A reader recently asked whether she could claim a spousal benefit on her husband’s Social Security record at age 62 and then switch to her own higher retirement benefit at age 70. The short answer is no, but the rules surrounding spousal benefits and delayed retirement credits are worth understanding before filing.
The strategy the reader described was once available under a rule called “file and suspend.” That option allowed one spouse to file for benefits and then suspend them, enabling the other spouse to collect a spousal payment while their own benefit continued to grow. Congress eliminated this strategy for most applicants with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.
Under current law, if you file for a spousal benefit before your full retirement age, you are deemed to have filed for both your own retirement benefit and the spousal benefit. The Social Security Administration will pay the higher of the two amounts, but you cannot delay your own benefit while collecting a spousal payment.
The only exception applies to those who were born before January 2, 1954. For that group, a restricted application remains available, allowing them to claim only a spousal benefit at full retirement age and defer their own retirement benefit until later. This option no longer exists for younger claimants.
For the reader, claiming a spousal benefit at age 62 would permanently reduce that payment. Spousal benefits taken before full retirement age are reduced by a fraction of a percent for each month of early filing. The reduction does not change once the claimant reaches full retirement age.
Additionally, if she claims her own benefit at age 70 after taking a spousal benefit earlier, her personal benefit would include delayed retirement credits earned between her full retirement age and age 70. That increase would apply only to her own benefit, not to the spousal amount she had already received.
A key factor is that spousal benefits do not earn delayed retirement credits. Waiting past full retirement age to claim a spousal benefit does not increase the payment. A spouse who waits to claim a spousal benefit simply receives the full 50 percent of the worker’s primary insurance amount, not more.
The practical takeaway is straightforward. If the reader’s own benefit will exceed her spousal benefit at age 70, she should consider waiting until full retirement age to file a restricted application if eligible by birth date. If she was born after 1953, she must claim her own benefit first, and the spousal top-up will be calculated automatically.
Couples evaluating this decision should also consider how survivor benefits interact with their claims. A widow or widower can switch to a survivor benefit later if that amount is higher, even after claiming a retirement benefit early. This rule remains available regardless of birth year and often changes the optimal claiming strategy.
Financial planners recommend modeling both scenarios with projected benefit amounts. Social Security’s online calculators can provide estimates, but many households benefit from a professional review given the complexity of the current rules. The wrong choice can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
The decision ultimately depends on the specific benefit amounts, life expectancy, and household cash flow needs. For most people born after 1953, the old strategy of claiming a spousal benefit while letting a personal benefit grow is no longer on the table. Planning around that reality is the first step to a sound retirement income strategy.
