My wife had a stroke 15 years ago. She has remained on SSDI. I am newly retired and do not plan to take SS till I reach full retirement age +, I heard that there is a possibility for my wife to have her SSDI redone at age 65, and potentially increased if her amount is 1/2 or less than mine. Is this true and where can I find this in writing?

Hi. Your wife's Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits won't be redone when she reaches age 65. However, when she reaches her full retirement age (FRA) her SSDI benefits will be converted to regular Social Security retirement benefits. That conversion won't change her benefit rate, though.

Your wife may be able to qualify for spousal benefits based on your Social Security record, but she can't qualify for spousal benefits at least until you apply to start drawing your benefits. And, she'll only be eligible for spousal benefits if 50% of your primary insurance amount (PIA) is more than her own PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA), or their full SSDI benefit rate.

In other words, if your PIA is more than twice as much as your wife's PIA, then when you start drawing your benefits your wife can potentially qualify for a spousal benefit to be paid in addition to her own benefits. Your wife's unreduced spousal rate would be calculated by subtracting her PIA from 50% of your PIA, but her spousal amount would be reduced for age if she starts drawing spousal benefits prior to her FRA.

It sounds like you should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully compare and analyze all of your various options so that you can determine your best overall strategy for maximizing benefits for you and your wife.

Best, Jerry