My wife receives SSA Disability Benefits ($948). She is (aage 60) 1 year younger than I am (age 59). If I start my benefits at FRA (age 67), will she be eligible to receive Spousal Benefits on my amount ($2617) instead?

Hi,

Your wife couldn't stop drawing her own benefits and draw spousal benefits instead, but it sounds like she might be eligible for an excess spousal benefit in the future. Your wife's Social Security disability benefits will convert to regular Social Security retirement benefits when she reaches full retirement age (FRA). When you file for your benefits, if your wife applies for spousal benefits her unreduced spousal rate will be calculated by subtracting her primary insurance amount (PIA) from 50% of your PIA. That excess spousal benefit would then be paid in addition to your wife's own benefits, but her spousal rate will be reduced for age if she starts drawing prior to FRA. By the way, a person's PIA is equal to the amount of their Social Security retirement benefit if they start drawing at FRA, or the amount of their Social Security disability (SSDI) benefit.

For example, say Jan is drawing SSDI benefits at a rate of $1000. When Jan is 65, her husband files for his benefits and Jan files for spousal benefits. Jan's husband's PIA is $2600, so Jan's unreduced excess spousal rate would then be $300 (i.e. $2600/2 - $1000). However, since Jan is not yet FRA when she starts drawing spousal benefits her excess spousal rate is reduced for age to $250. That amount would then be paid in addition to Jan's own benefit to give her a combined benefit rate of $1250.

You and your wife may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore and compare all of your options in order to determine the best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry