Hello, my 62 year old husband is on Disability Social Security. He began collecting at 61 due to Lewy Body Dementia disease. I will be 61 in October 2016. I have read in your column that spouses can collect additional monies from their spouses SS even while the spouse is collecting. Is this the case with Disability Social Security. I am now wrestling with when I should begin taking SS - at 62 or 66 and 2 months? I am not working as I am the primary caregiver for my husband. We are currently living off our savings and his DSS payments. Please let me know if you need additional information to formulate your answer to me. MANY THANKS! Debbie

Hi Debbie,

I'm sorry to hear about your husband's illness.

You could be eligible for reduced spousal benefits on your husband's record as early as age 62, but whenever you file for spousal benefits, you'll be forced to also file for benefits on your own account. You'll basically just receive the higher of the 2 benefits, and if you start drawing prior to your full retirement age (FRA), your benefit amount will be reduced for as long as both you and your husband are living.

Whenever you elect to file, it's important to know that if your husband dies before you, your potential widow's benefit will be calculated based on your age at that time. If you are at FRA or older, the potential widow's benefit would be 100% of his disability benefit amount, which will convert to retirement benefits at his FRA. However, if you are also entitled on your own account, you will only receive the higher of the 2 benefits.

The choice of starting benefits at age 62, age 70, or somewhere in between is a personal choice. The best choice depends on a number of factors, some of which can't be predicted in advance, such as the lifespan of you and your husband. You may wish to consider running the maximization software available on this website in order to get a better understanding of your options.

Best, Jerry