# Social security question



## craftychick (Nov 11, 2013)

I will be eligible to take my SS at age 62 on my own record. If I take mine at 62, can I switch to my husbands earnings record at 66 which is my full retirement age?
Would I get the reduced amount on his earnings when I turn 66? I am confused since I won't be using his earnings until then or would I get the full 50%? I know that the 50% at full retirement age is a combination of what I am eligible for plus his to make up the difference.

I've been to the SS site and it talks about widows & spouses with no earnings of their own but I didn't find anything about a person who has their own earnings eligibility but it being much smaller than their spouses. Since I'd like to keep working, I thought taking my reduced SS at 62 would help pay my medical co-pays/deductibels. I won't be eligible for anywhere near his amount due to the difference in our earnings record but it would be enough to make a difference iin my budget.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

There are a few ways in which you can switch from collecting SS on your own record to collecting from your spouse's account. However, I don't know all of the ins and outs of it. Your best bet is to make an appointment with your local SS office. They will sit down with you, run the numbers and then explain each of the options in detail.

There are also a couple of ways to reset, if it turns out that you chose the wrong option. One involves paying back all of the benefit money that you've received and starting over.

Though hubby will be retiring in one year, I haven't yet made the appointment to sit down with Social Security because we are both too young to collect, but an in-person appointment is on the list for our future. Best of luck in finding the appropriate solution for you!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

If your husband is getting Social Security retirement benefits and you file for your own reduced retirement benefits, it is considered a filing for both your own retirement and spouse's benefits. If you file for souse's benefits at full retirement age, it is not deemed to be a filing for both.
In otherword, no you can't file for reduced retirement on your own and hold off to get full spouse's later.
But no way would I take anyone's word for it without checking with SSA. It's all too complicated.


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## ceresone (Oct 7, 2005)

I figured up one time how much more money I would have had if I had waited until I was 65, Quite a bit--but no way could I have paid back the difference. When my Husband died last year, SS was figured on part of his-and part of mine-so it does matter--forever!


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

My former husband is deceased, so I was eligible to file on his at age 60. Had I done that, I could have switched to my own at age 66 if it was higher than what I received through his. That will be next year, so I will talk to a SS representative closer to my birthday. I could also have filed on my own record at age 62 then switched to his at full retirement, but I was better off filing on his. There really are many ways of doing this, so talk to a SS rep. I called the 800#, so didn't have to go into the office except once for them to photocopy my documents.


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## Ramblin Wreck (Jun 10, 2005)

TheMartianChick said:


> One involves paying back all of the benefit money that you've received and starting over.


I think this option went away a few years ago. My plan was to take the $'s at 62 and save it until 66 or even 70 and then decide whether to pay it back and get an increased annuity or just keep the savings. If anyone knows if this option is still open, please give a shout out. I'd like to think I have bad information on the option going away.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

I have a friend who began collecting SS a couple of years ago. I wasn't all that tuned into the conversation at the time because I thought that it didn't really apply to me. She made an appointment with SSA because she worked very few years in her life, but her husband had a full career at a high rate of pay. Since she was married for more than 10 years, she was able to collect benefits on his account. She is the reason that I even knew that you could make an appointment with the SSA office. She learned about the reset option during her appointment.

Edited to add this article:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/retirement/3-financial-do-overs-with-social-security-1.aspx

Another search did indicate that the do-over or reset option, no longer exists. I think that the rest of the information in the article is accurate, though.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I know my Aunt that didn't work, and was married (still married to) for longer than 10 years is receiving retirement off her hubby's earnings.

I know that I have to have the talk with SS this year as August I'll be 62 and I want to know for sure what my options are about getting whichever is the larger amount. Etc.

And I have to get Mom checked on too as I think she could be getting more off Dad's earnings record.


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## craftychick (Nov 11, 2013)

Thank you, I think tomorrow I will call the local SS office and set up an appointment.

My husband will be taking his SS later this summer 2014 so I have to decide what options are best both short & long term for me. He will be going on Medicare but due to his amount of years at his job, his company will continue to provide medical insurance for me at a reasonable cost & it is compliant with the ACA.

My past health history & family history makes me think that taking a reduced amount at 62 would be a wiser choice than waiting until 66 for the full amount, since I have a very real possibility of not making it until I am 66 or at least not living a lot of years past that age. :huh:

I will let you know what the SS people suggest and what I end up deciding to do.

Happy New Year everyone!


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

If you are eligible for your own reduced retirement before he is eligible, I don't think you are required to sign up as a spouse when he later signs up. You could wait until you are full retirement age. But the reduction on your own account stays- just the spouse's part would be unreduced


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