Full question: I am 70 and deferred claiming until now, receiving my first check this month. My wife turns 62 this December and we’re trying to determine whether to claim hers at that time or how advantageous it might be to have her wait until 67. Not sure how the spousal benefits rules impact this.

Hi there,

Spousal benefits increase each year from age 62 (earliest) until Full Retirement Age, at which time the most a spouse can receive is 50% of the higher earning spouse’s PIA.

The claiming decision depends on what the lower earning spouse’s own benefit is.

Determining when your spouse should claim can be a difficult decision with some moving parts, so if you are looking for help with a claiming strategy that best fits your situation, schedule an initial consultation with us. You can email us at help@rssa.com or book your consultation here to see if working with an RSSA is a good fit for you.

Best,
Martha

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