Social Security claiming strategy

[mdembski]

Looking for confirmation of the following claiming strategy. Neither my wife, nor I am currently receiving our Social Security. My wife is 65 years old and I will be 68 in August. When my wife reaches her full retirement age (66 and 8 months), she will claim her own Social Security and I will file for a spousal benefit. Then, when I turn 70 I will claim my Social Security and my wife will switch to the spousal benefit because half of my full retirement benefit is greater than her own. Can you confirm that we can do this? 

[heidis1]

Hi mdembski,

 If you qualify for your own retirement and spouse's benefits, you always get your own benefits first. If your benefit amount as a spouse is higher than your own retirement benefit, you will get a combination of the two benefits that equals the higher amount.

Here are links to help:

Can I collect Social Security spouse’s benefits and my own retirement benefits?  

Can I collect spousal benefits and wait until I am 70 to collect my own Social Security? 

Filing Rules for Retirement and Spouses Benefits  

Thank you for asking.

[mdembski]

If I'm reading the info you sent me correctly, since I was born after Jan 2 1954, I cannot claim a spousal benefit once my wife claims her own full retirement benefit (Sept 2024), since I want to wait until I'm 70 (August 2025) to claim my own benefit.

Thanks, Mike