Ask Larry

Am I Eligible For Spousal Benefits And When Should I Start Them?

My husband, born in 1952, has been on SS disability for a few years... he will turn 66 in Sept so his disability will become just SS at that time remaining the same amount as I understand it. I was born in 1951 and turned 66 this past Dec. but have decided to wait until age 70 to begin my SS benefits. Am I eligible for spousal benefits and if so when could I start them? It was my understanding I had to wait until he reached FRA but something I read here suggested people can sometimes draw based on a spouse on SS disability. Is that true (perhaps I misinterpreted what was said) and if so could I have started drawing in Dec when I reached FRA?

Hi,

If you turned age 66 in December 2017 then that is your full retirement age for Social Security purposes. And yes, you could then file a restricted application for just spousal benefits on your husband's record as long as he's receiving either his retirement benefits or disability (SSDI) benefits.

If you file your application no later than this month (i.e. June 2018), it sounds like you could and almost certainly should claim spousal benefits retroactive to December 2017. You could then file for retirement benefits on your own record at age 70. You may want to use our maximization software in order to make certain that this is the best possible strategy in your case.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Jun 7 2018 - 10:24am
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