Reduction of benefit amounts for certain beneficiaries

Subject to paragraph (9), if the first month for which an individual is entitled to an old-age, wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit is a month before the month in which such individual attains retirement age, the amount of such benefit for such month and for any subsequent month shall, subject to the succeeding paragraphs of this subsection, be reduced by—

(A) 5 ⁄ 9 of 1 percent of such amount if such benefit is an old-age insurance benefit, 25 ⁄ 36 of 1 percent of such amount if such benefit is a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit, or 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent of such amount if such benefit is a widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit, multiplied by

(B) (i) the number of months in the reduction period for such benefit (determined under paragraph (6)), if such benefit is for a month before the month in which such individual attains retirement age, or (ii) if less, the number of such months in the adjusted reduction period for such benefit (determined under paragraph (7)), if such benefit is (I) for the month in which such individual attains age 62, or (II) for the month in which such individual attains retirement age.

If an individual is entitled to a disability insurance benefit for a month after a month for which such individual was entitled to an old-age insurance benefit, such disability insurance benefit for each month shall be reduced by the amount such old-age insurance benefit would be reduced under paragraphs (1) and (4) for such month had such individual attained retirement age (as defined in section 416( l ) of this title) in the first month for which he most recently became entitled to a disability insurance benefit.

(A) If the first month for which an individual both is entitled to a wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit and has attained age 62 (in the case of a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit) or age 50 (in the case of a widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit) is a month for which such individual is also entitled to— (i) an old-age insurance benefit (to which such individual was first entitled for a month before he attains retirement age (as defined in section 416( l ) of this title)), or (ii) a disability insurance benefit, then in lieu of any reduction under paragraph (1) (but subject to the succeeding paragraphs of this subsection) such wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit for each month shall be reduced as provided in subparagraph (B), (C), or (D).

(B) For any month for which such individual is entitled to an old-age insurance benefit and is not entitled to a disability insurance benefit, such individual’s wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit shall be reduced by the sum of— (i) the amount by which such old-age insurance benefit is reduced under paragraph (1) for such month, and (ii) the amount by which such wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit would be reduced under paragraph (1) for such month if it were equal to the excess of such wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection) over such old-age insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection).

(C) For any month for which such individual is entitled to a disability insurance benefit, such individual’s wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit shall be reduced by the sum of— (i) the amount by which such disability insurance benefit is reduced under paragraph (2) for such month (if such paragraph applied to such benefit), and (ii) the amount by which such wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit would be reduced under paragraph (1) for such month if it were equal to the excess of such wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection) over such disability insurance benefit (before reduction under this subsection).

(D) For any month for which such individual is entitled neither to an old-age insurance benefit nor to a disability insurance benefit, such individual’s wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit shall be reduced by the amount by which it would be reduced under paragraph (1).

(E) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, if the first month for which an individual is entitled to a widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit is a month for which such individual is also entitled to an old-age insurance benefit to which such individual was first entitled for that month or for a month before she or he became entitled to a widow’s or widower’s benefit, the reduction in such widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit shall be determined under paragraph (1).

If—

(A) an individual is or was entitled to a benefit subject to reduction under paragraph (1) or (3) of this subsection, and

(B) such benefit is increased by reason of an increase in the primary insurance amount of the individual on whose wages and self-employment income such benefit is based,

then the amount of the reduction of such benefit (after the application of any adjustment under paragraph (7)) for each month beginning with the month of such increase in the primary insurance amount shall be computed under paragraph (1) or (3), whichever applies, as though the increased primary insurance amount had been in effect for and after the month for which the individual first became entitled to such monthly benefit reduced under such paragraph (1) or (3).

(A) No wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit shall be reduced under this subsection— (i) for any month before the first month for which there is in effect a certificate filed by him or her with the Commissioner of Social Security, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Social Security, in which he or she elects to receive wife’s or husband’s insurance benefits reduced as provided in this subsection, or (ii) for any month in which he or she has in his or her care (individually or jointly with the person on whose wages and self-employment income the wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit is based) a child of such person entitled to child’s insurance benefits.

(B) Any certificate described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall be effective for purposes of this subsection (and for purposes of preventing deductions under section 403(c)(2) of this title )— (i) for the month in which it is filed and for any month thereafter, and (ii) for months, in the period designated by the individual filing such certificate, of one or more consecutive months (not exceeding 12) immediately preceding the month in which such certificate is filed; except that such certificate shall not be effective for any month before the month in which he or she attains age 62, nor shall it be effective for any month to which subparagraph (A)(ii) applies.

(C) If an individual does not have in his or her care a child described in subparagraph (A)(ii) in the first month for which he or she is entitled to a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit, and if such first month is a month before the month in which he or she attains retirement age (as defined in section 416( l ) of this title), he or she shall be deemed to have filed in such first month the certificate described in subparagraph (A)(i).

(D) No widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit for a month in which he or she has in his or her care a child of his or her deceased spouse (or deceased former spouse) entitled to child’s insurance benefits shall be reduced under this subsection below the amount to which he or she would have been entitled had he or she been entitled for such month to mother’s or father’s insurance benefits on the basis of his or her deceased spouse’s (or deceased former spouse’s) wages and self-employment income.

For purposes of this subsection, the “reduction period” for an individual’s old-age, wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit is the period—

(A) beginning— (i) in the case of an old-age insurance benefit, with the first day of the first month for which such individual is entitled to such benefit, (ii) in the case of a wife’s or husband’s insurance benefit, with the first day of the first month for which a certificate described in paragraph (5)(A)(i) is effective, or (iii) in the case of a widow’s or widower’s insurance benefit, with the first day of the first month for which such individual is entitled to such benefit or the first day of the month in which such individual attains age 60, whichever is the later, and

(B) ending with the last day of the month before the month in which such individual attains retirement age.

For purposes of this subsection, the “adjusted reduction period” for an individual’s old-age, wife’s, husband’s, widow’s, or widower’s insurance benefit is the reduction period prescribed in paragraph (6) for such benefit, excluding—

(A) any month in which such benefit was subject to deductions under section 403(b), 403(c)(1), 403(d)(1), or 422(b) of this title,

(B) in the case of wife’s or husband’s insurance benefits, any month in which such individual had in his or her care (individually or jointly with the person on whose wages and self-employment income such benefit is based) a child of such person entitled to child’s insurance benefits,

(C) in the case of wife’s or husband’s insurance benefits, any month for which such individual was not entitled to such benefits because of the occurrence of an event that terminated her or his entitlement to such benefits,

(D) in the case of widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits, any month in which the reduction in the amount of such benefit was determined under paragraph (5)(D),

(E) in the case of widow’s or widower’s insurance benefits, any month before the month in which she or he attained age 62, and also for any later month before the month in which she or he attained retirement age, for which she or he was not entitled to such benefit because of the occurrence of an event that terminated her or his entitlement to such benefits, and

(F) in the case of old-age insurance benefits, any month for which such individual was entitled to a disability insurance benefit.

The amount of the reduction for early retirement specified in paragraph (1)—

(A) for old-age insurance benefits, wife’s insurance benefits, and husband’s insurance benefits, shall be the amount specified in such paragraph for the first 36 months of the reduction period (as defined in paragraph (6)) or adjusted reduction period (as defined in paragraph (7)), and five-twelfths of 1 percent for any additional months included in such periods; and

(B) for widow’s insurance benefits and widower’s insurance benefits, shall be periodically revised by the Commissioner of Social Security such that— (i) the amount of the reduction at early retirement age as defined in section 416( l ) of this title shall be 28.5 percent of the full benefit; and (ii) the amount of the reduction for each month in the reduction period (specified in paragraph (6)) or the adjusted reduction period (specified in paragraph (7)) shall be established by linear interpolation between 28.5 percent at the month of attainment of early retirement age and 0 percent at the month of attainment of retirement age.

For purposes of applying paragraph (4), with respect to monthly benefits payable for any month after December 1977 to an individual who was entitled to a monthly benefit as reduced under paragraph (1) or (3) prior to January 1978, the amount of reduction in such benefit for the first month for which such benefit is increased by reason of an increase in the primary insurance amount of the individual on whose wages and self-employment income such benefit is based and for all subsequent months (and similarly for all subsequent increases) shall be increased by a percentage equal to the percentage increase in such primary insurance amount (such increase being made in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (8)). In the case of an individual whose reduced benefit under this section is increased as a result of the use of an adjusted reduction period (in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (3) of this subsection), then for the first month for which such increase is effective, and for all subsequent months, the amount of such reduction (after the application of the previous sentence, if applicable) shall be determined—

(A) in the case of old-age, wife’s, and husband’s insurance benefits, by multiplying such amount by the ratio of (i) the number of months in the adjusted reduction period to (ii) the number of months in the reduction period,

(B) in the case of widow’s and widower’s insurance benefits for the month in which such individual attains age 62, by multiplying such amount by the ratio of (i) the number of months in the reduction period beginning with age 62 multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent, plus the number of months in the adjusted reduction period prior to age 62 multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent to (ii) the number of months in the reduction period multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent, and

(C) in the case of widow’s and widower’s insurance benefits for the month in which such individual attains retirement age (as defined in section 416( l ) of this title), by multiplying such amount by the ratio of (i) the number of months in the adjusted reduction period multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent to (ii) the number of months in the reduction period beginning with age 62 multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent, plus the number of months in the adjusted reduction period prior to age 62 multiplied by 19 ⁄ 40 of 1 percent,

such determination being made in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (8).

When an individual is entitled to more than one monthly benefit under this subchapter and one or more of such benefits are reduced under this subsection, paragraph (10) shall apply separately to each such benefit reduced under this subsection before the application of subsection (k) (pertaining to the method by which monthly benefits are offset when an individual is entitled to more than one kind of benefit) and the application of this paragraph shall operate in conjunction with paragraph (3).