This is such a great discussion! I'm in a similar situation and have been wrestling with the same decision. One additional consideration I'd add is to make sure you and your wife both understand the "deemed filing" rules that might apply if she claims benefits before her FRA while you're still alive. If she files for her own retirement benefit before reaching her FRA and you're already collecting, she would be required to also file for spousal benefits at the same time (if eligible), and both would be permanently reduced. This could affect the timing strategy some couples use. Also, have you considered using the Social Security calculators on ssa.gov to run different scenarios? They can help you see the break-even points for different claiming strategies. Given your family's longevity and the significant benefit difference, delaying to 70 really does seem like the smart move for maximizing lifetime household benefits.

As someone who works with retirement planning, I want to emphasize that your strategy is excellent and add one more consideration: make sure to keep detailed records of your Social Security decisions and the reasoning behind them. When your wife eventually needs to claim survivor benefits, having documentation about when you claimed, what your benefit amount was, and any relevant dates can make the process much smoother for her. The SSA keeps records, but having your own documentation can be helpful. Also, consider discussing this plan with a fee-only financial advisor who can help you coordinate your Social Security strategy with your other retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.). Sometimes the optimal Social Security claiming strategy affects how you should draw down other retirement assets for tax efficiency. Your plan to delay until 70 is textbook perfect for your situation - higher earner with longevity and a spouse with significantly lower benefits. You're setting both of you up for maximum lifetime benefits.

Wait I'm still confused about one thing - if she takes her own benefit now at 62 ($850) and then her husband files at his FRA when she's 64, will her spousal benefit be based on her being 62 or 64? Does she get penalized based on when she first filed for ANY benefit or based on her age when she becomes eligible for spousal?

I'm dealing with a very similar situation and after months of research, I think I can help clarify a few things. You're absolutely right that you cannot get spousal benefits until your husband actually files - there's no way around this rule anymore since they eliminated file-and-suspend. However, I want to make sure you understand exactly what happens with the "spousal top-up" when you file early. If you take your $850 at 62, your spousal benefit later won't simply be 50% of his benefit minus your $850. Instead, it's calculated based on the difference between your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA - what you'd get at full retirement age) and 50% of his PIA, then that difference gets reduced because you filed early. So if your PIA is around $1,200 (which would be reduced to $850 at 62), and his PIA is $3,200, then 50% of his would be $1,600. The spousal top-up would be based on $1,600 - $1,200 = $400, but that $400 would be reduced for early filing. You might only get an additional $300 or so when he files. I'd strongly suggest getting your exact PIA numbers from SSA before making the final decision. The math can be surprising either way!

Another important point: If you apply for spousal benefits now and your husband passes away later, you can switch to survivor benefits. The reduction in your survivor benefit would be based on your age at the time you apply for survivor benefits, not when you applied for spousal benefits. If you can manage financially, waiting until your full retirement age to claim spousal benefits would give you the full 50% of his PIA. However, there's always the time value of money to consider - getting some benefits for 4 years versus waiting for the full amount. I suggest creating a simple spreadsheet to calculate your lifetime expected benefits under different claiming scenarios. This can help you make a more informed decision based on your specific financial situation.

I went through something very similar with my mom a few years ago! One thing that really helped us was getting her complete earnings record from SSA (not just the online summary) to make sure all her work history was captured. You can request this by calling or visiting a local office. Also, since you mentioned your husband just turned 65, his SSDI benefits will automatically convert to regular retirement benefits at his full retirement age, but the dollar amount stays exactly the same. This won't affect your spousal benefit calculations at all. For what it's worth, we decided to have my mom start her spousal benefits early because we needed the monthly income, even though it meant a permanent reduction. Every family's situation is different, but sometimes the guaranteed money now is worth more than the potential for higher payments later. The peace of mind was valuable too. Have you considered visiting your local SSA office in person? I know it's a hassle, but we found the face-to-face service was much better than trying to get through on the phone.

I'm new to this community and going through a very similar situation with my disabled daughter's SSI application. Our representative also told us that property taxes and homeowners insurance weren't needed, which immediately seemed wrong to me since these are major housing expenses. Reading through all of your experiences has been incredibly helpful and confirms my suspicions that this is a widespread training issue across SSA offices. The consistency of representatives giving identical incorrect information is really concerning, especially when it affects benefit calculations for our most vulnerable children. Emma Wilson's insider perspective has been invaluable - having confirmation from someone who actually worked in the system that ALL housing expenses should be included gives me the confidence I need to call back and advocate properly. I had no idea Technical Experts who specialize in childhood SSI claims even existed, but I'm definitely going to ask for one when I call. It's frustrating that we have to become SSA policy experts just to ensure our disabled children get the benefits they're entitled to, but I'm grateful for this community support. The advice about documentation, POMS references, and being persistent but polite is exactly what I needed to hear. Rachel, I hope your call went well! Please update us when you can - your experience will definitely help guide the rest of us who are dealing with this same issue.

I'm new here but wanted to share that I went through something very similar with my disabled son's SSI application last year. Our initial representative told us the same thing about property taxes and insurance not being needed, and we ended up with a benefit calculation that seemed too low. After reading stories like yours in various forums, I called back and specifically asked for a Technical Expert. The difference was night and day - the TE immediately recognized that all housing costs should have been included and corrected our case. It took about 6 weeks to get the adjustment processed, but my son's monthly benefit increased significantly once they factored in our complete housing expenses. The key things that helped me were: 1) Being persistent but polite when asking for a specialist, 2) Having all my documentation ready (property tax bills, insurance statements, utility bills), and 3) asking them to note in the file that incomplete information was collected during the initial interview due to rep error, not parent oversight. Don't wait - call as soon as possible before they finalize the determination. Once it's processed incorrectly, fixing it takes much longer. Your grandson deserves the full benefit amount he's entitled to, and you're absolutely right to question this. Good luck!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation! Applied online in mid-February for benefits starting in September 2025 (I'll be 66 and 4 months). Haven't heard a peep from SSA and my status has been stuck on "under review" for almost a month now. I was really starting to panic, especially after seeing so many posts about people getting calls within 48 hours of applying. But after reading through all these responses, I feel so much better! The explanation about SSA prioritizing immediate start cases first and then working backwards makes perfect sense. Since we're all still 5-6 months out from our benefit start dates, we're just not urgent cases right now. It's actually reassuring to know that no contact often means everything is proceeding normally for straightforward applications like ours. Thanks for posting this question - you've helped calm the nerves of quite a few of us who are in the same boat!

I'm in almost the exact same situation and this thread has been a lifesaver for my anxiety! Applied online in early February for benefits starting in September 2025 (I'll be 66 and 2 months). Like so many others here, no call from SSA and my status has been "under review" for over a month. I was convinced I'd made some error on my application, especially after seeing posts about people getting calls within days. What really helped me understand was the explanation about SSA processing applications in different queues based on start date proximity. It makes total sense that they'd prioritize immediate benefit cases over those of us who are still 6+ months out. The fact that so many people here have shared nearly identical experiences - no contact, months of "under review" status, then smooth processing - really confirms this is just how the system works for delayed start applications. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about waiting until I'm about 3 months out before getting concerned. For now, I'll just check my mySocialSecurity account monthly instead of obsessing over it weekly. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines - it's amazing how much peace of mind comes from knowing this is completely normal!