If I retired at 62 and my husband will retire 2023 at 66 plus, is there a way for me to collect 1/2 of his social security instead of mine?

Hi. You can never stop drawing your own Social Security benefits once you've started drawing them, unless you withdraw your application and pay back all of the benefits you've been paid. And, you can't withdraw a claim for retirement benefits more than 12 months after your initial month of entitlement to benefits. Furthermore, any reduction for age applicable to your own retirement benefit rate for starting benefits prior to full retirement age (FRA) continues for as long as you live.

So, switching from your own benefits to 50% of your husband's benefits isn't an option. What you can do once your husband applies for his benefits is apply for an excess spousal benefit to be paid in addition to your own retirement benefit. But, you'll only qualify for additional spousal benefits if 50% of your spouse'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).

For example, let's say Amy filed for her benefits at age 62. Amy's primary insurance amount (PIA), or full retirement age rate, is $1,000, but Amy's rate is reduced for age to $750 because she started drawing at age 62. Several years later, Amy's husband, Bill, files for his benefits when he turns age 70. Bill's PIA is $2,000, but with delayed retirement credits his monthly benefit rate is increased to $2,640. However, even though Bill's monthly rate is more than 3 times as much as Amy's rate (i.e. $2640 vs. $750), Amy isn't eligible for any spousal benefits because Bill's PIA isn't more than twice as much as Amy's PIA. If Amy applied for spousal benefits, her unreduced spousal rate would be calculated by subtracting her PIA from 50% of her husband's PIA, which in Amy's case is zero (i.e. $2000/2 - $1000).

Best, Jerry