My wife is on dialysis and just started receiving disability. She is 62. Should she file for Social Security now

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear about your wife's health problem.

There are too many variables involved for me to be able to give you a yes or no answer to your question. If your wife files for her Social Security retirement benefits at age 62 her benefit rate will be reduced by as much as roughly 28%, and that rate reduction would continue for as long as she lives. You and your wife may want to consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore your options so that you can decide which filing strategy you feel would be most likely to maximize your benefits.

If your is unable to work due to her health problem(s), she may want to consider filing for Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits. SSDI benefits are unreduced, and the benefit rate paid is equal to the disabled person's primary insurance amount (PIA). That's the same amount that a person would receive if they start drawing their Social Security retirement benefits at full retirement age (FRA), so if your wife qualifies for SSDI it would be like drawing her unreduced retirement benefits early.

I should also mention that if your wife requires dialysis because she's been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, then she'd likely qualify for Medicare. For more information, refer to the following Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/medicare.htm#kidney.

Best, Jerry