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.