Can I claim spousal SS benefits now while delaying my own until 70 with the new WEP/GPO reform?

Unfortunately, you can't do what you're describing. Since 2016, the "restricted application" strategy that allowed people to take spousal benefits while letting their own grow is only available to people born before January 2, 1954. At 68, you were born after that cutoff date. When you file for any Social Security benefit now, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for (spousal and your own), and you'll receive the higher of the two. The WEP/GPO reforms don't change this particular rule - they only affect how your teacher pension reduces your Social Security benefits.

my sister and BIL did someting like this before but they is older then u. i think the rules changed a few years back. not sure tho maybe call SS and ask?

The WEP/GPO reforms in the SECURE 2.0 Act will help reduce the penalty on your SS benefits due to your teacher pension, but they won't change the basic filing rules for spousal benefits. Here's what you need to know: 1. The "file and suspend" and "restricted application" strategies ended for most people with the 2015 budget act. 2. The WEP/GPO reforms will be phased in gradually starting in 2025, reducing the penalty on your benefits by about 10% initially, then increasing until fully implemented. 3. For someone your age, waiting until 70 to file is likely still your best strategy if your own benefit will be higher than spousal. I'd recommend calculating your benefit with the reduced WEP penalty to see exactly how much you'll gain from the reforms. If you need to speak with someone at SSA about this, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - they'll get you through to a representative without the endless wait. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU

The rule change was in 2015 and it totally screwed over those of us born after 1/1/54! I missed it by TWO MONTHS and lost thousands in benefits I could have collected. The government keeps changing the rules on us and it's UNFAIR!!

I had a similar situation with my pension from the state university system. The way it worked for me (I'm 74 now) is that I had to file for all benefits at once. The SSA calculated my own benefit (reduced by WEP), compared it to my spousal benefit (reduced by GPO), and gave me whichever was higher. With the new reform, both your WEP and GPO reductions will be less severe over time, which is good news. But it doesn't change the filing rules. If you're still working at a job with Social Security taxes, every additional year can potentially increase your benefit and reduce the WEP effect. Remember that WEP is reduced if you have 21+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security, and eliminated completely with 30 years. So working longer helps in multiple ways.

Has anyone actually received an updated benefit estimate from SSA showing how the WEP/GPO reform will affect them? I can't seem to find any concrete information on how much my benefit will increase.

my cousin works for social security and she says the computer systems are still being programmed for the new rules. they might not even have all the answers yet lol

To clarify one thing that might help with your planning: The WEP/GPO reform doesn't eliminate these provisions entirely - it just reduces their impact gradually over time. For the WEP, the maximum reduction will decrease from $534 in 2023 to about $438 in 2025, and continue decreasing for several years. For the GPO, the two-thirds reduction will be reduced to about 60% in 2025 and continue decreasing. If you're deciding between claiming now vs. waiting until 70, you need to calculate: 1. Your own benefit at 70 (including delayed credits) 2. How much the WEP reduction will be reduced by 2025+ 3. Whether your spousal benefit would be higher now In most cases like yours, waiting until 70 still makes financial sense, especially if you're still adding years of earnings that might count toward reducing WEP.

I got caught in this same situation! Worked as a teacher for 25 years, then in private sector for 20. I waited until 70 to file and I'm glad I did. With the new reforms coming, you'll be even better off than I was. Just hang in there for 2 more years!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who went through this decision process recently. I'm 69 and was in a very similar situation - teacher for 28 years, then worked in the private sector. I ultimately decided to wait until 70 and I'm filing next month. What really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to compare the lifetime benefits. Even though waiting means missing out on 2 years of payments, the combination of delayed retirement credits (8% per year) plus the reduced WEP penalty from the new reforms made waiting clearly worth it in my case. One thing to consider: if you're still working part-time in a SS-covered job, those earnings could potentially replace some of your lower-earning years in the benefit calculation, which would increase your Primary Insurance Amount before any WEP reduction is applied. Every little bit helps! The math gets complicated with all these moving pieces, but for most people in our situation (teacher pension + enough SS credits + born after 1954), waiting until 70 is still the optimal strategy even with the new reforms.

I'm in a very similar boat - retired teacher with a state pension, but also worked enough quarters to qualify for Social Security. I've been following the WEP/GPO reform developments closely since it affects so many of us educators. From everything I've read and the discussions with my financial advisor, the consensus seems clear: if you were born after January 1, 1954, you can't use the old "file and suspend" or "restricted application" strategies anymore. When you file, you're automatically filing for all benefits you're eligible for. However, the silver lining is that the WEP/GPO reforms will genuinely help us. The phased implementation starting in 2025 means less of our Social Security will be reduced due to our teacher pensions. Combined with your 23 years of substantial Social Security earnings (which already reduces your WEP penalty), waiting until 70 should maximize your benefit. I'd suggest using the SSA's online calculator and manually reducing the WEP penalty by about 10% to estimate your 2025 benefit, then factor in the delayed retirement credits. That should give you a clearer picture of whether the wait is worth it financially. Also, keep in mind that continuing to work part-time not only adds delayed credits but could potentially replace some lower-earning years in your benefit calculation, further reducing the WEP impact.