Can I claim Social Security spousal benefits at 64 while letting my own benefit grow until FRA?

Unfortunately, for anyone born after January 1, 1954, the old 'claim now, claim more later' strategy no longer exists. When you file for ANY Social Security benefit now, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for (retirement and spousal). SSA will pay you the higher of the two amounts, not both. At 64, if you file, you'd receive your own reduced retirement benefit (reduced because it's before your FRA) and if the spousal benefit (up to 50% of your husband's PIA) would be higher, you'd get that instead. But you can't claim ONLY spousal and let your own continue to grow.

This is such a scam!! The SSA changed these rules a few years back and screwed everyone who was counting on using this strategy. They ALWAYS make these changes that hurt regular people. My sister was planning on doing exactly what you're describing and got blindsided when she went to file. The government just wants to keep OUR MONEY that WE PAID IN!!

your husband is already 69 so your better off just taking your own benefit when you turn 64. spouse benefits are only 50% of his FULL retirement age amount not his current amount and its reductioned if you take early. probably gonna be less than your own $1875 anyway

I went through this exact situation last year. What most people don't realize is that spousal benefits are based on your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what he would get at his full retirement age, NOT what he's actually receiving now after delayed credits. In my case, my husband's PIA was about $2,400, but he was receiving around $3,200 because he waited until 70. My spousal benefit would have been 50% of $2,400 ($1,200), reduced further because I was claiming at 63. The best approach is usually to compare: 1. Your own benefit at 64 (reduced for early filing) 2. Your spousal benefit at 64 (reduced for early filing) Then take whichever is higher. In your case, with $1,875 at 64, I'm guessing your own benefit would be higher than any spousal amount.

My wife and I were in a similar situation. She got confused about all the benefits too. The SSA website is terrible about explaining this stuff clearly. I spent hours reading about it and still got confused.

I recently had to contact SSA to figure out a similar spousal benefit question and spent DAYS trying to get through to someone. The hold times were insane and I kept getting disconnected. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with explained that for people born after 1954, when you file for benefits, you're automatically applying for ALL benefits you're eligible for (both your own and spousal). They'll pay you whichever amount is higher, but not both. Having an actual person explain it made such a difference.

Here's what you need to know about spousal benefits in 2025: 1. The "restricted application" strategy (claiming only spousal while letting yours grow) was eliminated for anyone born after Jan 1, 1954. 2. If you claim at 64, your own benefit will be reduced by approximately 13.3% from your full retirement age amount. 3. The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of your husband's PIA (not his current benefit), further reduced if you claim before your FRA. 4. At 64, your spousal benefit would be approximately 41.7% of your husband's PIA. Since your own benefit at 64 would be $1,875, it's very likely higher than any spousal benefit you'd receive. I'd recommend scheduling a phone appointment with SSA to get the exact numbers for your situation before making a decision.

Wait until your FRA if u can. the reduction for taking SS early is permanant!!!

My neighbor did somethng like this and regretted it later. Just my 2 cents

One more important factor to consider: if you claim your benefit early at 64, and your husband passes away in the future, your survivor benefit would be affected. As a widow, you would be eligible for up to 100% of what your husband was receiving (including any delayed retirement credits), but if you had claimed your own benefit early, your survivor benefit would be reduced. This is one reason why, in couples with significant benefit differences, financial advisors often recommend that the lower-earning spouse consider claiming early while the higher-earning spouse delays as long as possible. This maximizes the survivor benefit protection.