Hi Larry, I will be turning 67 in July, and don't plan on taking SS benefits till 70. My wife has been getting benefits since 62, she turned 67 this past March. I had asked you if I was eligible for SSI and you thought I was for half of her allowance till I make my claim. I am still working and my wife works part time. the SSA office told me I was not eligible because we have a combined income of 80k/ month. Just wanted to check with you to see if this is accurate. Thank you.

Hi,

First off, let's make sure we're all using the same terminology. If you asked Social Security whether or not you could receive SSI, they may have assumed that you were inquiring about Supplemental Security Income which is a needs based benefit administered by Social Security. You wouldn't be eligible for Supplemental Security Income given your income.

What you can and almost certainly should do is file a restricted application for just Social Security spousal benefits only on your wife's record while letting your own benefit rate grow until age 70. You can do that because you were born prior to January 2 1954 (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/deemedfaq.html). And, it doesn't matter how much either you or your wife are earning because you are both over full retirement age. Therefore, the Social Security earnings test does not apply to you (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking.html).

There are only two things I can't think of that would make you ineligible for spousal benefits. One is if you've filed for and suspended your own retirement benefits, and the other is if you're receiving a government pension based on your earnings that were exempt from Social Security taxes. Otherwise, it sounds like you should file a restricted application for spousal benefits only as soon as possible, since you are apparently leaving money on the table my not filing. You should strongly consider using our maximization software to be absolutely certain that you are choosing the best possible filing strategy.

Best, Jerry