Should I take spousal benefits at 66 while working part-time and let my own Social Security grow until 70?

YES!! As long as ur at FRA you CAN do this!! I did this exact thing last yr. Was getting like $1200 on my husbands record while letting mine grow. Now im 70 and just swapped to my own which is way higher. Best of both worlds. You'll be leaving money on the table if u dont do this. Just make sure ur actually at FRA when u apply cuz otherwise they'll just give u the higher of the two benefits and you CANT switch later.

I need to clarify something important here. What you were told is not accurate based on current Social Security rules. If you were born after January 1, 1954, you cannot file a restricted application for just spousal benefits while letting your own grow. When you file now, you'll be deemed to be filing for ALL benefits you're eligible for, and you'll receive the higher of either your own benefit or the spousal benefit. The strategy you're describing (filing for spousal only while letting your own grow) was eliminated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 for anyone born after January 1, 1954. Based on your age (66), you were born after this cutoff date. If your own benefit at age 70 would be higher than your spousal benefit, you might want to wait to file for any benefits until 70 to maximize your monthly amount.

i had similar confusion last year! tried getting answers from SS for WEEKS. kept calling but could never get thru - just gave up eventually and took my own benefit early bc i needed the $. prob lost thousands doing this :( wish i had better help

If your FRA is 66 and 8 months as you said, but you're only 66 now, then you're not at your FRA yet! Just wanted to point that out.

To address your follow-up questions: 1. Yes, being under your FRA matters significantly. If you apply before reaching your FRA (66+8 months), you'd be subject to both: - Early filing reduction on any benefits you receive - The earnings test would apply to your work income ($25,000) 2. Regardless of timing, the fundamental issue remains: those born after 1/1/1954 cannot file restricted applications. When you file for any benefit, you're deemed to be filing for all benefits. 3. Your realistic options are: - File now and receive whichever is higher (reduced own benefit or reduced spousal) - Wait until your FRA and receive whichever is higher (full own benefit or full spousal) - Wait until 70 to maximize your own benefit (if your own benefit at 70 would exceed spousal) The SSA representative unfortunately provided incorrect information, which happens more often than it should with these complex rules.

The whole system is broken! My mother in law was given completely wrong info by SSA THREE TIMES and lost out on almost $30,000 in benefits she should have received. They even admitted the mistake but refused to pay her retroactively. These "experts" give different answers depending on who you talk to. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and get names of who tells you what!!!!

my wife just went through this. we called ssa like 20 times over two weeks and finally got someone who knew the rules. the first 3 people gave completely wrong info!

To clarify the confusion in this thread: @profile5 - I suspect there's some misunderstanding about your situation. It's possible that: 1. You were born before January 1, 1954 (making you eligible for the restricted application) 2. You may have filed for your own benefit, then your spouse filed later, making you eligible for the higher spousal amount 3. You might be receiving a spousal benefit because it's higher than your own benefit The rule is very clear in SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS): individuals born after January 1, 1954 cannot file restricted applications for just spousal benefits while their own retirement benefit grows. @OP - If you're experiencing difficulty getting consistent information, I recommend: 1. Get an appointment with an SSA claims specialist (not just a service representative) 2. Ask specifically about "deemed filing rules for people born after January 1, 1954" 3. Request a written explanation of your filing options

Something no one has mentioned yet - even though you're approaching FRA, working part-time earning $25K won't affect your benefits because you'll be past your FRA when you file. Also, don't forget to consider how these benefits would be taxed when making your decision. Up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxable depending on your combined income. Since you're working part-time, you might want to calculate how the additional SS income would impact your tax situation.