Something important to consider - even though the child receives these benefits, they technically belong to the parent/guardian to use for the child's benefit. For tax purposes, if the benefits exceed certain thresholds, they may be taxable. Your client should keep this in mind for future tax planning. The child should have received a separate SSA-1099 for his benefits, which would need to be reported if they exceed the taxable thresholds.

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone new to this community, I had no idea dependent children could receive Social Security benefits when a parent retires. I'm 35 with young kids and always assumed Social Security was just for retirees and survivors. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like this could be relevant for families where parents have children later in life. A few questions for the group: Is there any difference in benefit amounts if the child is adopted vs biological? And does the timing of when the parent files for retirement benefits affect the child's eligibility at all? Thanks for sharing all this knowledge - I'm learning so much!

I just wanted to chime in as someone who recently went through this process - the advice here is spot on about the monthly earnings test for first-year retirees! I retired at 63 last year after earning well over the annual limit in my first few months of work. The key is being very clear on your application that you're permanently retiring from your career job and will only have minimal earnings (under $1,950/month) going forward. One thing I'd add is to also think about any retirement account withdrawals or pension payments you might receive - these generally DON'T count as earnings for the Social Security earnings test, only wages and self-employment income do. So if you're planning to supplement your income with 401k withdrawals or pension payments, those won't affect your Social Security benefits under the earnings test. The whole system is definitely confusing at first, but once you understand the grace year rule it makes much more sense!

As someone who works in retirement planning, I can confirm what others have shared about the "grace year" rule - it's one of the most misunderstood aspects of Social Security! The key point is that SSA will automatically apply whichever earnings test is MORE FAVORABLE to you in your first year of retirement. Since you're retiring midyear after already exceeding the annual limit, they'll definitely use the monthly test ($1,950/month) for July-December. One additional tip: when you apply, be very specific about your retirement date and future earnings expectations. SSA needs to clearly understand that you're making a permanent work status change, not just taking a temporary break. Also, if you have any employer-sponsored benefits that might pay out after retirement (like unused sick time), coordinate the timing carefully since these count as earnings in the month received. The grace year rule really does work as described here - I've helped many clients navigate this successfully!

I just went through this process last fall and wanted to share my experience! I initially planned to apply online but ended up scheduling a phone appointment after reading about the spousal benefit complications, and I'm so glad I did. The SSA representative was incredibly helpful - she not only processed my retirement application but also helped us figure out that my husband would indeed benefit from filing for spousal benefits (he had been receiving his own small benefit for a few years). She was able to get his spousal benefit application submitted during the same call, which saved us weeks of back-and-forth. One thing I learned: even though spousal benefits can be backdated up to 6 months, it's much smoother if you coordinate both applications at the same time. The rep told me she sees a lot of people miss this coordination step when they apply online. To answer your original question - I'd definitely recommend the phone appointment route given your wife's situation. Yes, it might take a bit longer to get scheduled, but having an expert walk you through both applications simultaneously is worth it. Plus, you'll have documentation of exactly what was discussed and when applications were submitted.

I'm approaching my FRA in a few months too and have been researching this exact question! Based on everything I've read here and elsewhere, it really sounds like the phone appointment is the way to go when spousal benefits are involved. What I've learned from similar situations: the online application is great for straightforward cases, but when you have coordination between spouses, having a real person walk you through both applications simultaneously prevents a lot of potential issues down the line. One thing I'd add - make sure you ask the SSA rep to confirm the effective dates for both your retirement benefit and your wife's potential spousal benefit increase during the call. I've seen cases where there were delays or confusion about when payments should start, and having everything documented in one conversation seems to help avoid those problems. Also, regarding the math on whether your wife will benefit - the SSA rep should be able to calculate this for you on the spot if you have both of your benefit estimates handy. Don't stress too much about doing the calculations yourself beforehand. Good luck with your application! It's exciting to finally reach this milestone after all the planning.

Just wanted to add that if your uncle is uncomfortable with setting up an online account or if you run into technical issues, you can also request his Social Security Statement by mail using Form SSA-7004. It's available on the SSA website and you just fill it out and mail it in. Takes a few weeks to get it back, but it will show his complete earnings history and benefit estimates at different claiming ages, including his exact PIA amount. This might be a good backup option if the online route doesn't work out, especially since some older folks prefer having physical documents they can refer to. The mailed statement has all the same information as what you'd see online, just takes longer to receive. Also, once he has that official statement, you can double-check it against the calculations that @Kaitlyn Otto provided earlier - should match up pretty closely to that $845.17 PIA estimate!

One more thing to consider - if your uncle has any spousal benefits involved (either he's married or was married for 10+ years), those calculations can get even more complex. The online account will show those too if applicable, but just wanted to mention it since family financial planning was mentioned in the original post. Also, for anyone else reading this thread who might be in a similar situation - it's worth noting that the delayed retirement credits stop accruing at age 70, so there's no benefit to waiting past that age to claim. Your uncle made the right call claiming exactly at 70! This has been a really helpful thread with lots of great options. Between the detailed calculations, the online account setup, the phone options, and the mailed statement - there are definitely multiple ways to get the exact information you need.

After you get those extra credits, ask SSA for a benefit verification letter that shows both amounts - what you'd get on your own record and what you get as an ex-spouse. That way you can make an informed decision about which is better. Sometimes the difference is smaller than people expect.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I'm a retired SSA claims specialist and your strategy is absolutely valid. What you're describing is sometimes called "restricted application" or "file and switch" strategy, though those terms are more commonly used for other scenarios. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider survivor benefits down the line. If your ex-spouse passes away before you do, you could potentially switch to survivor benefits (which can be up to 100% of his benefit amount) rather than your own retirement benefit, if that would be higher. Also, when you do go back to work, make sure your employer is reporting your earnings correctly to SSA. You can check this annually by creating a my Social Security account online and reviewing your earnings record. Any errors should be corrected as soon as possible since they become harder to fix after 3 years. Good luck with your application - you're making a smart financial move given your circumstances!