This is from
www.socialsecurity.gov:
Can my spouse collect benefits at age 62 from her work and earnings and then receive a combined total up to 50 per cent from my account when I start receiving benefits at age 65?
The answer depends on the situation. The following information explains two provisions when an individual is entitled to his or her own retirement benefit and is entitled to additional benefits as a spouse.
1. An individual is filing for both his or her own retirement benefit and benefits on his or her spouse's record at the same time.
One of the provisions of the Social Security Act provides that whenever an individual files for reduced retirement or spouse's benefits, that individual is "deemed" to have filed for the other benefit as well. Essentially, this means that if an individual is eligible for both retirement and spouse's benefits in the initial month of entitlement, then he/she must be awarded both benefits. An individual cannot restrict the application to only one benefit when the deemed filing provision of the law applies.
2. An individual is filing for his or her own retirement benefit but is not eligible to file for spouse's benefits on his or her husband/wife's record until the husband/wife becomes entitled.
An individual can elect to receive his or her own retirement benefit as early as age 62, but his or her benefit will be permanently reduced for each month before full retirement age. If the individual is due additional benefits as a spouse, as soon as the husband/wife on whose record he or she is eligible starts receiving Social Security benefits, then the spouse's benefit is payable. If payment of spouse benefits occurs before full retirement age, the benefit is reduced each month between the entitlement date to spouse's benefits and full retirement age.