Dear Larry,
In short -
1. Husband (BD-1/49)with higher earnings retired at FRA (66) and is receiving benefits. He also still works. His PIA is $2040. ( but MC is taken out making paid benefit $1907 per mo.)
2. I, the lower earning but still-working spouse (BD-10/31/51) applied for and received Medicare starting 10/1/16. I pay for my Medicare quarterly. It is now mid-July 2017 and I am w/in 2 & 1/2 mo. of reaching FRA. I have no intention of taking RIB until I reach 70 yrs.
3. I, the spouse, however, want to apply for SPOUSAL BENEFITS ( 50% of my husband's RBI monthly amount ...appr. $950) and believe I need to file a Restricted Application to do so with special wording-caution.
4. Can I file ONLINE?
5. Can a RESTRICTED APPLICATION be filed only in-person at the SS office?
6. Would I dare take the chance of trusting that doing so ON THE PHONE with a SS rep would yield me the desired result of requesting/filing for ONLY SPOUSAL benefits NOW, while restricting the scope of my application to DELAY receiving my OWN earned RBI until age 70 or perhaps sometime between 66 and 70?
7. As long as I am NOT receiving my OWN RBI at FRA and ONLY getting SPOUSAL benefits, will I continue to pay separately for my Medicaer insurance like I am now? OR will they start deducting my MC benefits OUT of the SPOUSAL benefits?
8. The aforementioned questions notwithstanding, both my husband and I were born PRIOR to the cut-off of January 1, 1954, which if I am understanding, DOES make us able to FILE A RESTRICTED APPLICATION so I can get spousal benefits while waiting till I am 70 yrs. to then take my OWN benefits. Yes? My husband IS indeed receiving his RIB each month, so I should be able to file restricted.
9. How best to physically FILE and using WHICH form given our scenario?
10. Having studied our strategy, this appears to be the ONLY best case to maximize benefits since my husband is now 68...and has been receiving benefits since July 2015.
11. Final question...once my husband reaches 70, does that STOP MY SPOUSAL benefits from continuing until I too reach 70?
Kindest thanks for your help which I think at this point is focused primarily on what form to use & where to get it ...whether to 'trust' filing with SS rep... and what precise 'scope language' I should use.
Mary C

Hi Mary,

Since you were born prior to January 2 1954, you can file a restricted application for spousal benefits only at age 66 while letting your own rate grow until age 70. You can file your application either online, by phone or in person at the Social Security office.

Just be sure that your application is restricted to spousal benefits only. If you file online, I believe that your application will contain a question such as: 'If you are eligible for both retirement benefits and spouse's benefits, do you want to delay receipt of retirement benefits?'. You would want to answer yes to that question in order to restrict your application to spousal benefits only. I would also suggest adding a statement in the remarks section of your application stating: 'I wish to exclude retirement benefits on my own record from the scope of this application'. If you file by phone or in person instead, be sure to review your copy of your application to make sure that the claims representative you deal with has included a similar statement on your application.

When you start receiving spousal benefits, your Medicare premiums will be deducted from your benefit payments. Your spousal benefits would not stop or change when your husband reaches age 70, but will stop when you start drawing your own benefits assuming that your own benefit rate is higher than your spousal rate.

Best, Jerry