I am considering applying for SS next year at age 62. I have an adult child with special needs. I understand she will be eligible to 50% of my full retirement and my wife will also be eligible for SS under my record. My wife will be 63. Can I apply for my SS and my daughter and wait for a later date to apply for my wife's Spousal benefit so that my daughter will receive a larger amount based on my family maximum benefit and have my wife receive a lesser amount? My thought is that my daughter will receive SSDI, which is tax free and mine and my wife's will be taxable. Thanks for your reply.

Hi,

I don't know about the tax implications, but yes your wife could defer filing for spousal benefits as long as she hasn't filed for her own Social Security retirement benefits. You're correct that, due to the family maximum benefit (FMB), the amount of your daughter's disabled adult child's (DAC) benefits would likely be lower if your wife is also drawing as a spouse. Whether or not that would justify having your wife delay filing, though, depends on a number of other factors. You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully explore and compare your various options in order to determine your family's best overall strategy for claiming benefits.

Best, Jerry