Can I apply for my wife's spousal benefits same time as my delayed SS retirement at 70?

Yes, your wife can apply for spousal benefits at the same time you apply for your retirement benefits. The SSA will automatically calculate whether she's eligible for additional benefits as a spouse once your benefit begins. Since your wife is already receiving her own retirement benefit, she doesn't need to submit a new application. What will happen is once your benefit starts, the SSA will automatically determine if she's eligible for the higher amount as your spouse. If so, they'll combine her existing benefit with an additional amount to bring her total up to the higher spousal rate. Just make sure when you apply for your benefits, you indicate that you're married and provide your wife's information, including her Social Security number. The system should handle the rest.

Actually, you DO need to apply!!! My husband and I were in this EXACT situation last year, and nobody told us we had to apply separately for the spousal benefit. We missed out on 8 MONTHS of the higher payment before someone at our local office figured it out. DON'T trust that it will happen automatically. Go to the office together with ALL your documents and specifically tell them you want to apply for spousal benefits. The online system DOES NOT always catch this!!!

The previous responses contain both correct and incorrect information, so let me clarify: Technically, your wife doesn't need to submit a formal application for spousal benefits since she's already receiving her own retirement. However, the process isn't always as automatic as it should be. Here's what I recommend: 1. When you apply for your retirement benefits, make sure to list your wife and indicate she's already receiving benefits 2. About 30 days after your application is processed, have your wife call SSA to verify they're processing the deemed spousal application 3. If nothing happens within 60 days of your benefit starting, have her contact SSA directly This dual approach ensures you don't miss out on any payments. The spousal benefit increase should be paid retroactive to your entitlement date if there are any delays in processing.

One more thing to consider - when your wife gets the spousal benefit increase, they'll recalculate based on when you file. Since you're waiting till 70, your benefit is 32% higher than at your FRA (assuming FRA of 66). But her spousal benefit doesn't get those delayed credits - it's based on your FRA benefit amount. Just so you aren't surprised when the numbers come in. They should give her 50% of your FRA amount (minus her own benefit).

I had a nightmare trying to get through to Social Security when sorting out my wife's spousal benefits last year. After getting disconnected four times and waiting on hold for hours, I found this service called Claimyr that got me through to an actual SSA agent in about 15 minutes. It saved me so much frustration! You might want to check out their video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or visit claimyr.com when you're ready to follow up on the spousal benefit. It was definitely worth it for something this important where getting clear answers matters.

my mom went thru this last yr. make sure u bring marriage certificate when u go to office. they made her come back a 2nd time bc she didnt have it the 1st time even tho they been married 40+ yrs!

I think everyone's overcomplicating this. When one spouse files, SSA is supposed to check if the other spouse is eligible for anything more as a spouse. But their systems aren't perfect. Just make sure when you go in that you specifically ASK about the spousal benefit. Write it down so you don't forget to mention it. And get the name of who you talk to. That's what I did and it worked fine.

Has anyone else noticed how IMPOSSIBLE it is to get consistent answers from Social Security??? One person says it's automatic, another says you have to apply, another says maybe it works sometimes... THIS IS OUR RETIREMENT MONEY! Why can't they have ONE clear process that actually WORKS?? It's so frustrating!!!

One more thing that's important - once your wife starts receiving the increased spousal benefit, be aware that this might affect her Medicare Part B and D premiums if your combined income crosses certain thresholds. The additional income could potentially push you into a higher IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) bracket. Just something to plan for when budgeting for next year.

One question nobody's asked - have you made sure the $390 increase calculation is correct? Remember that spousal benefit is 50% of your FRA amount (not your age 70 amount) minus her full retirement benefit. A lot of people get confused and think it's 50% of whatever you're actually receiving.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this process recently. My husband filed for his delayed retirement benefits at 70 last year, and I was already receiving my own SS. Here's what actually happened: When he filed online, there was a specific section asking about spouse information and whether the spouse was already receiving benefits. He made sure to fill that out completely. About 6 weeks after his benefits started, I received a letter from SSA explaining that they had reviewed my eligibility for spousal benefits and would be increasing my monthly payment. The key thing that worked for us was being very thorough on his initial application - he included all my information and specifically noted in the comments section that we wanted spousal benefits reviewed. We didn't have to make a separate trip or application. That said, I'd still recommend following up after a month or two just to be safe. Better to be proactive than miss out on money you're entitled to!

Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this has been incredibly helpful! Based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like the safest approach is to be proactive rather than just hoping it happens automatically. Here's my plan based on all your advice: 1. When I apply for my retirement benefits, I'll make sure to thoroughly complete the spouse section and add a note in comments requesting spousal benefit review 2. Bring our marriage certificate when we go to the office (thanks for that tip!) 3. Follow up with a call around 30 days after my benefits start 4. If nothing happens by 60 days, have my wife contact SSA directly I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their real-world experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to decipher the official SSA website! I'll make sure to update this thread once we get through the process in case it helps someone else down the road.

As someone who just went through this process with my parents last year, I'd definitely echo the advice about being proactive. One thing I'd add is to keep detailed records of every interaction - dates, names of representatives you speak with, reference numbers, etc. We found that having a paper trail was invaluable when we had to follow up. My dad applied for his benefits in January, and while the spousal benefit review was supposed to happen automatically, it took until April for my mom's increase to actually show up. When we called to check on it, having the exact details from his original application helped the representative locate the case much faster. Also, don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor if you're getting conflicting information. We talked to three different people who gave us three different answers, but the supervisor was able to clarify the actual process and timeline. The whole experience taught us that persistence really pays off with SSA!

I'm new to this community and Social Security in general, but this thread has been incredibly educational! I'm still several years away from retirement, but seeing all the complexities around spousal benefits makes me realize I need to start planning much earlier than I thought. One question for those who've been through this - is there a good resource or guide that walks through all these scenarios before you actually need to apply? It seems like there are so many nuances (like the FRA vs age 70 calculation differences, IRMAA implications, etc.) that would be helpful to understand ahead of time rather than figuring it out during the application process. Also, for someone like Roger who did such a great job delaying until 70 for the maximum benefit - any tips on how you managed financially during those extra years between your full retirement age and 70? That's something I'm trying to plan for myself.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's also navigating Social Security planning, I wanted to chime in on the resources question. In addition to the SSA website and AARP resources mentioned, I've found the book "Social Security For Dummies" to be really helpful for understanding all these scenarios in plain language. It covers spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and timing strategies in detail. For the financial bridge between FRA and 70, one strategy I've seen recommended is the "Social Security bridge" approach - using other retirement savings (like 401k or IRA withdrawals) during those years to let your Social Security benefit grow by 8% per year. Some people also consider Roth IRA conversions during this period since they might be in a lower tax bracket before Social Security kicks in. The key is starting this planning early like you're doing! Most financial advisors recommend running scenarios starting at least 5-10 years before your FRA to see what works best for your specific situation. It's complicated stuff, but getting it right can make a huge difference in your total retirement income.