I'm hearing about a SS benefit called, " spousal bump". Is there such a thing. I will turn 66 on September of this year. I retire November of this year and don't get my first ck till January of 2022. My wife is on disability and won't be 66 till June of 2022. Once again. Is the Spousal Bump for real, and how does it work.

Thank you

Hi. There's no benefit specifically named a 'spousal bump', but I assume that what you've heard about are excess spousal benefits. If a person is receiving their own Social Security benefits and if they also apply for spousal benefits, any spousal benefit for which they qualify would only be a partial, or excess, benefit.

For example, say Ray files for his Social Security retirement benefits at full retirement age (FRA). Ray's FRA rate, which is equal to his primary insurance amount (PIA), is $800. Several months later, Ray's wife applies for her benefits and her PIA is $2000. Ray's unreduced excess spousal benefit would then be calculated by subtracting his PIA from 50% of his wife's PIA, which in Ray's case amounts to $200 (i.e. $2000/2 - $800). Ray would then be paid the excess spousal benefit in addition to his own benefit, making his combined benefit $1000 (i.e. $800 + $200).

Note that excess spousal benefits can only be payable if one member of a couple has a PIA that's more than twice as much as the other spouse's PIA. It sounds like you and your wife should strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze all of the options available to you so that you can determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry