I need verification of my social security plans so I can ease my wife’s mind that her future benefits is not in jeopardy. She just will not completely believe me unless I back it up with a trusted source.

My wife is one month from 70 yrs old and started her benefit at 68.5 yrs.

I am 65 and will be 66 in Nov 2019; I was born in 1953. I intend to file a restricted application so I may collect 50% of her current monthly benefit and delay my own benefit 1 to 2 years later. I am doing this to increase my FRA benefit a few percentage points. At that point my benefit level will be 2X what she is now receiving.

Question 1: I can stop the benefit under the restricted application and start receiving my own personal benefit at the time of my choosing. I do not have to wait until I turn 70 and her benefit is not affected in any way, Correct?

Question 2: If I should die prior to the transition to my own social security benefit then my wife will still be eligible to receive the spousal benefit at the level I would have received which is higher than hers. Correct?

Thank you for your time.

Hi,

Yes, you'd be free to file for your own Social Security retirement benefits at any time, and yes your wife could file for widow's benefits even if you die prior to claiming your own benefits.

If you do die after reaching full retirement age (FRA) and prior to filing for your own benefits, your wife would be eligible for the higher of a) her own benefit rate, or b) the amount that your Social Security retirement benefit would have been if you had started drawing effective with the month of your death. In other words, your wife's widow's rate would include any delayed retirement credits (DRC) that you had accrued prior to your death and prior to claiming your own benefits.

You mention that your plan is to switch to your own record prior to age 70, but doing so will not only give you a lower rate than you'd get if you waited until age 70, it would also reduce the amount that your wife could receive as a widow. To maximize both your monthly rate and your wife's potential widow's rate, you would want to wait until age 70 to switch to your own record. You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to explore and compare all of your options so that you can choose the best possible strategy for claiming your benefits.

Best, Jerry