The moment someone applies to Social Security, there is a hope and belief that everything will go smoothly. Despite recent reductions in force at the Social Security Administration, the application process has been in place for many years. 

As this Redditor posting in r/SocialSecurity on Reddit shows, even long, stable processes can be imperfect at times. Well, at least that’s how they think based on some math on their end, based on how much they should be earning based on their husband’s Social Security payments. 

Social Security Payments

In the case of this Redditor, her 76-year-old husband waited until he turned 70 to start collecting his Social Security payments. As a result, he is currently earning $3,212 every month. In her case, her records indicate that, based on her husband’s earnings and payments, she should be earning around $1,000 per month, which is exactly what she is earning. 

However, she believes the Social Security Administration has made a mistake. Her belief and assumption are that she should be earning 50% of his monthly payment, which is where the idea that even longstanding processes can be imperfect comes into play.

Based on her familiarity with the Social Security subreddit, the original poster is hoping to gain some clarity. Is she right or wrong on how much she should be earning based on her husband’s benefit amount? 

A Disappointing Answer

Unfortunately, for this Redditor, her understanding of the situation is incorrect, according to other Redditors, and she is earning exactly what she should be receiving. At most, she is entitled to 50% of his PIA (primary insurance amount), but his benefit is as of Full Retirement Age, not at age 70 or the current benefit amount. 

In other words, the amount the wife, the original poster, receives is based on what the Redditor started earning at the age of 66 (based on his 1949 birth date). As the original poster applied for Social Security early, there was an expectation that when her husband started receiving payouts, it would be equivalent to 50% of his benefit.

The reality is that had she waited until her own Full Retirement Age of 66 to apply for Spousal benefits, she would have been entitled to 50% of whatever benefit her husband would receive at 66. As she applied at 62, she was eligible for 32.5% of his PIA, not his current benefit amount. The Social Security Administration makes this very clear, so the amount she is receiving is exactly what she is entitled to based on the current rules.

Cancel and Reapply

The good news is that she can cancel and reapply when she turns 67. At this point, she would then be entitled to the 50% benefit amount of her husband’s Full Retirement Age benefit. The challenge is that her husband must be alive in five years, when she turns 67. If he passes between now and then, she is only entitled to survivors’ benefits, which changes the math entirely. 

While this isn’t necessarily the most sound scenario, given the likelihood of a life-changing incident, it’s arguably the best option. However, an alternative choice is to contact a local Social Security office or call the Social Security Administration directly to obtain more specific answers. 

The big takeaway here is that, based on current Social Security policy, spouses don’t get credit for any wage earner’s delayed retirement credits. While the husband received an increased payment by waiting until 70, there is no real benefit for the wife or Redditor. Based on the current math, had she waited, she would have been earning approximately $1,428.50, or $428.50 more per month than she is earning now. 

 

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.