Ask the Expert: Can my spouse receive more Social Security benefits because I was classified disabled?

I’m 70 years old and worked for more than 40 years. At 58, I went on Social Security Disability due to a work-related injury. At my full retirement age, my disability benefit automatically switched to regular Social Security. My wife turns 62 in 2024. Is she entitled to more benefits since I was classified disabled?  

No. Her spousal benefit is based on your retirement benefit, not on your disability classification.

Regardless of your age, a Social Security Disability benefit is always an amount equal to the retirement benefit you’d have collected at your full retirement age — what the Social Security Administration calls your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). At your full retirement age (FRA), your disability benefit automatically becomes a retirement benefit. Your monthly check — the same amount — is now paid by a different Social Security fund.

Your wife’s maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your PIA. But she only qualifies for that amount if she claims it at 67, her FRA. At 62, she’s only eligible for 32.5% of your PIA. (One exception: There’s no age-based reduction on her spousal benefit if she is caring for your qualifying child, who must be under 16 or became disabled before age 22.)

An additional wrinkle: If your wife is also entitled to a Social Security benefit based on her own work record, she’ll receive an amount equal to the bigger of the two benefits — not both.

Any potential benefit will be reduced if she files for Social Security before her FRA. The reductions get smaller as she nears 67. She should make an appointment at a local Social Security office, which can provide dollar amounts for her options at different ages.

The bottom line:

Social Security Disability benefits and Social Security retirement benefits are governed by different rules.

More information:

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