I’m confused about spousal benefits. My wife began receiving SS in Feb 2021 at age 62 1/2. I will begin my benefits in April at age 65 1/2. My wife received a letter to apply for spousal benefits. If she takes it does this still allow her to get more of my benefits if I die before her? I just don’t understand the theory behind spousal benefits? Are we able to wait until she’s say 64 to apply for spousal benefits? If she apply snow and the difference is not enough to matter does that application stay active u til it does matter?

Hi. No, your wife couldn't choose to wait until later to claim spousal benefits. People born after January 1 1954 are not allowed to file for either spousal benefits or their own Social Security retirement benefits without filing for both benefits at the same time. So, when your wife filed for her benefits she was also effectively filing for spousal benefits.

Therefore, if your first month of entitlement to your benefits is April, then your wife would have to take any excess spousal benefits that she qualifies for starting with April. Doing so won't help or hurt what she could be paid as a widow. What will limit the amount that your wife could be paid as your widow is you starting your benefits early. As a widow your wife could be paid up to the higher of her own benefit rate or your benefit rate, so the sooner you start drawing your benefits prior to age 70, the lower your wife's potential widow's benefit rate would be.

If your wife files for spousal benefits and she doesn't qualify, her claim for spousal benefits would be disallowed but she would still be considered to have already applied for spousal benefits should she ever qualify for them in the future.

Unreduced excess spousal benefits are calculated by subtracting the spouse's primary insurance amount (PIA) from 50% of the worker's 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). However, the excess spousal amount is reduced for age if taken prior to FRA. For example, say Amy files for her benefits this year at age 62 1/2. Amy's primary insurance amount (PIA), or full retirement age rate, would be $800, but Amy's rate is reduced for age to $593. Later this year, when Amy is 63, her husband applies for his benefits. Amy's husband's PIA is $2000, so Amy's unreduced excess spousal rate is calculated by subtracting her PIA from 50% of her husband's PIA. In Amy's case, that amounts to $200 (i.e. $2000/2 - $800). However, since Amy is only 63 when she becomes eligible for spousal benefits her spousal rate is reduced to $143. That amount is then paid in addition to Amy's own reduced rate of $593 to give her a combined rate of $736 (i.e. $593 + $143).

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Best, Jerry