Can I withdraw my SS retirement application at 67 and reapply at 70 for higher benefits? How will this affect my wife's spousal benefits?
I made what I'm now thinking was a hasty decision to file for my Social Security retirement on February 15, 2025. I'm 67 years old (already at my Full Retirement Age), and my wife (who's 62) started receiving spousal benefits based on my work record. I've been doing more research and realized I could get a significantly larger monthly payment if I waited until 70. I've only been receiving benefits for about 2 months now. If I withdraw my application and return all the money they've sent me so far (about $4,200), can I reapply at age 70 for the larger amount? The bigger question is - what happens to my wife's benefits? Would she have to pay back everything she's received too? Would she lose her benefits until I refiled at 70? I'm trying to maximize our total household income over the long term, and I'm not sure if this is even possible at this point. Thanks for any help understanding how this withdrawal process works for married couples!
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Kelsey Hawkins
You can do this but u only get ONE chance to withdraw in ur lifetime, fyi. But yes you'll get more $$$ at 70 and so will ur wife eventually
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Harper Collins
•Thanks for the info! Do you know if my wife has to return her benefits too? Or can she keep receiving them while I wait until 70?
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Dylan Fisher
Yes, you can withdraw your application within 12 months of entitlement by filing Form SSA-521 (Request for Withdrawal of Application). You will need to repay ALL benefits you've received. Regarding your wife's benefits - this is the complicated part. Since her spousal benefits are based on your record, if you withdraw your application, her benefits based on your record would also stop. She would need to repay all spousal benefits she's received. However, she has options: 1. If she has her own work record, she could file for her own reduced retirement benefits while waiting for your age 70 filing 2. She could choose not to receive any benefits until you file at 70, then she would get the higher spousal amount (50% of your PIA, reduced for her early filing) Running the numbers with an SSA representative would be helpful - the 8% per year delayed retirement credits you'll earn from FRA to 70 are substantial.
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Edwards Hugo
•This is SO confusing!! Does this mean his wife loses 8 years of payments if he waits? That seems like it would negate any benefit of him waiting until 70, wouldn't it?
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Gianna Scott
I went through something similar last year. It was a NIGHTMARE dealing with the Social Security people!!! I waited on the phone for 3 HOURS only to be disconnected. When I finally got through, the rep gave me INCORRECT information (which I later found out when I went to my local office). If you're serious about doing this, be prepared for a bureaucratic mess. They make everything 10X harder than it needs to be!!!
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Harper Collins
•That's really discouraging to hear. I was hoping this might be a straightforward process. Did you eventually get your issue resolved?
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Alfredo Lugo
I've helped several clients with this exact situation. Here's what you need to understand: 1. The 12-month withdrawal window is critical - you're well within that timeframe 2. Both you AND your spouse must repay all benefits received 3. The financial math: By waiting until 70, your benefit increases by 8% per year (24% total increase) 4. Your wife's spousal benefit at age 62 is already permanently reduced to about 35% of your PIA instead of the full 50% When you refile at 70, your wife's spousal benefit would be based on your higher PIA, but still with her early filing reduction applied. Whether this makes financial sense depends on your benefit amounts, life expectancy, and whether she has her own work record. The breakeven point is typically around 10-12 years after age 70, meaning you'd need to live to about 80-82 for the delayed filing strategy to pay off in total lifetime benefits. If longevity runs in your family, waiting is often advantageous.
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Harper Collins
•This is really helpful information. Since my benefit is currently $2,800/month, I'd be looking at around $3,472/month if I waited until 70. My wife's spousal benefit is only $980/month right now. I guess we need to calculate if the 3 years of no benefits is worth the higher amount later.
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Sydney Torres
I don't think anyone mentioned this but if u withdraw and wait till 70 then die the next month, u lost all those years of payments for nothing! Bird in hand worth two in bush IMO
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Kelsey Hawkins
•Good point but actually his wife would get survivor benefits at his higher rate if he waits till 70 and then dies. So waiting can be insurance for the spouse too
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
Have you tried calling SSA directly to discuss this? I was in a similar situation trying to figure out benefit timing, but couldn't get through for weeks. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a live SSA agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent I spoke with was able to run calculations showing exactly how much more my spouse and I would receive with different filing strategies, which helped us make our decision.
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Harper Collins
•Thanks for the tip. I haven't tried calling yet because I've heard horror stories about the wait times. I'll check out that service - getting actual numbers from SSA would definitely help us decide if this makes sense financially.
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Edwards Hugo
My husband and I went through something similar!!! The withdrawal form was soooo confusing and when we submitted it they said it was filled out wrong. They made us redo EVERYTHING and it took almost 3 months to process!! Meanwhile they kept depositing money we knew we'd have to pay back and it was so stressful!!! Just warning you it might not be quick or easy!!!
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Dylan Fisher
•This is why I recommend sitting down with an SSA representative when filling out Form SSA-521. They can ensure everything is filled out correctly the first time, which helps avoid the scenario you experienced.
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Harper Collins
Thank you all for the helpful responses. After reading your comments and doing more research, I think we're going to schedule an appointment at our local SSA office to go through all the calculations. Since I'm still within that 12-month window, we have some time to make the decision. I'm leaning toward the withdrawal since we both have longevity in our families (parents lived to late 80s/early 90s), but we need to make sure we understand all the implications for my wife's benefits and whether she should file on her own record in the meantime (she worked as a teacher for about 15 years).
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Alfredo Lugo
•That's a wise approach. Since your wife worked as a teacher, you should also ask specifically about the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) if she's eligible for a pension from that work. These can significantly affect Social Security benefits and must be factored into your calculations. Good luck with your decision!
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