I am 68 (born 1951) and have not claimed any SS benefit…,
Q) I am 68 (born 1951) and have not claimed any SS benefit. My spouse is 69 (1950) and has not claimed a benefit. 1) Are we grandfathered into the old filing rules? 2) Specifically, can my spouse still “file and suspend” planning to claim his benefit at 70? 3) If my spouse can do that, can I receive a “spousal benefit,” even though he is not receiving a benefit? NOTE: I believe this was possible under the old rules, but not certain if this is still possible because we were both 62 prior to January 1 of 2016.
4) If my spouse can no longer “file and suspend” I plan to claim my own benefit under the “deeming” rule, which, I understand will automatically increase my benefit to one half of my spouse’s benefit (spousal benefit), assuming the spousal benefit is larger than my own, once he claims his benefit. Is this correct?
5) Finally, as I have been eligible for a benefit since turning 66 (either my own or the spousal benefit, depending on the answers to the above questions) can I receive 6 months of retroactive benefits in a lump sum?
According to the Social Security Administration – If you were born in 1960 your full retirement age is 67
Remember, the earliest a person can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits will remain age 62.
If you start receiving retirement benefits at:
age 62, you will get 70 percent of the monthly benefit because you will be getting benefits for an additional 60 months.
age 65, you will get 86.7 percent of the monthly benefit because you will be getting benefits for an additional 24 months.
If you start receiving benefits as a spouse at your full retirement age, you will get 50 percent of the monthly benefit your spouse would receive if their benefits started at full retirement age. If you start receiving benefits at:
age 62, you will get 32.5 percent of the monthly benefit instead of 50 percent because you will be getting benefits for an additional 60 months.
age 65, you will get 41.7 percent of the monthly benefit instead of 50 percent because you will be getting benefits for an additional 24 months.
How Your Social Security Benefit Is Reduced
If you start getting benefits at age* And you are the: Wage Earner, the Retirement Benefit you will receive is reduced to And you are the: Spouse, the Retirement Benefit you will receive is reduced to
62 70.0% 32.5%
62 + 1 month 70.4 32.7
62 + 2 months 70.8 32.9
62 + 3 months 71.3 33.1
62 + 4 months 71.7 33.3
62 + 5 months 72.1 33.5
62 + 6 months 72.5 33.8
62 + 7 months 72.9 34.0
62 + 8 months 73.3 34.2
62 + 9 months 73.8 34.4
62 + 10 months 74.2 34.6
62 + 11 months 74.6 34.8
63 75.0 35.0
63 + 1 month 75.4 35.2
63 + 2 months 75.8 35.4
63 + 3 months 76.3 35.6
63 + 4 months 76.7 35.8
63 + 5 months 77.1 36.0
63 + 6 months 77.5 36.3
63 + 7 months 77.9 36.5
63 + 8 months 78.3 36.7
63 + 9 months 78.8 36.9
63 + 10 months 79.2 37.1
63 + 11 months 79.6 37.3
64 80.0 37.5
64 + 1 month 80.6 37.8
64 + 2 months 81.1 38.2
64 + 3 months 81.7 38.5
64 + 4 months 82.2 38.9
64 + 5 months 82.8 39.2
64 + 6 months 83.3 39.6
64 + 7 months 83.9 39.9
64 + 8 months 84.4 40.3
64 + 9 months 85.0 40.6
64 + 10 months 85.6 41.0
64 + 11 months 86.1 41.3
65 86.7 41.7
65 + 1 month 87.2 42.0
65 + 2 months 87.8 42.4
65 + 3 months 88.3 42.7
65 + 4 months 88.9 43.1
65 + 5 months 89.4 43.4
65 + 6 months 90.0 43.8
65 + 7 months 90.6 44.1
65 + 8 months 91.1 44.4
65 + 9 months 91.7 44.8
65 + 10 months 92.2 45.1
65 + 11 months 92.8 45.5
66 93.3 45.8
66 + 1 month 93.9 46.2
66 + 2 months 94.4 46.5
66 + 3 months 95.0 46.9
66 + 4 months 95.6 47.2
66 + 5 months 96.1 47.6
66 + 6 months 96.7 47.9
66 + 7 months 97.2 48.3
66 + 8 months 97.8 48.6
66 + 9 months 98.3 49.0
66 + 10 months 98.9 49.3
66 + 11 months 99.4 49.7
67 100.0 50.0
*If your birthday is on the 1st of the month, we figure your benefit as if your birthday were in the previous month. https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/1960.html