Social Security Rules Permit Spousal Benefit Claims at Full Retirement Age With Later Switch to Own Record
Current SSA rules allow sequential claiming for married couples but require precise timing to avoid permanent reductions. The approach carries trade-offs in total lifetime benefits depending on life expectancy and earnings records. No legislative change has altered this pathway since 2015.
The strategy hinges on the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act restrictions that eliminated file-and-suspend tactics but left intact the option for a lower-earning spouse to claim a spousal benefit first. Primary SSA guidance confirms the switch to one's own record remains available at 70 without reduction penalties beyond actuarial adjustments already applied. Data from SSA annual statistical supplements show spousal claims comprise roughly 12 percent of total retirement benefits paid, with women accounting for the majority of such filings.
SSA: Spousal benefit claims by individuals aged 62-66 will rise above 1.2 million in fiscal 2025 if no rule change occurs.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/apply.html)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/supplement/2023/index.html)