My husband is eligible for railroad retirement and social security. I am eligible for social security under my own record and a spousal annuity under railroad retirement.
1. My husband is eligible to receive his full railroad retirement annuity at age 66. Can he receive that annuity at age 66 and then apply for social security at age 70 and receive a larger benefit in his Tier 1 portion? The Railroad Retirement Board told us yes.
2. Can I receive the railroad retirement spousal annuity at age 66 and then apply for my own social security benefits at age 70 and still receive the age 70 increased benefit?
Thanks!

Hi,

Well, the answer to both of your questions is yes, at least in part. Your husband could file for Railroad Retirement (RR) at age 66 and then for Social Security (SS) at age 70, but I can't confirm whether or not he'd get a higher benefit by doing so. The crux of the issue would be whether or not his age 70 SS benefit is higher than his tier 1 RR benefit. If it is, waiting until age 70 to claim his SS is probably a good strategy. Delayed retirement credits (DRC) can be accrued if you defer filing for Social Security benefits past full retirement age, even if you are drawing RR benefits during that time.

And, you could file just for RR spousal benefits at age 66 and let your own SS benefit rate grow until age 70. If your age 70 SS benefit would be higher than your tier 1 RR spousal benefit, this may be a good strategy for you as well.

Best, Jerry