Hello,

I began taking Social Security at age 63 (about 4 years ago) and at that time my husband (5 years my senior) signed up for a spousal benefit and began collecting half of my payment while deferring his own SS. When he turned 70, he began collecting his own SS, which is more than double my payment. Am I eligible for a spousal SS benefit?

Many thanks!

Hi. I have no way of knowing based on the limited information in your question. What I can tell you is that the only way that you'd be eligible for a spousal benefit is if your husband's primary insurance amount (PIA) is more than twice as much as your own PIA. A person's PIA is equal to their Social Security retirement benefit rate if they start drawing their benefits at full retirement age (FRA).

If you believe that your husband's PIA is more than twice as much as your PIA, you can apply for spousal benefits in order to get a formal determination of your eligibility from Social Security.

Best, Jerry