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Can I Get Social Security on My Spouse's Work Record?

  • January 10th, 2024
Q
I am 65 1/2 years old, and as a homemaker I have never been employed. Am I eligible for some Social Security benefits while my 65-year-old husband is still employed? 
A

UPDATE: Under a law that went go into effect on April 30, 2016, a spouse cannot collect Social Security benefits until the worker is actually receiving benefits too. 

When both you and your husband have reached age 66, your husband can file for his benefits and immediately suspend them. This will allow you to begin receiving benefits based on his work record, while his own benefit continues to grow until he reaches age 70. Here’s a link to a more detailed explanation of this claiming strategy.

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Last Modified: 01/10/2024

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