about longevity, claiming early can absolutely be the right financial decision. I know several people who are glad they claimed early because they were able to enjoy their benefits while still healthy enough to travel and be active. The spousal benefit reduction is disappointing, but as someone else mentioned, even the reduced amount can make a meaningful difference in your monthly budget. Best of luck with your decision!

I'm in a very similar situation and have been researching this extensively! Just wanted to add a few practical tips that helped me: 1) You can use the SSA's online benefit calculators to get a rough estimate of your spousal benefit, but they don't show the exact reduction amounts. I found it helpful to call during off-peak hours (mid-week, mid-morning) to get through to an agent faster. 2) Make sure you understand the timing - you won't be eligible for any spousal benefits until your husband actually files for his own benefits, even if he's reached FRA. So if he decides to delay past 67 to get delayed retirement credits, your spousal benefit also gets delayed. 3) One silver lining about the spousal benefit reduction: it's calculated as a percentage of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), not his potentially higher benefit if he delays. So while you get less than 50%, the base amount it's calculated from stays the same regardless of when he claims. The whole system is needlessly complicated, but at least your husband's income won't be an issue for your benefits. That was my biggest worry too! Hope this helps with your planning.

I'm facing a similar decision and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just to add one more perspective - I spoke with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning, and she mentioned that many people overlook the "do-over" option. If you claim at 62 but then change your mind within the first 12 months, you can withdraw your application, pay back what you've received (without interest), and restart at a later age with higher benefits. It's not ideal since you have to pay everything back, but it could be a safety net if your health or financial situation improves unexpectedly. Also, for anyone reading this who's married - make sure you consider the survivor benefit implications too. If you're the lower earner and claim early, it doesn't just reduce your own benefits, it can also reduce what your spouse would receive as a survivor benefit if you pass away first. That's another complex calculation but worth understanding. The earnings test clarification about spousal income not counting is such a relief though - that would have been a nightmare to track and report!