First, unfortunately, you are not able to collect spousal benefits and subsequently switch to your own benefits at full retirement age (FRA). Second, the fact that your husband began drawing his own benefits early does not affect your spousal benefit amount but early claiming on your part will.
No. You can only have one as your retirement benefit. Your spouse would file for her/his own benefit.
The survivors benefits that you'd receive at 60 would be reduced; check with the SSA to learn how much you'd receive. If you claim survivors benefits earlier than age 62, you can switch to your own record later if the benefits based on your record would be higher.
If you were 62 before Jan. 2, 2016, you can file just for your spousal benefit at full retirement age and wait until 70 to take your own highest possible retirement benefit. This will maximize the excess widow's benefit your wife would collect assuming your age 70 benefit exceeds her retirement benefit.
The first exception, which can be deemed as the Social Security spousal benefits loophole, works where an individual who remarries at 60 or later may still be entitled to Social Security survivors' benefits if the second marriage ends before the death of the first spouse.
To make the switch from a survivor benefit to your own retirement benefit, which will reach its highest amount at age 70, you may either apply online at SSA.GOV or make an appointment with your local office to apply in person.
The spousal benefit can be as much as half of the worker's "primary insurance amount," depending on the spouse's age at retirement. If the spouse begins receiving benefits before "normal (or full) retirement age," the spouse will receive a reduced benefit.
The widow's penalty occurs when a surviving spouse's tax status reverts from married filing jointly to single. If you're a widow or widower, you can file a joint tax return for the year of your spouse's death.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
A Social Security spousal rule that was around for decades ended this year for the last eligible retirees — those who turned 70 on Jan. 1, 2024.
If you become disabled before your full retirement age, you might qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You must have worked and paid Social Security taxes in five of the last 10 years.
You're at least 62 years old. You're currently unmarried. Your ex-spouse is eligible for Social Security retirement or disability benefits.
No, if you turn age 62 on or after January 2, 2016, you are required to file for both your own retirement and for any benefits you are due as a spouse, no matter what age you are. This requirement is call deemed filing.
Whether you're married or divorced, you may be eligible for monthly retirement income because of a change to the Social Security Act that added benefits for retirees' spouses in 1939.1 More than eight decades later, about 1.9 million people receive an average monthly spousal benefit of $887.
If your spouse is not receiving any retirement benefits yet, then you could technically take your regular Social Security benefit as early as age 62. When your spouse files for their benefit later you could switch to spousal benefits.
A widow(er)'s exemption refers to a reduction of tax burdens on a taxpayer following the death of a spouse. State laws vary but generally allow for a reduction in taxes for a surviving spouse for a certain period.
Surviving spouse, at full retirement age or older, generally gets 100% of the worker's basic benefit amount. Surviving spouse, age 60 or older, but under full retirement age, gets between 71% and 99% of the worker's basic benefit amount.
Taxpayers who do not remarry in the year their spouse dies can file jointly with the deceased spouse. For the two years following the year of death, the surviving spouse may be able to use the Qualifying Widow(er) filing status.
You can file the application with a Social Security representative, either by telephone at 800-772-1213 or at your local Social Security office.
If you're eligible for retirement and spouse's benefits, you must apply for both, and you'll receive a combined benefit equaling the higher spouse's amount. This requirement is called “deemed filing” because when you apply for one benefit you are “deemed” to have applied for the other benefit.
The current spouse benefit is based on 50 percent of the PIA of the other spouse. Reduce this percent each year by 1 percentage point beginning with newly eligible spouses in 2025, until the percent reaches 33 in 2041.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.