My wife will be retiring in April 2021 and is planning to file for SS (she will be 65). I plan to file for restrictive application at the same time so I can let my account continue ( I just turned 67) till 70. I was born in 1953 so I am eligible for that. Does the SS office have to fill out those papers or can I do that on line? If so what is the form #? Also since I have not taken my SS yet isn't the amount suppose to go up by 8% each year that you delay? I just looked at the statement and it showed that it increased by $24 dollars.?!

Hi,

The paper application form numbers for Social Security retirement and spousal benefits are SSA-1 & SSA-2 respectively, but Social Security no longer uses paper forms nor form numbers as a reference. You and your wife could probably file for benefits online at ssa.gov (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/), or you could call Social Security to make an appointment to file by phone or in person. If you file by phone or in-person, a Social Security claims representative will complete the necessary applications for you.

Before filing, though, you and your wife may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze the options available to you so that you can be sure to choose the best possible filing strategy for maximizing your benefits.

If you apply for spousal benefits online there should be a question on your application that asks you if you want to defer filing for your own retirement benefits, which you'd want to answer 'yes'. You can also add a statement in the remarks section stating: "I wish to restrict the scope of this application to spousal benefits only." You don't need to say anything about when you want to claim your own benefits. You will be required to file a separate application form when you want to file for your own benefits.

I don't have enough information to answer your question about the benefit estimate you received, but you will receive delayed retirement credits (DRC) for every month that you don't collect your Social Security retirement benefits from your full retirement age (FRA) until age 70. DRCs increase your benefit rate by 2/3rds of 1% per month, or 8% per year.

Best, Jerry