Can my husband claim spousal benefits at FRA? I am 61 and thinking about claiming social security benefits next year (age 62) and possibly working very little (very part-time) for another year or two. My husband is 63, receives a pension from the military (retired Marine officer), and doesn't plan to claim social security benefits until age 70. He works part-time and may continue doing this for a couple of more years. Can he claim spousal benefits at his FRA of 66 years and 2 months? We have almost exact social security benefits.
Many thanks!

Hi,

My wife is older than me and had significantly less earnings than me. Can she claim her own SSDI benefit at SSNRA and then when I file for my own at age 70 will she the full higher dependent amount for me waiting until 70 or would she be limited to my dependent amount as if I had filed at SSNRA?

Hi,

I am a widower drawing ss on my wife. can I also draw my own ss? I am 62

Hi,

I was divorced after 25 years of marriage in 2000. My ex-husband never remarried, and died in 2005. I remarried in 2009 not knowing I would be exempted from collecting his social security benefits after 25 years of marriage, as I was not aware of the "age 60" rule. Additionally, I lost my job at age 50 due to economic changes, and the best I could do was no longer the 6 figure income, but $42k annual. I now have a whopping $562/month SSI benefit. Is/was there anything different I can do to increase my benefits?

Hi,

My wife will turn 62 in January 2018 and wants to begin collecting her individual benefit of 800 a month, I will not retire for two more years in January of 2020, with an FRA of 2600 per month. Complicating issues are an adopted child who will be 10 years old, If my wife is already collecting on her work record, is she required to file for a spousal benefit if she is caring for a minor child? The child will receive half of my benefit leaving about 500 of our family maximum. Or can she wait until the child is 16 and she will be over her FRA?

Hi,

I will turn 66 next July 2018 and want to take by social security benefit then ($1791). I am the lower earner, and my husband will be 63 next year. If he waits until he is 66, his amount is $2824. He is wanting me to file and suspend, and he will claim his social security early. How does this affect us? Is the file and suspend still available - and it will let my amount grow until I am 70? Please explain so we can maximize our social security benefits.

Hi,

I am 67 and my wife is about to turn 64. I plan to wait until 70 to begin collecting social security. At 70 my benefit is projected to be $2500. (If I started collecting now it would be $1850.) If my wife begins collecting her personal benefit now her benefit will be $850. If she does so, can she then apply for spousal benefits once I begin receiving benefits at 70? At that point would she receive $1250 in benefits? Would this be the best way to maximize our lifetime benefits, especially assuming we live to a ripe old age?

My husband, born in Oct. 1944, filed at age 62 (forfeiting 25% of his FRA). I was born in Sept. 1954. I was a stay-at-home mom for 20 years; my own full benefit estimate is ca. $580. At the moment, both our grown children live with us while they look for work, and we have been burning through savings for a couple of years. I had to leave my job to help my mother through her cancer, and am still unemployed. I am loath to do anything that will lessen my own eventual personal spousal/survival benefit, but am waking up at night in a panic worrying about money.

Hi, my parents are just starting to run through their options. My father is 68 (5/1949) and my mother is 61 (1/1949). My father will be retiring early next year and plans to wait until 70 to claim and my mother is considering 62. Based on the age gap and the fact that my mother is the lower income earner and his benefits are more than 50% of my mothers does that strategy make since? The big question is- if she files on her own record now at the reduced benefit will she be able to switch to a spousal benefit based on his FRA.

I suspended my social security at 62. I am now 66. I was born in 1951. My wife was born in 1954. Can I suspend my social security , My wife will begin to take her social security. I will take 1/2 of her benefit as a spousal benefit. I will take my own social security at 70. Can I do this?

Hi,