Can My Wife Claim Her SS Now and Get Half my SS Benefit Later? – Ask Rusty

Dear Curious: If your wife claims her own SS retirement benefit now (e.g., at 64.5 years), and you are already collecting your own SS benefit, then she will be automatically deemed to be filing for her spousal benefit immediately when she claims her own benefit (she does not have the option to defer claiming her spousal benefit until later). This is a change made by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which requires all those first claiming SS to file for ALL benefits they are eligible for when they claim. What that would mean is that your wife’s benefit now, including her spousal boost from you, would be actuarially reduced by the number of months early she claimed. Her own SS retirement benefit would be permanently reduced by about 15%, and her “spousal boost” (the additional amount she would get as your spouse) would be reduced by about 19%, yielding a combined benefit which is roughly 42% of your full retirement age (FRA) SS benefit. 

The only way your wife can get half (50%) of your FRA benefit entitlement is by waiting until her own full retirement age (66 years and 10 months) to claim. Note too that your wife’s spousal benefit will be based on your FRA entitlement, so if you claimed earlier or later than your own full retirement age, her spousal benefit will still be based on your FRA entitlement.

Also, your wife should be aware that anyone who claims early is subject to Social Security’s “earnings test,” which limits how much can be earned while collecting early benefits. Thus, if your wife is working, she will be restricted on how much she can earn before Social Security takes away some of her benefits. FYI, the earnings limit changes annually, but for 2025 it is $23,420 and, if that is exceeded, SS will take away $1 in benefits for every $2 over the limit. And, FYI, the earnings limit goes up a lot during the year FRA is attained, and the earnings test no longer applies once full retirement age is reached.  

I hope this answers your question, but if you have need additional information, please feel free to contact us directly at [email protected], or call us at 1.888.750.2622. 

Thank you for submitting your question to our Social Security Advisor department. Be sure to share our link with your family and friends. 

This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-security-advisory) or email us at [email protected].