I have a two part question. My husband just recently retired in June at the age of 66 (his full retirement age) and is collecting SS. I turned 66 in December but have not started collecting SS yet. If I collect on my husbands it would be about $120 a month less than if I collect on my own record. Can I collect on my husbands record and leave mine to grow? Is there a certain way to do that or do I just put in to collect on his or do I have to file and suspend on my record?
The second part of my question is this ... We have two adult disabled children that are both collecting SSI. Will the amount they get every month increase because of my husband retiring? If there is an increase will it be retroactive from when he retired in June? Do I need to contact SS about him retiring or will it be an automatic change done by them. I appreciate any information you can give me ... Thank you!

Hi,

Yes, since you were born before 1954 you can file just for spousal benefits only effective with the month you turned age 66 and allow your own benefit rate to grow, but you wouldn't want to also file for and suspend your own benefits. Doing so would make you ineligible for spousal benefits. Instead, it sounds like you would simply want to file a restricted application for spousal benefits only now, and then file a separate application for retirement benefits on your own record at age 70. You may want to use our maximization software first, though, just to make sure that you're choosing the best possible strategy.

If your children are unmarried and became disabled prior to age 22, then it sounds like they should file for disabled adult child's (DAC) benefits on your husband's record. In fact, they would be required to do so if they receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income). This is not done automatically, though, so it sounds like they will need to contact Social Security to apply if they haven't already done so. As the name implies, SSI supplements any other income that you receive up to a maximum level, so your children's SSI could be reduced or stopped altogether depending on the amount of their DAC benefits. Also, your children's entitlement to DAC benefits would likely also substantially reduce what you could be paid in spousal benefits due to the family maximum benefit (https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/familymax.html).

The fact that your children could be eligible for DAC benefits could also change your optimal filing strategy. Our maximization software should be able to help you determine the best overall filing strategy for your family.

Best, Jerry