Hello,
Has there been any definitive update from Social Security on applying for your own benefits at age 70 on line after taking spousal for 4 years?
Thanks

Hi. I'm not sure what kind of update you're looking for. The Social Security amendments passed by congress in 2015 made it impossible for people born after January 1 1954 to claim regular spousal benefits only while waiting until later to apply for their own Social Security retirement benefits. The only way that a person born after January 1 1954 can collect spousal benefits while waiting until later to claim their own benefits is if they have an eligible child in their care who is under age 16 or is disabled.

However, the 2015 amendments did not change the filing rules for people born prior to January 2 1954. Those people can still file a restricted application for spousal benefits only at their full retirement age (FRA) or later while allowing their own Social Security retirement benefit rate to keep growing until age 70 (https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/claiming.html).

Our software is updated to incorporate all of the most recent changes in Social Security regulations, so you may want to strongly consider using the software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze all of your options so that you can choose the best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry