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Does My Wife Need To Wait A Year To Apply For Spousal Benefits?

I am 65 , DOB 2/9/1952, My wife is 66, DOB 2/9/1951. She did not work she was a homemaker with our 5 children. Does she need to wait one year until I reach 66, my FRA, to apply for her spousal benefits. I purchased your software. On the What If annual benefits it shows a full earnings deduction of all of our Social security benefits this year. It appears she should wait one year. I am thinking of applying for both our benefits next year and putting the money in my 401k.

Hi,

I don't have access to the data that you entered into the software program, so I can't answer your question specifically. Please resubmit your question using the online contact form in the help menu.

That said, you would need to be drawing your benefits in order for your wife to receive spousal benefits. If your earnings will be too high this year to permit either of you to draw benefits because of the Social Security earnings test (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/whileworking2.html), you wouldn't want to apply for benefits this year. It sounds like that is what the software is telling you.

Best, Jerry

Posted: 
Feb 20 2017 - 7:30am
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