My husband is disabled as is my daughter age 28, and she receives benefits on his record. I had to quit work six months ago due to illness. I will be 62 in July. I have been advised to file for disability But I am not sure that will benefit me, if I succeed, more than filing for regular SS on my own record which be less than a third of my husbands.
I do not know if I would get more off of his record as she is already receiving off of his.
And if I do receive disability will the benefit still be reduced if on his record. I’m so confused and have no idea what to do.
He receives 1610 and she receives half of that. To add to the mix someone said to file for benefits as I take physical care of him and help her daily. This is new. However she does not live with us.

Hi,

If you could qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI), it would almost certainly be advantageous for you to file for them. If approved, you would then receive your full retirement age (FRA) rate on you own record, as opposed to a reduced rate of 26% - 27% less if you filed just for retirement benefits at age 62. You could also potentially qualify for Medicare coverage sooner (i.e. 2 years after your 1st month of SSDI entitlement).

If 50% of your husband's SSDI rate is higher than your own SSDI rate (i.e. FRA rate, or PIA), then it's possible that you could also qualify for additional spousal benefits at age 62 or later. However, your spousal benefits would be reduced if you start taking them before FRA even if you qualify for SSDI. You may, though, qualify for unreduced spousal benefits even before age 62 if your disabled daughter is classified as in your care by Social Security's rules, but that may be questionable if she's not living with you. For more information on that provision, refer to Social Security's operations manual: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0301310035 & https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0301310040.

If you are eligible for spousal benefits and you file for them then the family maximum benefit (FMB) comes into play. If you filed just for spousal benefits then it sounds like any spousal benefits that you receive would likely just reduce your daughter's benefits roughly dollar for dollar. But, if you qualify for SSDI or if you file for your regular retirement benefits then the FMB on your record could likely be combined with your husband's FMB in order to free up more total benefits to be paid to your family.

Your situation is quite complex, but our maximization software should be able to sort this out for you so that you can determine your best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry