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When can my spouse collect half of my social security?
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For your spouse to collect half of your Social Security:
Here are the steps to collecting half of your spouse’s Social Security:
Read More: Can I Collect My Deceased Spouse’s Social Security And My Own At The Same Time?
Yes, your wife can collect your social security benefits when she turns 62.
When she turns 62, she can start collecting spousal benefits based on your Social Security record.
If you’re already receiving your benefits, she can apply.
If she claims at 62, she gets a reduced amount compared to waiting until her full retirement age.
Her full spousal benefit is 50% of your benefit, but at 62, it’s less than that.
If she has her own Social Security from work, that amount is considered first.
If the spousal benefit is higher, she’ll get a combination of both.
Read More: When A Husband Dies Does The Wife Get His Social Security Disability?
The Social Security spousal benefits loophole refers to a strategy once used by married couples to maximize their collective Social Security benefits.
This tactic involved one spouse claiming benefits at full retirement age and then immediately suspending them.
This allowed the other spouse to claim spousal benefits while the first spouse’s benefits continued to grow.
The Social Security spousal benefits loophole worked like this:
However, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 closed this loophole.
As a result, if you suspend your benefits, your spouse can no longer claim spousal benefits based on your record during the suspension.
The change effectively ended the “file and suspend” strategy for maximizing benefits.
Read More: If My Ex-Husband Remarried Can I Get His Social Security?
Here are other questions clients ask us on this topic.
Yes, you can collect ½ of your spouse’s social security and then your full amount.
Here is how you do this:
Read More: When Can A Widow Collect Her Husband’s Social Security
Yes, your wife can collect your Social Security while you’re alive.
Once you start taking your Social Security benefits, your wife can claim spousal benefits based on your record.
If she waits until her full retirement age, she can get up to 50% of your benefit amount.
If she claims earlier, like at age 62, she’ll get less than half.
If she has her own Social Security benefits from work, she’ll get that amount first.
If the spousal benefit is higher, she’ll receive a mix of both.
No, you can’t collect your husband’s Social Security before he retires.
Your husband must first file for his Social Security benefits before you can claim spousal benefits based on his record.
If he hasn’t started his own benefits, you can’t receive spousal benefits based on his work history.
However, once he files for his benefits, you can potentially claim yours, even if he chooses to suspend them later.
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