My husband, who is 6 years older than I, began taking his Social Security retirement benefits when he was 68 and I was 62. I heard about the Social Security spousal benefit from my accountant, but thought I had to wait until I was at FULL retirement age, myself, - i.e. 66 - to apply for it. I did apply for it a few weeks before my 66th birthday and will get a spousal benefit amounting to 50 percent of my husband's benefit starting in July, allowing my own worker retirement benefit to grow. However, I was on the Social Security website today and read one of their anecdotes where a person had applied for the spousal benefit at age 62! I had not realized that was possible. I understand that applying at age 62 would have REDUCED my monthly spousal payment (I read that today, also). Even so, I think it would have benefitted me to start collecting the benefit - even though reduced - at age 62. Is it possible to file for that spousal benefit again RETROACTIVELY, allowing me to get those four years of REDUCED payments, realizing that any spousal payments I would receive between now (at age 66) and in the future would ALSO be reduced?

Hi,

No, you can't claim reduced Social Security spousal or retirement benefits for any month earlier than the month that you apply for them, but it doesn't sound like you'd want to do that anyway. I think that you must have either misinterpreted what you read or else the information you read was wrong. If you had applied to start spousal benefits prior to the month you reach full retirement age (FRA), you'd have been deemed to also be filing for your own Social Security retirement benefits. You'd then receive essentially just the higher of the 2 benefit amounts, and your rate would be reduced for age for starting your benefits early. Deeming doesn't apply to survivor benefits (e.g. widow's benefits), by the way, so my answer assumes that your husband is still living.

Since you were born prior to January 2 1954 you are allowed to file for just spousal benefits only without also being deemed to have also filed for your own benefits, but you must wait until you reach FRA to do so (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.15/handbook-1510.html). It sounds like that's what you've done, which is probably your best filing strategy but you may want to make sure by using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore your options.

Best, Jerry