Can I claim 50% spousal SS benefits while my wife collects at FRA but I haven't filed for my own?

Unfortunately this option was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Before that, people born before January 2, 1954 could use a strategy called "file and restrict" or "restricted application" to collect only spousal benefits while letting their own retirement benefit grow. But since you haven't filed yet and the current year is 2025, you no longer have that option. If you file for any benefit now, you'll be deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for, and you'll just get whichever is higher (almost certainly your own). The only real option you have now is to either continue waiting until 70 for maximum benefits, or file now for both.

My neighbor tried doing what ur asking about and SSA told him no way. They said that loophole got closed a few years back. Now when u file they give u whichever is bigger, your own or spousal, not both.

What @practical_solution said is correct. Since the 2015 BBA changes, you can't file a restricted application unless you were born before Jan 2, 1954. Since you're only 68 now in 2025, you missed that cutoff by several years. However, here's what you need to consider: If your own benefit at age 70 will be significantly higher than 50% of your wife's FRA amount, it might still make financial sense to wait until 70 to maximize your lifetime benefits. This is especially true if you have longevity in your family. If you need income now, you could file for your own benefits, but understand you'll permanently reduce what your benefit would have been at 70. Have you calculated the break-even point?

sry to hear that! those govt rules ALWAYS keep changing and nobody tells us regular people!! 😡 my sister thought the same thing and went to the SS office last month and they told her nope can't do that anymore. the system is so frustrating!!!!

I've been through this exact situation with my husband. The SSA makes this so confusing! To answer your question directly: No, you cannot file for spousal benefits only while letting your own benefit grow. That strategy (restricted application) is no longer available to anyone born after January 1, 1954. One important point that hasn't been mentioned: When you do eventually file for your own benefits (whether now or at 70), if half of your wife's benefit is somehow higher than your own benefit (unlikely based on your situation), you would get your own benefit PLUS the difference to bring you up to that spousal benefit level. But that's rare for the higher-earning spouse. I spent weeks trying to get through to SSA to confirm all this for our situation. The phone lines were impossibly busy until I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. It saved me so much frustration when I needed to confirm our filing strategy.

With the numbers you provided, here's a simple break-even calculation: Option 1: File now at 68 for $3,200/month Option 2: Wait until 70 for $3,800/month The difference is $600/month. If you file now, you'll collect 24 months of benefits ($76,800 total) before you would have filed at 70. At 70, the higher monthly amount would start making up the difference. The break-even point would be: $76,800 ÷ $600 = 128 months (or about 10.7 years) So if you live beyond age 80-81, waiting until 70 provides more lifetime benefits. This calculation doesn't include cost-of-living adjustments, which would slightly favor waiting, or the time value of money, which favors filing earlier. Also remember that if you predecease your wife, she'll get your benefit as a survivor benefit if it's higher than her own. So waiting increases her future survivor benefit too.

My sister tried to do what you're talking about but they wouldn't let her. Something about the law changing. Have you actually gone to the Social Security office? sometimes they tell you different things in person than what you read online.

Based on your family history and your generous benefit amount, I definitely agree that waiting makes sense in your situation. Just to be totally clear: there is absolutely no way for you to collect spousal benefits while delaying your own. Your only options are to file now for your own (getting a lower amount forever) or continuing to wait (and getting nothing in the meantime). One final consideration: if you're still working, your benefit could still be increasing slightly based on your continued earnings replacing lower earning years in your 35-year calculation. That's another small factor that favors waiting.

I just wanted to add that when you do file at 70, make sure to file 3-4 months BEFORE your 70th birthday. A lot of people don't realize that SSA doesn't automatically start sending checks when you hit 70 - you still need to apply, and benefits are only retroactive for 6 months max. I've seen too many people miss out on months of payments because they waited until after turning 70 to start the application process.