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Thank you all for the helpful explanations! This makes so much more sense now. It's amazing that married couples can really maximize their benefits this way. My husband and I are both approaching retirement age and I worked part-time for many years, so I'll definitely be looking into whether the spousal benefit might be better for me. Feeling much more confident about our retirement planning now!
I'm glad this thread helped clear things up! Just wanted to add one more consideration for anyone planning their retirement strategy - timing matters a lot with spousal benefits. If you're the higher-earning spouse, delaying your own Social Security past full retirement age (up to age 70) will increase your benefit by about 8% per year, which also increases the potential spousal benefit for your partner. However, the spouse claiming spousal benefits doesn't get delayed retirement credits - their maximum is still 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount at full retirement age. So it's worth running the numbers to see if it makes sense for the higher earner to delay while the spouse starts collecting spousal benefits earlier. Everyone's situation is different!
This is such valuable information about timing strategies! I hadn't considered that the higher earner could delay while the spouse starts collecting. That 8% per year increase could really add up. Do you happen to know if there are any restrictions on when the spouse can start collecting spousal benefits if the higher earner hasn't filed yet? I'm wondering if my husband would need to file first before I could claim spousal benefits, or if there are ways around that.
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I think everyone's missing something important here. If your own benefit at 70 will be higher than your husband's, you should look at whether your own reduced benefit now would be higher than the survivor benefit at 91.86%. It's complicated math, but if your own benefit at FRA is significantly higher than your deceased husband's, then your own benefit reduced at age 65 might still be better than the survivor benefit. Have you checked what your own benefit would be if you claimed right now vs. the survivor benefit amount?
That's actually not the optimal strategy in this case. Survivor benefits and retirement benefits have different rules. The better approach is to take the reduced survivor benefit now (if needed) and let her own retirement benefit grow until 70. This is because: 1) Taking her own retirement benefit early would permanently reduce it 2) She can switch from survivor to retirement at any point 3) If she takes her own retirement early, she can't later switch to just survivor benefits So if her own benefit at 70 will be higher than the survivor benefit, she should preserve that option by not claiming her own benefit early.
Oh! You're absolutely right - I was confusing the rules. Thank you for the correction. So her original plan (survivor now, switch to her own at 70) is actually the optimal approach.
I'm in a somewhat similar situation and found it really helpful to use the Social Security website's benefit estimator to run different scenarios. You can create an account at ssa.gov/myaccount and see estimates for both your survivor benefits and your own retirement benefits at different ages. One thing that might be worth considering - since you're unemployed right now, this could actually be a good time to claim the survivor benefits even if they're reduced. You won't have to worry about the earnings test while you're job hunting, and if you do find work later, you can always reassess whether it makes sense to continue or pause the benefits depending on your new salary. Also, don't forget that any benefits withheld due to the earnings test aren't lost forever - SSA will recalculate and give you credit for those months once you reach FRA. So even if you go over the limit later, it's not as bad as it initially seems. The key thing is you've got the right strategy of preserving your own benefit until 70 if it will be higher. That 8% per year growth is hard to beat!
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I'm in a very similar situation with my Italian pension! Just wanted to add another perspective from someone who went through this process recently. With your 29 years of substantial US earnings, you're in much better shape than most people facing WEP - the reduction should be minimal as others have mentioned (around $60-70/month). One thing I learned that might help: when you do contact SSA, specifically ask them to run a "totalization calculation" alongside the standard WEP calculation. Sometimes the totalization method can result in a higher benefit than the WEP-reduced amount, and SSA is supposed to give you whichever calculation is more favorable. Not all representatives know about this, so you might need to ask specifically. Also, regarding the remote work idea that others mentioned - I was able to structure some freelance work through a US payroll company while living in Italy, which allowed me to pay into Social Security. It's definitely worth exploring if you can get that 30th year! The paperwork was a bit complex but completely eliminated WEP for me. Good luck with everything - the international benefit coordination is confusing but you're asking all the right questions!
This is incredibly valuable information about the totalization calculation! I hadn't heard about SSA being required to use whichever calculation method is more favorable - that could make a real difference in my situation. I'll definitely make sure to specifically ask about running both calculations when I contact them. Your point about some representatives not being aware of this option really reinforces what others have said about getting everything in writing and working with someone who understands international cases. The fact that you successfully structured freelance work through a US payroll company while living abroad is exactly the kind of practical solution I was hoping to hear about. Do you remember if there were any specific requirements or complications with the payroll company setup that I should be prepared for? It sounds like the paperwork complexity was worth it to completely eliminate WEP! Thank you so much for sharing your Italian pension experience - it's really helping me feel more confident about navigating this whole process.
I went through almost exactly the same situation with my Swiss pension and US Social Security! With 29 years of substantial US earnings, you're actually in a really good position - the WEP reduction will be minimal (around $60-70/month as others have mentioned). The totalization agreement between US and Germany helps ensure you qualify for both benefits, but it doesn't eliminate WEP entirely. Here's what I wish I had known earlier: definitely verify all 29 years actually meet the substantial earnings threshold by requesting Form SSA-7050, and seriously consider that remote work angle to get your 30th year. I ended up doing consulting work for a US company while abroad, paid Social Security taxes on it, and completely eliminated WEP. It was absolutely worth the effort! Also, when you contact SSA, ask them to run both the standard WEP calculation AND the totalization calculation - they're supposed to give you whichever is more favorable. Not all reps know this, so be specific. Get everything in writing since phone reps often give conflicting info on international cases. You're asking all the right questions - this process is confusing but very manageable with the right information!
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they never sent me ANYTHING about increases and Ive been working part time for 3 years since I got my ss!!!!
You should definitely check your my Social Security account online to see if there have been any increases. Sometimes they don't send notices for small increases. If nothing has changed in 3 years of working, it would be worth contacting them to make sure your earnings are being properly recorded.
Just wanted to add my experience here - I've been in a similar situation for the past two years. Started collecting at FRA in 2022 and continued working as a freelance graphic designer. My earnings in 2023 were about $78K, which was higher than several of my earlier career years. I did get an automatic recalculation that showed up in January 2024, but like others mentioned, the increase was modest - about $41/month. What I found helpful was creating an account on ssa.gov and checking my earnings record regularly to make sure everything was posted correctly. One thing I noticed is that it can take quite a while for self-employment earnings to show up in their system compared to W-2 earnings, probably because of how SE taxes are processed. So don't panic if you don't see changes right away after filing your return. The increase is definitely worth it even if it seems small - that's an extra $492 per year, and it compounds over time with cost-of-living adjustments. Plus you're still building your earnings record which could help with future recalculations too.
That's really reassuring to hear from someone in a similar freelance situation! I hadn't thought about the self-employment earnings taking longer to process - that makes sense given the different tax filing process. $492 extra per year definitely adds up, especially when you factor in future COLA increases. I'll make sure to set up my ssa.gov account to keep track of everything. Thanks for sharing your timeline and actual numbers - it helps set realistic expectations!
Zoe Papadopoulos
wait i'm confused about something - does he have to wait til hes FRA to get the spousal benefit or can he get it as soon as you file???
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MidnightRider
•He can receive the spousal benefit as soon as she files for her own benefits, assuming she's at least 62 (which she will be). He doesn't need to wait until his FRA. However, since he's already receiving his own reduced benefit, the amount of the spousal addition will also be permanently reduced because he took his benefits early.
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Carmen Ortiz
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! So it sounds like: 1) Yes, he can get some additional amount when I file, but it won't be a full 50% of my benefit 2) The amount will be reduced because he took early retirement 3) We need to specifically apply for this when I file for my benefits 4) Every situation is different, but we might see a few hundred dollars extra per month This really helps us with our retirement planning. I appreciate all the responses!
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Jamal Washington
•That's an excellent summary! One additional thought - if your husband's income is quite low compared to yours, you might want to look into filing strategies that maximize your combined lifetime benefits. For instance, since you're the higher earner, it might make sense for you to delay until 70 if possible, as that would maximize both your benefit and any potential survivor benefit if you predecease your husband. The survivor benefit would replace his lower benefit. Every situation is unique, but it's worth considering.
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