i'm turning 66yrs old in April 2017 and starting to get my full SS benefits in May. My husband born in 1950 (66yrs old) and he suspended his SS benefits to age 70, he wants to file for 1/2 of my SS benefits. Can he file online ? and if so - what form should he use?.
sincerely
TBZ

Hi TBZ,

If your husband actually did file for and suspend benefits on his own record, he likely won't be able to receive any spousal benefits. Once you file for your own retirement benefits, that becomes your primary benefit even if you voluntarily suspend your benefits. Thereafter, you could only receive an excess spousal benefit at best, and only if you suspended your benefits prior to April 30 2016.

If your husband did file and suspend his own benefits prior to April 30 2016, your best strategy may be to file for spousal benefits only on his record at age 66 and allow your own benefit rate to grow until age 70. But, if he hasn't filed on his own record, your husband could file for spousal benefits only on your account when you start drawing, and then file separately on his own record at age 70. In that case, he could likely file for his spousal benefits online at ssa.gov (https://www.ssa.gov/retire/).

You may want to consider running the maximization software available on this website to make sure that you choose the best filing strategy.

Best, Jerry