The best age to claim spousal benefits is generally at your Full Retirement Age (FRA)—which is 66 to 67, depending on your birth year—to receive the maximum 50% of your spouse's benefit. Claiming earlier (as early as 62) results in a reduced monthly amount, and there is no financial incentive to delay past FRA.
The Social Security spousal benefits loophole, primarily the "File and Suspend" and "Restricted Application" strategies, allowed a higher-earning spouse to delay their own benefits (earning delayed retirement credits) while the lower-earning spouse collected a spousal benefit based on the higher earner's record; however, a 2015 law closed these loopholes for most new applicants, meaning if one spouse claims spousal benefits, their own benefits are also considered claimed, and benefits can't be suspended to let spousal benefits accrue. A separate, less-known exception allows a spouse caring for a disabled adult child (under 22) to receive benefits even if they haven't reached retirement age, as noted by Special Needs Answers.
Your wife can start collecting a spousal benefit (up to half your amount) as early as age 62, but it must be at your full retirement age (FRA) to get the maximum 50%, otherwise, it's reduced; crucially, you must have already filed for your own Social Security benefit for her to claim a spousal benefit, and she'll get the higher of her own benefit or the spousal benefit. She can also claim if caring for a child under 16 or disabled, regardless of age, notes Bankrate and Northwestern Mutual.
Both wait until age 70 to claim benefits
If you or your spouse (or even both of you!) can wait until you're 70, you'll receive your highest Social Security payments—up to 132% of your primary insurance amount (PIA) if your full retirement age (FRA) is 66, and 124% of your PIA if your FRA is 67.
The biggest recent change is the Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) of 2023, effective January 2024, which eliminated the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), meaning your spouse's or survivor's benefits won't be reduced by your non-Social Security government pension anymore, making it much fairer. Also, the "file and suspend" strategy for spousal benefits ended for most, but the core rules remain: you get the higher of your own or your spousal benefit (up to 50% of your partner's), and you can generally switch from spousal to your own higher retirement benefit at full retirement age.
Yes, if your spouse hasn't filed yet, you can often claim your own Social Security benefit early (even at 62) and then switch to a larger spousal benefit later when your spouse files for theirs, effectively getting the higher of the two amounts. You'll get your own reduced amount first, then Social Security will automatically adjust it to the spousal amount (up to 50% of your spouse's benefit) when they claim, providing a potentially higher monthly check.
The maximum spousal benefit is 50% of the amount that the spouse is eligible to receive at full retirement age. Survivors may receive up to 100% of the deceased spouse's Social Security benefit.
People are only eligible for a spousal benefit when their own benefit is less than half of their retired spouse's benefit, or when they seek to delay their own application for Social Security benefits based on their own work record.
You are eligible for benefits both as a retired worker and as a spouse (or divorced spouse) in the first month you want your benefits to begin, then: Deemed filing applies at age 62 and extends to full retirement age and beyond.
More than half of female beneficiaries over age 60 will receive benefits based solely on their own work in 2025. By 2095, over 70 percent of women will receive such benefits. Over one-third of women will be dually entitled (receive a benefit based both on their own and their spouse's work) in 2025.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
You can start receiving survivor benefits at age 60 (or 50 if you're disabled). However, if you claim before your full retirement age (FRA), your monthly payment will be lower. Understanding how early claiming affects your income can help you plan more effectively.
It was introduced in April 2017, replacing the widowed parent's allowance, the bereavement allowance (previously known as the widow's pension) and the bereavement payment. As long as you meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive payments from the government for 18 months.
The "new" Social Security spousal rule is actually the end of a strategic loophole from 2016, making it impossible for most people to "file and suspend" or "restricted application" to get spousal benefits while delaying their own higher retirement benefit; instead, deemed filing means you apply for both at once and get the higher amount, but you can't earn delayed credits on your own benefit while collecting spousal benefits. A separate 2025 law (SSFA) also eliminated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) for many public servants, preventing their spouse's or survivor's benefits from being reduced by their non-covered government pension.
The #1 regret of retirees is not saving enough money, with studies showing a large majority wish they had saved more and started earlier, leading to financial stress and limitations in their desired lifestyle. Other major regrets often center around a lack of planning for time, health, and experiences, such as working too long, putting off travel, or not planning for future healthcare costs, says financial experts and financial planning sources.
Dave Ramsey advises taking Social Security at the earliest age, 62, even while still working, if you have the discipline to invest the money in mutual funds for potentially higher returns than waiting for delayed credits, and importantly, if you are completely debt-free with a solid emergency fund, treating Social Security as a bonus, not your primary retirement income. This strategy contrasts with waiting to delay for increased benefits but is based on his belief that investing early often yields better results and Social Security isn't guaranteed long-term.
The $1,000 a month rule is a retirement guideline suggesting you need about $240,000 saved for every $1,000 per month in desired income, based on a 5% annual withdrawal rate (5% of $240k is $12k/year, or $1k/month). It's a simple way to set savings goals, but it doesn't account for inflation, taxes, or other income like Social Security, so it's best used as a starting point, not a complete plan.