Hi Larry
Unfortunately I am permanently disabled due to work injuries I am turning 62 in August I was married 20 years my ex husband also very sick Chf and more and also on permanent disability he makes a lot more then I do can I file something at age 62 can you explain Thank You Learning from your column Thank You

Hi,

You don't mention whether or not you currently receive benefits, but Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits can potentially be paid at any age (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/disability/qualify.html). Or, you could potentially qualify for divorced spousal benefits as early as age 62, but you can't draw both a full divorced spousal benefit and SSDI benefits at the same time.

If you qualify for SSDI benefits those benefits would not be reduced for age. However, divorced spousal benefits are reduced for age if you start drawing them prior to your full retirement age (FRA), even if you're disabled. If you're already drawing SSDI benefits, the only way that you could qualify for additional divorced spousal benefits is if 50% of your ex-spouse's primary insurance amount (PIA) is higher than your full SSDI rate. In that event, you could receive a partial divorced spousal benefit equal to the difference between 50% of your ex-spouse's PIA and your full SSDI rate, but that amount would be reduced for age if you start drawing the divorced spousal benefit prior to FRA.

I can't give you any advice about your best filing strategy based on the limited information in your question, so you may want to check with Social Security and/or use our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to explore and compare your options.

Best, Jerry