Larry I am 54 1/2 I work full time (23 years)but I am also caregiver for my husband who is disabled from double lung transplant my question is if I have to stop working to take care of him will I still qualify for early social security at 62? And should I be widowed would I qualify for Widows benefits at 60? it is so confusing!

Hi,

Yes, as long as you have at least 40 quarters of Social Security coverage (i.e. 10 years) your could start drawing Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. And, if your husband is drawing his benefits you could potentially qualify for spousal benefits as early as age 62, but only if your own full retirement age rate (PIA) is less than 50% of your husband's full retirement age rate. You could basically just qualify for the higher of those 2 rates, and your rate would be reduced for age if you start drawing benefits prior to your full retirement age (FRA) of 67.

If your husband dies before you, you could potentially qualify for widow's benefits as early as age 60 or even before then if you're disabled. But again, your widow's rate would be reduced for age if you start drawing before your FRA. In that event you could potentially file for widow's benefits first and for your own retirement benefits later, or vice versa. Regardless of what the future may hold, you should strongly consider using our maximization software to explore your filing options and determine your best strategy before you file for benefits.

Best, Jerry