📹 How Marriage Affects Social Security Payments
You can collect spousal benefits if they’re higher than your individual benefits. You may still be eligible to collect spousal benefits …
How do I get the $16728 social security bonus?
Did you hear about the $16,728 yearly Social Security bonus? There’s no extra money for retirees. The SSA uses a formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount. Try this: 10 Best (and Worst) Places to Retire Without Savings One way to grow your retirement savings in 2024 is to maximize your benefits.
Should you remarry after 60?
Should you get married after 60? People often say that marriage is dying out. More young people are choosing to live together instead of getting married. People do this for the benefits: less paperwork, easier exit plans, and fewer headaches. That’s a bit short-sighted. Cohabiting has issues. Buying a car or house is hard. Over the last decade, the number of cohabiting people has risen by 29% to 18 million. More than half are under 35, and nearly a quarter are over 50. Older adults have the same rights and freedom to make choices as younger people. You can fall in love with the same passion as younger people. You can date, have sex, move in, and make decisions about the rest of your lives. As with any age, there must be conversations about what is the best plan, both emotionally and financially. If you are older than 60, there are different considerations to make. If you have questions, you can ask an organization that helps older adults with paperwork and other things. The Institute on Aging helps older adults live and thrive independently. We offer financial services and help with aging questions. If you’re thinking about getting married after 60, there’s no one right answer. Every couple is different. Asking the right questions can help you and your partner decide and prepare for a long marriage.At the Institute on Aging, we help older adults thrive at home. We help aging adults thrive at home with home care, financial services, and social programs. Contact us today.
What is the best social security strategy for married couples?
Here’s an example of choosing the best way to maximize benefits. The husband is a few years older than his wife. He was the primary wage earner. Both spouses are in average health. In this situation, it’s often best for the husband to start his Social Security benefits at 70, with the wife starting hers at her full retirement age or even earlier. This is called a “split strategy.” It usually gets more for a couple than starting Social Security at the same time. The best claiming strategy for you depends on your situation. For example, if your wife is older or was the main earner, you might want to consider claiming benefits at a different age. Or maybe one or both spouses is sick, so you should claim benefits as early as possible. It’s hard to know what’s best in all these situations. That’s why you should use an online Social Security program or work with a qualified advisor. How can you make up the Social Security gap? Some people want to retire before they can start collecting Social Security. How can you get to the right age for your Social Security benefits? There are two options:
Can I take my social security at 62 and then switch to spousal benefit?
If your spouse isn’t getting retirement benefits yet, you can take your Social Security benefit at age 62. When your spouse files for their benefit, you can switch to spousal benefits. This could increase the total amount of benefits you receive as a couple if they wait until age 70 to start taking benefits. What if your spouse already gets Social Security? In that case, the deemed filing rule applies. If you apply for your regular retirement benefit, you are also approved for spousal benefits if you are entitled to them. You’d get the higher amount. Ready to be matched with local advisors to help you achieve your financial goals? Get started now.
How much Social Security will I lose if I retire at 65?
If you start getting benefits at age 62 and you are: If you are a wage earner, your retirement benefit is reduced to: Your retirement benefit is reduced to: Spouse: 64 months: 85.64 11 months: 86.14 1 month: 87.24.
If you were born in 1960 or later, your full retirement age is 67.
You can start your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but the benefit amount you receive will be less than your full retirement benefit amount. The chart below shows how much of your full retirement benefit you and your spouse would receive from age 62 up to your full retirement age.
What is the maximum Social Security benefit at age 65?
Your benefit depends on your retirement age. If you retire at full retirement age in 2024, your maximum benefit is $3,822. If you retire at 62 in 2024, your maximum benefit is $2,710. If you retire at 70 in 2024, your maximum benefit is $4,873.
Can I collect my ex-husband’s social security?
What is the 10-year rule for Social Security? The 10-year rule applies to divorced spouses who are claiming their ex’s Social Security benefits. You can receive your ex-spouse’s benefits based on your own record if you were married for at least 10 years. The Bottom Line: If you were married for at least 10 years, you may be able to collect Social Security benefits based on your ex’s work record. If you qualify, you can receive up to 50% of your ex’s retirement benefit. Filing for these benefits is simple, and your ex won’t be told when you do.
What is the highest social security payment?
The maximum Social Security benefit at full retirement age is $3,822 per month in 2024. It is $4,873 per month if you retire at age 70 and $2,710 if you retire at age 62. Your Social Security benefit depends on your earnings, your full retirement age, and when you start getting benefits. Get more financial clarity with the NerdWallet app. Track your budget in one place.
What are the disadvantages of getting married at an older age?
The advantages and disadvantages of getting married late are explained. In this part, we discuss the information. Young people today are more focused on their education and careers because they want to be financially secure. People also live together without getting married. Another reason for later marriage is… Late marriage has more disadvantages than advantages. When we review the literature, we realize that the disadvantages are more important than the advantages. All the disadvantages are related to health. Spouses might lose a baby, have a hard time getting pregnant, get HIV, or have a child with a problem. Late marriage also leads to fewer babies being born. The generation gap is also an important factor. If the age gap between parents and children is too big, there will always be conflicts. These conflicts can lead to poor communication in the family. The advantages of late marriage don’t seem more important than the disadvantages. Late marriage can help people grow. But married people can also grow. Many married couples continue their education, careers, and personal growth together. But they don’t have to be together all the time. These couples respect each other’s individuality. Time for personal growth is not an advantage. Also, unmarried people can get education and career opportunities. Women who want to continue their education worry about getting pregnant during their marriage. Men have the same issues because they have to work to support their families. They want to be economically free. Marital stability is an advantage, but there is no proof that it is better than being single. After comparing the pros and cons of late marriage, we believe the cons outweigh the pros. In conclusion, marriage is a significant institution that forms the foundation of society (Karamat, 2016). In developed countries, many people no longer see marriage as important because of things like pre-marital sex, women’s careers, and other factors. With more career opportunities for women and men, they don’t want to have kids or get married early. Young adults are avoiding marriage for many reasons. People are less likely to get married because cohabitation is more common. But late marriage is bad for population growth. Late marriage also affects women’s pregnancy and childbearing. Late marriage has some advantages, like personal growth, financial independence, and other opportunities. People and society should consider the advantages and disadvantages. Some societies support late marriage, but others don’t because of population growth and other reasons. This paper is about late marriage. It’s to help people understand it. Many people delay marriage for various reasons, including education and career opportunities, difficulty finding the right person, getting used to a single life, and becoming comfortable with pre-marital sex and living together. While they wait, they see the advantages. But when they get married, they also face the disadvantages. This paper looks at both the advantages and disadvantages.
Can a wife collect her social security then switch to spousal benefit?
If you qualify for your own retirement and spousal benefits, we will always pay your own benefits first. If your spouse benefit is higher than your retirement benefit, you will get the higher amount. For more info, go to the Benefits for Your Family page.
What is the highest monthly social security payment?
The maximum Social Security benefit in 2024 ranges from $2,710 to $4,873 per month, depending on your age. You can get the most benefits by waiting until you’re 70 to start getting them. Each year you wait beyond full retirement age, your benefits will increase by about 8%.
📹 Social Security Spousal Benefits – MADE EASY to Understand
This video makes understanding Social Security Spousal Benefits EASY. It discloses how to qualify for spousal benefits for both …
Thank you sincerely for all the info you share. Do you have a article related to spousal benefits for a significantly younger spouse who cares for the primary filer’s child? I’ve done some reading on this topic, but would greatly appreciate your more experienced perspective. My spouse and I meet the marriage length requirement and are the biological parents of a child who is under 18 years of age. There is a noticeable age gap between myself and my spouse, where my spouse qualifies to collect social security this year at age 62. What criteria do we need to consider? I also understand that our child qualifies to collect against my spouse until the age of 18. Thank you in advance for tackling this unique topic.
Thank you for answering the question I’ve had for a while & could never find answer to!! Have been divorced 5 years, after being married 31, and wanted to know if I had to wait for him to file. We don’t speak so don’t want to ask him. Question…how can I find out if half of his is more than my full benefit? I doubt it is, but might be. I can’t reach a live person by phone & cannot find the answer on the website. Thanks!!
Always a great post. My personal issue. My wife and I joined the Us Navy 30 years ago. She died on active duty in 2014. I retired recently last year at nearly 30 years. I receive my retirement. I have a part time job. Not sure when I will retire and I know that SS depends on when you receive it. So if I retire at 62, 65, 67 (my full retirement). When do I take survivor benefits and then take my own. Possibly based on employment and full retirement age. Thanks.
Hi Mr. Schmidt, I am enjoying your articles about retirement (I am so confused in general). Anyway, my question is at marker 5:18 when you mention a “$250 top up”, where does that number come from? I get lost at this point. Does everyone get a $250 top up? And I am assuming no one gets over 50% of the primary’s FRA amount if we choose to take that instead of our own amount of working benefits.
Ha! Wow, does this make me feel better. Didn’t work long enough during my life to qualify for Social Security benefits on my own. However, my younger, hard-working spouse will be taking social security when he’s 62. I’ll be 68 at that time, and that’s when I can apply for the Social Security Spousal benefit!
Very helpful article! Question– If my spouse, who was in the military our entire marriage of 25 years, and we are now divorced ( he is 3 1/2 years younger-) can I apply for benefits at 64 prior to him applying? I do have some benefits but he, of course has more. How do I determine what I am entitled to?
Excellent article. Background–I am the older spouse. Neither of us has reached FRA or filed for benefits. Spouse will receive substantially more than me at FRA. Spouse recently passed away. Possible strategy—I file for MY benefit when I turn 65 (and am eligible for Medicare) and then switch to survivor benefit when I reach my FRA. Question—Is this the best strategy? And how does FRA for survivor benefits differ from FRA? And—is there anything else I should consider? Thank You!
I was wondering in order to get spousal benefits, do you have to file after the primary files to get the top up? For instance my Mother in law filed for hers at 63, father in law filed 2 years later at 67, would she have gotten the top up automatically or does she have to file for it? Thanks for these great articles as we plan our retirement.
My wife just got approved for spousal benefits. She had attained her FULL retirement age of 66.4 (born 10/1/56). Social Security started her first retirement payment on January 2023, but she got less than 50% of my own retirement benefit. Any idea why they would lower her retirement amount to less than 50%? even though she qualified based on her FRA of 66.4 and being married for over 35 years?
I would like to see a more in-depth article on the spouse that’s in the “murky” area. The one with the spouse having a benefit that is less then half of the primary and she picks the rest up later. You made it sound like she can either claim her own benefit or half of her spouse’s, not both…so I’m confused.🤔 In my eg: I’m wanting to receive my benefit in June of 2022 (at 62). Hubby isn’t receiving until 2023 at 65. I’m thinking I can receive mine until he retires and then get the “top off” to equal 50% of what he receives at that point. Correct? Or am I stuck with only my own because I filed before him?
Called SS office twice and received the same answer, which doesn’t seem to be the same as you are mentioning unless I missed it. SS said that the spouse is ONLY able to claim 1/2 of the benefit of the other spouse IF you are divorced. If the couple is still married, SS said it is not possible for the married spouse to claim 1/2 of their spouses SS. What gives?
Hi Jeff, I keep coming back to your explanation as the clearest and most useful reference! Do I understand correctly that the “spousal benefit %” is “pegged” the day spouse starts collecting? I know that the spousal benefit does not kick in until the Primary Benefit partner starts collecting. However, the caveat (and my question) regarding the spouse collecting earlier than the Primary, is that the spousal benefit % is pegged the date when the spouse stated collecting, even though the benefit may not be triggered until years later when the Primary Benefit partner starts collecting. It seems this can have a big impact if the Primary’s benefit far exceeds that of the Spouse’s benefit. Thanks so much!!
Interesting. The problem that a friend of mine encountered is she married a man with three children they had two more children. Then he being older an smarter after they had been married for 9 1/2 years he decided to divorce her an marry the nanny. She had just given birth to their last child and had not even gotten home from the hospital. The social security rules should have a clause for this especially since she had not worked.
I got a question for you … lets see if you can answer it. My Wife is on SSDI and get 1400 a month and is 61 years old this year. I read that when she hits her full retirement age 66 and 8 months her SSDI turns into regular SS. If so does than mean she can get it changed to half of what I would get ? I would be over 70 ( the age that I plan on talking SS ) so I would already be collecting SS before she hits her FRA. As of right now mine at 70 will be 3600 so half for her would be 1800 which would be half mine. My question is … would she get that OR half of what I would have got at my FRA of 66 ?
Would you please speak on ‘divorcee benefit?’My financial advisor said that when I am divorced for 2 years, I can file for an increased amount (possibly up to $300/mo), & would be paid from my former spouses paid-in monies, (not his monthly SS check). I understand the divorcee benefit is only an option for those born in 1953 or earlier.
HI! I just came across this article and want to clarify when you say that a spouse with no work history should take the spousal benefit at FRA– Are you saying that the 50% is based on the FRA (age 67+10 mos in my case) even if the Primary waits until age 70? It wasn’t fully clear to me in the article. Thank you for the article– very helpful!
I’m sorry if this question has already been addressed. I’m confused about an ex spouse not being able to collect spousal benefits until their ex partner has their self started receiving SS benefits. I was under the impression that as long as the ex partner was at lest 62 and eligible to receive benefits that it didn’t matter if they had started to collect those benefits. So the ex spouse would be able to collect spousal benefits regardless of whether their ex partner had already started receiving benefits.
It’s crazy💆🏽♀️. I’ve worked all of my life. Current job 26yrs and I’m n pain everyday. 4 more yrs will be my retirement however medically I won’t make it. I don’t want to have any fatalities cause of my bad knees (from job) and serve nerve damage in entire arm on left. (Let’s not talk about lower back). But cause I’m married, it’s hard to get medically retired. Worked other jobs as well. I have paid my way threw society. I don’t want to be on “life long meds”! I don’t want to sit home and gain weight! I hurt everyday. It is so embarrassing cause I look young.
My question is about we had trucking business and paid In ss some years may have not a few times because loss on equipment or showed not much income on a year. Had business 13 years hubby was driver I stay home run office some dispatching. We did taxes together as partners he 60 /40 . I was told ss I don’t qualify for disability if I needed it. Why is that ? Just want know what I can do . We went out business in 2019 he got job but I haven’t yet been hired anywhere and covid hit made it hard on me get one too.
Thanks for the article, the only other question is whether her Social Security benefits are reduced by the Federal Windfall Reduction that’s placed on my Social Security benefits to calculate her 35% at the age of 62? or will she receive the full benefits payments at age 62 35% without being penalized?
Thanks Mr. Schmidt – good stuff! However, my situation is a bit different as follows: My wife is 4 years older than I am and will be 71 by the time I file at my FRA as the primary money earner – and I should get about $2000/mo. However, my wife qualified for her own small social security payment of about $500 at her FRA. Therefore, is it true that she can start collecting her $500 entitlement at her FRA and then receive a $500 monthly top off for the spousal benefit when I file four years later?
Question: I have a non-citizen wife (for three years) …She has not paid into the system and is unlikely to pay into it enough quarters to have her own. She plans on becoming a citizen, however, if she doesn’t she must stay in the states to keep the benefit. I’m 65 and will wait until I’m at full benefit…she’s 45…she will be entitled to something at 62 (if she meets citizenship or residency requirements) ….I’ll start out at about $2,600/ month….what’s she gonna get? Thanks
How hard is it for the SSA to find the correct SS# for a spouse that died in 1992? I’m now 67, my x & I were married 11 years. I just found out he died from my SSA lady, that was helping me. My phone appt. is set up for Aug. 11th. Just wondering how hard it is to find all the correct SS#’s. Thanks for your help!!!
I understand the rules, but not sure how to actually apply for the benefit. Do I file a special form or does SS just do it automatically. I am FRA. My wife is 62 with her own SS earnings (half of mine). I just started collecting. If my wife starts collecting her SS (at the reduced rate) does SS automatically reduce the spousal benefit accordingly that is included in her benefit.
Thanks for the article, very helpful. Here is a clarifying question: I plan on waiting until my 100% FRA at age 67 to start collecting, my wife who also qualifies for SS under her income, but at 25% less than mine, wants to start collecting her SS at age 64. My question is will her decision to start collecting at age 64 will negatively impact what she will receive at my passing. I want her to switch from her SS to my at 100%, does she need to wait until she is also 67 of age for that the 100% survival benefit? Thanks in advance for tackling my question.
Hi there, I’m asking for my mom. She lives in Germany. She is retired. I think we applied for the survivor benefits but I’m not sure it worked. The us tax advisors here can’t help us. There is no phone service in Germany from the us embassy and we haven’t been receiving any response via email for over a month. How do we know we’re doing it right?
I waited til age 70 and 1/2 to get the highest SSI there is. My wife is 62 and has also worked. She is thinking about filing for her benefits now. I inquired with SSA as to whether the the spousal benefit would bring her monthly benefit to 50 % of mine and was told that does not or can not happen until she is at her full retirement age of 67. This does not sound the same and the way you explained it. Can you tell me what I am missing here or is the SSA agent wrong ?
I am in Missouri and I have been a full time mother and have not worked I worked for 10 tears before marriage however social security says I do not qualify for social security benefits so I will be riding me husbands social s benefits we are both 68 and have not filed yet are we in danger? or too late?
I’m trying to find an answer to my question. If a retirement age 62+ person wants to draw from their spouses SSDI benefits, will it lower the amount of SSDI benefits the disabled person receives once the 62+ spouse begins to draw social security from the SSDI spouses benefits? Thank you in advance for any information provided.
my question is if your spouse (who is the top earner and older) retires before 67, does the spouse still get the 50% (minus the deduction if retiring at 62 instead of 67) of what he would have gotten at 67 or what he’s getting when he retired? That’s where I’m confused. My husband is 4 years older than me. He’s decided to retire at 65. I plan on collecting my benefits at 62. I know we both will have reduced benefits, but will mine include his 50% at what he would have gotten at 67 or what he will be getting at 65. Hope my question makes sense.
I just watched your article, but didn’t see my exact scenario and was wondering if you could comment on it. I am the primary earner and my wife does have a earning record. She is older than me, and plans on waiting to file at FRA. Her benefits are lower than her spousal benefits under my record. I do plan on filing early, but not for a year after her. My question is: Can my wife file for benefits at her FRA and then change her filing to spousal benefits after I file?
Do these rules also apply if my spouse is older of retirement age but I am still on SSDI until I turn retirement age in 8 years? In other words, will she still be able to collect at those same percentages and will it affect the amount of SSDI benefits I receive? Or is it better for the spouse to wait for my SSDI to convert to retirement at my age of 67?
I’ve read several articles on spousal benefits but they never cover the situation where the spouse is much older than the primary earning spouse. The always assume an older male who has earned more money. Please address the issue where the spouse is much older and already started receiving benefits at full retirement age. Say the primary hits 62 and claims benefits. Then can the spouse switch over to spousal benefits, and does he get 50% of the primary’s FRA benefit or only 50% of 70%‽
Thanks for the info. Can you address a spouse that files after reaching full retirement age with husband that retired much earlier but she has made 2 to 3 times more money through the work history? Bottom line, she has paid a lot more into SS and don’t want to get shortchanged. Is filing separate benefits the answer?
Nice article! But, I have a couple of questions… I’m almost 65, thinking about filing, spouse is 63 and wants to wait a bit before filing. We both worked the requisite amount of time and each of us will have about the same payout right now (range of $2,300-$2,400 per month for each)…younger spouse a bit higher in that range. If I file now (almost 65) do I have to request the spousal benefit at this time? The second question is should I request the spousal benefit now, and if I do, will the younger spouse get the full benefit 3-4 years down the line, or will one of us only get 50%…?
Hi, if my wife is 3 years older then me and takes her social security now . Will she be able to get up to half of my full retirement age payment now . Or does she have to wait until I turn 62 . She’s 63 now so I know it will be reduced . But will she still be able to get benifit from me when I retire and 62 in 3 years ? Thanks
I filed at 62 got my benefit of $640. which went up to $700 this year I am now 65. My husband filed today at 64 and I went to get my spousal benefit because he was the primary. They only gave me $110 more. He gets $1800. That is not 37.5% I am somehow getting cheated. We have been married 25 yrs. He has an x wife he was married to for 15 years before me.I have been told in the past that she is entitled to a spousal benefit as well as I am. The spousal benefits would not affect each other. I was also told I would be getting around 950 not 810. Can you tell if this is correct?
I would love to hear how social security works for spouses that are legal resident aliens and also a stay at home mother. Would that impact receiving social security? Also,can you clarify what happens if your spouse were to pass away before collecting social security and how that has impact on the collection of spouses social security. Thank you.
I have question about spousal support. I am the spouse of a retired aged husband who has been collecting social security for himself, me and our minor daughter since he retired. The money is deposited into my spouses account only, I have no access to this money, the account is In his name only! I did change the banking account once to have the money deposited into my checking account but he changed it back. So for the past 4 years I have had no access to this money. Is this legal?
I watch your article and I have some questions which I do not know who to ask. I am divorced and my ex-spouse will be filing for retirement or social security at 62. We were married for 16 years am I able to claim part of his retirement social security? I am 50 years old and I do not understand what I am supposed to do. Does the social security administration notify me when he retires? Or do I need to file something myself?
Divorced finalized in 2014. He died in 2018. I have been trying to get a handle on this because it was common law marriage. We were together 35 years total. Had 7 children, and we had to file for a divorce which was granted. I feel I am entitled to some benefits. He was the soul money maker. I worked some, but not enough to collect until I am 65. Thats 8 years away.. So there has to be something for me.
Question: Can I file for benefits at my current age of 63 and then suspend them, thereby allowing my spouse to collect spousal benefits. My SS benefit is larger than hers and then will her spousal benefit increase when I re-file or un-suspend my filing. Thanks “Holy” if you answer. Odd first name BTW….LOL
Question: already retired at 66 with full ss benefit $2500. My wife 44 only got 21 credits, I worked in her business, should she pay me more than herself to boost my ss benefits, which will be her spousal later or is my benefit fixed except for cola, and no matter how much I earn now and pay FICA it’s insignificant?
Just watched this article. Have a question regarding benefit calculation when Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) applies. Will SSA calculate non-working spousal benefit using primary earner’s full retirement age benefit amount (without deducting for WEP). Essentially, if primary beneficiary gets it hit with WEP, same will be applied to spousal benefit.
Im 72 and my wife is 43, also she is a disabled person. I started SS when I was 62 years old and get $749.00 per month. Say I live 10 more years. would she be entitled to any of my SS? As of yet she has not started working in the US, because she is from overseas. But soon she will start working to start her history of working here in the US,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
let’s say the primary earner is 52 and the ex-spouse is 62. The ex-spouse cannot file for spousal benefits until the primary earner is 62. So the ex-spouse has to wait until age 72. Now, do they use the estimated FRA of the primary earner? The primary earner still has 5 more years until the FRA is established and his or her FRA goes up significantly because of higher earnings or COLA, etc. Does the ex spouse get a raise when the FRA is determined and if the primary earner waits until age 70 to file, does the ex-spouse get another raise then?
Hi, can I ask you one more question? Assuming my wife (who has no social benefits on her own) and I are both 67 today, I am trying to delay my benefit until 70 (so I can increase my benefit by 24%). Can my wife apply for her spousal benefit today at 67? Someone told me she can’t apply for spousal benefits unless I already apply for my own benefits, which I don’t want today because I want to delay 3 more years to get 24% more. What do I do then?
Im planning on filing at FRA (66 and 2 months) this coming fall. My husband will not be retiring for 7 more years he’s 60. Please explain to me if I’m going to be able to receive Spousal benefit. I’m having a hard time getting a straight answer. When I called SSA they said I only get retirement from my earnings. thanks
I filed for my SS when I turned 62 last October. My husband who has collected his SS for 22 months died after a short illness on 11/5/21. After speaking with SS, I canceled my application and started receiving spousal benefits this month. My question is about my ex husband. We were married for 11 years. He gets a very low amount now. He just turned 71. Can he apply for his benefits on my record since I withdrew my regular application?
My question is, do they take the money from the primary check holder? Another words the primary spouse draws 2400 dollars. Do they take half of that and give to the ex? Leaving the primary ex drawing 1200? Or does the primary keep their 2400, and the ex gets 1200 just BASED off what the primary draws.?
I’m 63 and my husband is 64 and he is going to start taking s.s. in a few months when he turns 65. He is supposed to get about $3,200 a month according to the ss website. I didn’t work that long and I am only supposed to get around $700 a month (I stopped working over 30 years ago due to having had a child with autism). My husband made well over 6 figures (worked for 45 years) and we didn’t qualify for SSI for our child. I’m not sure how much I am supposed to get at age 64 in a few months. Me and my husband were born in the same month, he’s 11 months older than I am. He decided to stop working due to some health issues he is having. His job is too stressful for him now. When do I get half of his benefit is my question.
My husband was married 26 years with his first marriage. We have been married 18. He started collecting his SSB 16 years ago. His ex (I know she still worked up until covid but I don’t know if she has filed for SSB yet) hasn’t remarried (I think it is so she will benefit from his SS amount). I won’t be able to collect for another 2 years at 62. Will I collect less SSB because my husband has an ex? I’m wondering if it matters or not for me. Thanks!
I was married for 23 years to the first husband (divorced in 2003), who was a year younger than me (b. 1961). He killed himself in 2016. His third wife, a lovely woman, is collecting survivor benefits for herself and their daughter. I remarried in 2004 and, regrettably, had to divorce again before we were married 10 years. In this situation, would I be eligible for any of the first husband’s benefit and, if so, at what age? The complicating factor here is that I work in higher education and do not currently pay into Social Security although I have for most of my working life. I will have a pension from my current employer but can I collect on spouse #1’s benefit? Thank you for your time, I’ve been unable to find an answer anywhere.
I am the 62 year old wife of a 65 year old husband. I have not worked outside the home enough to earn my own social security benefits because we have two children with disabilities, who are now adults, living with us. Are there any special benefits for people like me who have needed to stay home to take care of their children or will I need to wait until I am 67 to file for social security benefits based on my husbands work?
If someone collects spousal support from their spouse benefits. But the spouse that collects the benefit owes back child support. I know they take 50% of their check. But it don’t seem right because the spouse that the spousal support is coming from the spouse who don’t owe the back child support. That’s is coming off the records of the spouse who don’t owe the back child support
Hmmm Sounds like a good reason not to get married…meaning that both persons can just file for their full benefit, especially if the lower earning spousal benefit is greater than 50% of the higher earner…. Taxation would differ of course, married vs single, bur seems like something to investigate.
yeah well I was denied due to as I was boldly told that my husband took his life 7 years 1 month and 2 days 2 early for me to ever qualify ever for my spouses survivor benefits according to the regulations and laws that were changed supposedly in 2012 and my husband killed himself in 2005 and we were married for 25 years and I am disabled and I was told I had to wait to apply for my spouses survivors benefits till I was the age of 50 so I did so I will be 52 July 7th and fighting for my spouses benefits and just had a hearing I am sure I will get a denial and when i first hired my lawyer Dupree he told me oh my god u have a open shut case and then just before the trial I get a letter stating that he was withdrawing me as his client and when I asked why he said well according to the laws and regulations were changed in 2012 for social security and that the laws state that I do not qualify due to my husband killing himself 7 years 1 month and 2 days to early lost sad and frustrated from iowa
Does a spouse with a minimal work history get the 8% annual increase on their own benefit above age 67, and is it possible to exceed the spousal “top-up” like that? In your example, if the spouses personal benefit was 1000 at 67, their benefit at age 70 would be $1240 since it was based on their own earnings record. Is the top-up in this case only $10?
My husband died in 1996. I will be turning 60 next year. And eligible to start taking survivor benefits. Since there is no way to get payout details online I am having trouble deciding how to proceed. Every time I call I am told a different monthly amount. hundreds of dollars different. I understand the formula to calculate If I start taking benefits at 60 it’s 71.5% and to get 100% I would wait until 66 & 10 months I just don’t understand why I keep getting different info. how many months before my birthday should I start the process. All the info out there is for why a spouse dies closer to retirement age or after not at such a young age he was 38. Any advice would help.
If my annual income decreases won’t this also cause my monthly benefit from Social Security to decrease? In August 2016 I early retired from a community college and started collecting a monthly stipend from the State employees retirement system. A month later I accepted a full-time position with a tour company. Because of Covid-19, I’m currently furloughed and have collected unemployment since July 15, 2020. My annual income reported to SSA has been less since 2017 and will be SIGNIFICANTLY less in 2020. I turn 62 in August 2021 and have been considering taking my Social Security early. What are your thoughts?
Is it true an ex-wife can go ahead and collect spousal benefits early while delaying her own benefits until her full retirement age? Read online Wife CAN CLAIM 1/2 OF husband’s SS BENEFITS WHEN WHEN SHE TURNS 62; WHILE DELAYING TAKING HER OWN BENEFITS UNTIL SHE TURNS 67. Often a spouse who worked most of her life will qualify for a primary insurance amount that is greater than the spouse benefit. However, if she needs to leave work early to serve as a caregiver, she may not want to permanently reduce her own benefit by taking it early. In that case she has the option to take a reduced early retirement benefit based on half of the working spouse’s benefit beginning at age 62 and put off taking her own benefit until reaching full retirement age.
Big ups to everyone working effortlessly trying to earn a living while building wealth. I’m 65 and my husband 68 we are both retired with over $3 million in net worth and no debts. Currently living smart and frugal with our money. Saving and investing lifestyle made it possible for us this early even till now we earn monthly through passive income..
The horrible truth is that most spousals are women, and as usual social security punishes them more harshly then men. Example: A man receives $37,194.80 in yearly S.S benefits. Out of that $1,978.80 is taken out to pay for part B. That is 5.32% of his benefits. A woman’s benefit is $18,590.80 minus the exact same part B payments of $1,978 80. . But that comes out to 10.64% of her benefit. TWICE what a man pays. Every woman should be writing their congressperson.
Spousal benefits need to end. Why should MARRIAGE decide how much you can give loved ones? It’s blatantly unconstitutional as well. Give single people the same or give nobody this benefit. Being able to marry should not make you special or better or worth more. My ex will be able to collect on mine so she hopes i keep working until I die. If I marry again that woman will collect on mine also if it’s more than hers. Yet a woman who never marries doesn’t collect on her brothers even if he wants he to be able to. SS is in trouble. The solution according to “experts” is to have workers, toil for years longer. SS would instantly be solvent by eliminating the unconstitutional spousal benefit and the child benefit. The exception for kids would be death of the father. Right now kids born to a 65 y/o man can collect at birth simply because dad was old and mom was young (it’s medically difficult to impossible for older women to give birth so this freebie is for old men only).