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Can My Wife Claim 50% Of My Benefit At Age 63 And Wait Until She's 67 To Claim Her Own Benefits?

I'm 66 on full Social Security after being on SSDI for 10 years my wife is 63 almost 64 and still working is she able to draw 50% of my Social Security benefits so she can wait for her Social Security to mature at 67? I have heard it is possible and if so how can she file for half my SS while still working until her SS matures at 67 so not to draw early and lose 1/3 of he lifetime benefits. Is there a form she can do online to file for 50% of my SS benefits I now draw. Help!

Hi. No. Since your wife was born after January 1 1954, she could never apply just for spousal benefits without being required to file for her own benefits at the same time. And, if she claims benefits prior to her full retirement age (FRA), her benefit rate will be reduced for age.

People born prior to January 2 1954 are allowed to apply just for spousal benefits while waiting until later to claim their own benefits, but only if they claim spousal benefits at FRA or later (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/claiming.html). Your wife's best filing strategy depends of a number of different factors, so she may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze all of her options in order to determine the best overall strategy for maximizing her benefits.

Best, Jerry

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Posted: 
Apr 15 2022 - 3:14pm
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