The Savings Game: Reader questions about Social Security benefits
Q. I just turned 65, and I haven’t applied for a Social Security benefit yet. My husband applied for his benefits when he retired at age 70. If I apply for a spousal benefit, will I be entitled to 50% of his benefit?
A. Unfortunately, you will not be eligible for a spousal benefit equaling 50% of your husband’s benefit unless you wait until you reach 67, your full retirement age. If you apply for a spousal benefit now, you will get less than 50% of his benefit. You will also be filing for a benefit based on your own work record, and you will be entitled to whichever benefit is higher, the spousal benefit or the benefit based on your work record. Touch base with a Social Security representative and determine what your potential benefits (either spousal or for your own work) would be now and what they would be if you waited until age 67 to file. Once you have that information, you can make a better decision.
Q. My wife is disabled and is receiving disability income from her employer for work outside Social Security, as well as disability income from Social Security. My daughter is 17 and plans to go to college. I am approaching my full retirement age. I am concerned about the income my wife and daughter would receive if I predecease my wife. My wife is a few years younger than me.
A. If you predecease your wife, her survivor benefit based on your work record depends on her age then. For example, at age 60, her survivor benefit would be 71.5% of your Social Security benefit, and it would be prorated up to 100% when she reaches her full retirement age. Because she is already receiving Social Security disability benefits, she would only be entitled to whichever amount is higher, her Social Security disability income or her survivor benefit, which would be dependent on her age at that time. Your daughter would be eligible for a survivor benefit if she is under 18 at the time of your death, or if she is under age 19 and a high school student. She is now receiving disability benefits based on your wife’s working record. She would only be eligible for whichever benefit is higher, her disability benefit based on your wife’s working record or a survivor benefit based on your work record. She would be eligible for 75% of your full retirement benefit only as long as she is under the age of 19.
Q. I am receiving a pension for work I have done outside Social Security. I am 68. I have not worked long enough under Social Security to be eligible for a benefit based on my work record. My wife is retired under Social Security, and is receiving a benefit for her work record. After she applied for her benefit, I applied for a spousal benefit and was turned down because I was told my pension was too high. Because of the repeal of WEP and GPO, am I now eligible for a spousal benefit, and will I be eligible for a survivor benefit if my wife predeceases me?
A. You definitely will be eligible for a spousal benefit now. You were turned down when you applied because your spousal benefit was discounted by two-thirds of your pension. Now you are entitled to 50% of her Social Security benefit. If your wife does predecease you, you would then be entitled to 100% of her Social Security benefit at that time as a survivor benefit because you have already reached your full retirement age.
Q. I retired from work outside Social Security. I never worked under Social Security. I never applied for any Social Security benefit, because I was told I was not eligible because of my significant pension. I am 65. My husband, who is 68, only worked under Social Security and retired when he reached his full retirement age. I was told by several individuals that I am now eligible for a spousal benefit (I never applied before), and if my husband dies before me, I would be eligible for a survivor benefit. I recently applied to Social Security for a spousal benefit, and was told by a representative that, because I never applied previously, I was not eligible for the benefit. Is that correct?
A. No, that is not correct. You are eligible for a spousal benefit now, and you should be eligible retroactively to receive that benefit from January 1, 2024. You should file an online appeal at: https://www.ssa.gov/apply/appeal-decision-we-made
Elliot Raphaelson welcomes your questions and comments at raphelliot@gmail.com.
Originally Published: May 2, 2025 at 4:46 PM EDT