Dear Larry,
I will reach full retirement age in Feb 2019.
I am currently receiving SSDI, that will convert to retirement benefits.
I have read theQ&A(Aug 6 2016 - 11:30am) Answered by Jerry.
"Can I Prevent The Conversion Of My Disability Benefits To Retirement Benefits At Age 66?"

I want to voluntary suspend my retirement benefits, and I plan to do this before Feb 1.

I am divorced. I was married over 10 years.
I have questions about the effect of this on my ex spouse, who is now living in Germany.
She does not have any USA work credits for herself.

1. Must I wait to age 70 to resume benefits, or may I resume at any time,
even as soon as 6 months after the voluntary suspension?

2. How does this affect my ex spouse?
Will her spousal rights be lost forever, or only for the time my benefits are
in suspension? When will her right to claim benefits resume?

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Sincerely,
Michael

Hi Michael,

If you voluntarily suspend your benefits you can elect to reinstate them at any time, but you couldn't reinstate benefits any sooner than the month after the month that you request reinstatement. However, people who voluntarily suspended their benefits prior to April 30 2016 are permitted to reinstate their payments effective with any month during the suspension period.

Voluntarily suspending your benefits would have no adverse effect on your ex-wife's benefit payments. Divorced spouses are exempt from the provision that precludes payment of benefits to eligible auxiliary beneficiaries (e.g. spouse, child) when a worker's benefits are voluntarily suspended (https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/suspendfaq.html).

Best, Jerry