Can I collect Social Security spousal benefits at 63 while my spouse works until FRA, then switch to my own at 70?
I'm currently 63 and retired early, while my spouse is 65 and still working. They're planning to keep working until Full Retirement Age before claiming their SS benefits. I'm hoping to delay my own benefits until 70 to maximize my monthly amount. Here's what I'm wondering: Is it possible for me to start collecting spousal benefits based on my working spouse's record NOW, even though they haven't filed for their own benefits yet? Then when I turn 70, could I switch to my own (higher) retirement benefit? I've heard conflicting things about this strategy and would really appreciate some clarity from anyone who understands these complicated Social Security rules. I don't want to make a mistake that could cost us thousands over our retirement years.
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Sean O'Connor
Unfortunately, what you're describing isn't possible anymore. The ability to file for only spousal benefits while letting your own benefits grow (called "restricted application") was eliminated for people born after January 1, 1954 by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Since you're 63 now, you were born after that cutoff date. This means that when you file for any benefit, you're deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for, and you'll simply get the higher amount. Also, you can't receive spousal benefits until your spouse actually files for their own benefits. So in your situation, you'd need to wait until your spouse files at their FRA before you could get spousal benefits at all.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Thank you for the clear explanation. That's disappointing but makes sense. So there's really no way for me to get any SS income until either I file for my own benefits or my spouse files at their FRA? If I did decide to file for my own benefits early, would I then be able to switch to a higher spousal benefit when my spouse files at their FRA, or am I stuck with whatever I choose first?
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Zara Ahmed
Why would you want to take spousal benefit anyway? Spousal is only 50% of your spouse's FRA benefit amount. If your own benefit at 70 would be higher than spousal, it doesn't make sense to take the lower amount now!!! Just wait til 70 and get the maximum.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•I was hoping to get some income now while still maximizing my own benefit later. I know spousal would be lower than my own at 70, but it would be nice to have something coming in during these next 7 years instead of nothing. But sounds like it's not possible anyway.
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Luca Conti
What the first response said is correct. The "file and suspend" and "restricted application" strategies were eliminated for most people by the 2015 law changes. However, there's another important point: your spouse must actually file for their own benefits before you can claim spousal benefits. Since your spouse plans to wait until their FRA to file, you couldn't get spousal benefits until that happens anyway. For your situation, these are your main options: 1. Wait until 70 to file for your own benefits (maximizing your monthly amount) 2. File for your own benefits earlier (reduced amount) 3. Wait until your spouse files at their FRA, then file for both your retirement and spousal benefits (you'll get the higher of the two) One thing to carefully consider: if your own benefit at 70 will be significantly higher than a spousal benefit, and you have sufficient savings to wait, option #1 often provides the best long-term total payout, especially if you expect to live into your 80s.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Thank you for laying out the options so clearly. I'm leaning toward waiting until 70 since we do have enough savings to cover these years. My benefit at 70 should be substantially higher than 50% of my spouse's FRA amount.
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Nia Johnson
my sister tried to do something like this and SSA told her no. they make you take which ever one is higher now, no more switching strategies like before. its all about your birth date.
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CyberNinja
•Exactly right! It's all about when you were born. Those "file and suspend" strategies were great while they lasted, but Congress closed those loopholes. Now most of us just have to choose between filing early (smaller checks forever) or waiting (bigger checks later). No more having your cake and eating it too!
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Mateo Lopez
Have you considered how long you need to live to break even if you wait until 70? I calculated this for myself and I would need to live to 82.5 to break even compared to taking benefits at FRA. Every situation is different but something to think about!
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Anastasia Sokolov
•That's a good point! I've done some rough calculations and my break-even point is around 83 compared to taking benefits at 62. Family history suggests I'll likely live into my late 80s or 90s, so waiting still seems to make sense for me personally.
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Aisha Abdullah
Trying to contact SSA to ask questions like this is IMPOSSIBLE these days!! I tried calling for THREE WEEKS straight and couldn't get through. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real SSA agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The agent I spoke with confirmed everything the first commenter said - you can't do restricted applications anymore if you were born after 1954. Saved me from making a big mistake with my filing strategy.
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Luca Conti
•This is good advice. Getting accurate information directly from SSA is critical for making these decisions. While the rules I outlined are correct, everyone's situation has unique aspects that might affect their optimal filing strategy.
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Zara Ahmed
•I tried calling the SS office for MONTHS! Keep getting busy signals or disconnected. Might check out that service, getting frustrated trying to figure this out on my own.
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Anastasia Sokolov
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! It sounds like my best option is to simply wait until 70 to maximize my own benefit, since the restricted application strategy isn't available to me. I'll encourage my spouse to stick with their plan to file at their FRA. We're fortunate to have savings to bridge the gap until then. I really appreciate all the insights and personal experiences shared here. Social Security filing strategies are so much more complicated than I initially thought!
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Sean O'Connor
•Sounds like you've made a good decision based on your circumstances. One final tip: about 3-4 months before you plan to file at 70, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already. This will let you verify your earnings record is correct and get familiar with the online application process. Good luck with your retirement planning!
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