Only if he is over 66 and claiming his benefits. But, yes. Call the SS office, they are quite helpful.

Here's an example. I started my SS at 63. My husband has planned on not starting his until he is retired, which should be next year when he turns 69. When he turned 66, he started getting spousal benefits from me. And his new (just this month) medicare B account is under my SS#! But when he starts collecting his own benefits, I'll start to get spousal benefits based on his account, which is more than mine.

Thanks sushipup, that helps a lot. My DH is 67 & drawing now. I plan to start drawing mine next year then when I turn 66 I plan to draw spousal from his account. From what you said it sounds like this will work.

SushiPup, you're saying that one-half of your husband's monthly benefit (when he starts getting it) will be more than 100% of your own benefit that you're now receiving? Hubs and I both receive monthly SS retirement benefits, and his monthly amount is larger than mine (he earned more than I did on an annual basis), but it's not twice as much as what I'm getting.

My husband's benefits are more than my benefits, and 1/2 of his is more than mine. Here's the reference you need.

sushipup, there used to be a way the spouse with the higher employment record could start then suspend a benefit so that the other spouse could immediately receive half of the greater amount. Check into it.

Here's a link to a web page produced by a money manager in Los Altos. It's a quick SS analyzer to help people strategize using the latest rules. It's accurate, up to date, and free. Enter your info and then read the advice. Good luck.

Social Security Analyzer

Snidely, they will always pay the most that you are allowed. With us, me getting full benefit and my husband getting 1/2 of mine was more than my just getting 1/2 of his. Not by much, but a little.

sushipup, I didn't know that. I've had no dealings with SSA.

For people like me who have no previous contact with them and who have no understanding of how it works (including changes in benefit claim approaches occasioned by the recent law change), that tool can point people in the right direction. Once someone has initiated contact and starts receiving benefits, there's nothing further to do.

Snidely, to be a little more clear...

SushiPup originally said, "I started my SS at 63. My husband has planned on not starting his until he is retired, which should be next year when he turns 69. When he turned 66, he started getting spousal benefits from me. And his new (just this month) medicare B account is under my SS#! But when he starts collecting his own benefits, I'll start to get spousal benefits based on his account, which is more than mine."

As you stated, Snidely, the spouse can file/suspend, but the spouse needs to be full retirement age (which, for most of us is 66 but is changing depending on the person's year of birth). That way, the spouse can receive one-half of the suspended amount while his/her own benefit increases because it isn't being drawn upon. The spouse who has suspended payments is also going to receive an increased amount when he/she finally begins receiving monthly payments.

It seems that SushiPup's husband was not yet 66 when she started receiving her benefits at age 63. Because she started receiving her benefits before her full retirement age, she is receiving a permanently reduced benefit. Also, when her husband begins drawing on his own benefits, SushiPup can apply for spousal benefits, but, again because she was not yet full retirement age when she began receiving her own benefits, she will receive a reduced amount of spousal benefits. Here is an example/quote from one of the FAQs on the SSA web site:

"Mary Ann qualifies for a retirement benefit of $250 and a spouse’s benefit of $400. At her full retirement age, she will receive her own $250 retirement benefit, and we will add $150 from her spouse’s benefit, for a total of $400. If she takes her retirement benefit before her full retirement age, both amounts will be reduced." [bolded emphasis added]

Since SushiPup's husband plans on retiring when he is 69, and because he is already receiving a monthly spousal benefit (albeit not nearly as much as what he will receive from his own SS account), he might want to hold off claiming benefits on his own account until he is 70 so that he will receive the maximum. Yes, he could file and suspend so that SushiPup can get an increase by adding the spousal benefit, but since her spousal benefit is going to be less than half of her husband's amount because she filed early, it would be more beneficial to wait.

Hindsight is always 20/20, so it pays to learn as much as you can BEFORE you begin drawing benefits. :-) For example, did you know that if you've started receiving benefits and then come to the conclusion that you should have waited (for whatever reason), you can pay it all back to the SSA and it would be as if you'd never received a dime? You can, but you have only one year exactly in which to do it. Day 366? You're out of luck permanently.

My husband and I both started receiving our SS benefits early -- me at age 64-1/4, and Hubs at age 63-3/4 (quarter-years figure in when calculating amounts). Yes, we would have received more if we waited until full retirement age of 66, or even delayed until age 70. It's not like we needed the payments -- both of us simply put it into savings each month because we each have a government pension from working for the State. But, if I had waited until age 66 to claim my benefits, it would take me over 15 years to recoup the money I received between ages 64 and 66. It would take my husband almost 24 years. And who knows if we'll live that long??

Lindsey, I understand the concepts. I'm unfamiliar with the specifics because I haven't yet needed to know them.

Pension options are usually actuarially identical, you may know that. Meaning, if there are choices, the value of all is the same. If you die at whatever age was used for the calculation, the choice in hindsight didn't matter because all the options led to the same value. If you live longer than what's in the calc, you should have delayed benefits to get the max monthly amount. Die sooner than expected, you should have started at the earliest instance. It's a question no one ever has the right information for when they need to make the choice. Unless chronic illness gives them reason to expect they won't have an average mortality for people their age.

Differences arise with Social Security with the added wrinkle of two workers, two covered benefits, and options as to when to take which and in what combination. Things that are specific to the Soc Sec law.

I'm a retired CPA and tax specialist. My work was mostly in the corporate area, the small amount of personal tax work I did was limited over the years to high net worth individuals. Soc Sec was never something my clients paid much attention to or if they did, it wasn't done with me.

It was actually one of my former partners who told me about this Soc Sec calculator. He and I, and a few other colleagues, have found it useful. We're all pre-Soc Sec age and have other sources of retirement funds. It should be useful to others in their 50s and early 60s who want an easy explanation of what to expect. I think that's why the financial planner put it up on their website.

I have another question. I began drawing widows benefits when I was 60. I am now 67 and planned to continue drawing off my spouses account until I turned 70 at which time I would begin drawing off my own account. Does the new Social Security law in any way affect my situation. I would hate to be stuck with a much lower widows benefit than my own benefit.