Ask Larry

Can I Suspend My Benefit At FRA?

I filed for ex spouse benefits at 62 the person at social sec. Misunderstood me and thought I was retiring. I am now 65 still working and they ended up turning my benefit on at that time. I receive 2 checks a year and have been trying to get this corrected and so far have not been successful. Can I suspend my benefit at FRA if this is not corrected ? I am still working and will work for a couple more years. Thankuoum

Hi,

You couldn't suspend divorced spousal benefits at your full retirement age (FRA), nor would you want to since those benefits don't increase if you wait past FRA to draw them. However, if you filed for divorced spousal benefits at age 62 you would have been deemed to have also filed for your own Social Security retirement benefits, assuming that you have enough work credits to qualify for benefits on your own account.

If you are receiving Social Security retirement benefits you could voluntarily suspend those benefits at FRA in order to accrue delayed retirement credits (DRC), but that may not be advantageous if you are also receiving divorced spousal benefits. You may want to strongly consider using our software to sort out your options and determine your best strategy moving forward.

Best, Jerry

Category: 
Posted: 
Feb 2 2019 - 5:59pm
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