FGS Advisors, LLC

 A new law means that two claiming strategies will be
off the table in the coming months.

The recent budget agreement did more than authorize the federal government to engage in additional borrowing, it also changed the rules for claiming Social Security. Going forward, two claiming strategies that had given some couples the potential for higher lifetime benefits will no longer be available.

Social Security strategies are built around the fact that you can start to claim benefits as early as age 62, but if you defer, the benefit can grow—up to age 70. Each year you delay Social Security in that time frame, your monthly benefit will grow by as much as 8%. That growth adds up—a monthly benefit could be 75% more if benefits start at age 70 instead of age 62.

In addition to the basic question of timing, couples have additional choices, because an individual is entitled to his or her own benefit or a spousal benefit.

In 2000, Social Security introduced the concept of voluntary suspension: even after you claim benefits, at or after reaching full retirement age (FRA) you can elect to stop and earn the deferral credits—increasing your future benefit.

Voluntary suspension led to a number of strategies, two of which will be unavailable in the wake of the new law:

File and suspend:

The strategy: Typically, in “file and suspend,” one member of a couple would file and claim benefits—allowing his or her husband or wife to begin collecting spousal benefits—and then suspend his or her own benefit—allowing that future benefit to increase.

The change: Under the new rules, when an individual suspends his or her own benefits, not only will all benefits payable to that individual be suspended, but all benefits payable on his or her earnings record payable to other individuals will also be suspended. 

What happens: Those who are receiving benefits now under this strategy will continue to receive them. The new rules limiting suspended benefits go into effect 180 days after the budget agreement was signed into law on November 2, 2015. Once that deadline passes, no one will be able to elect this option.

Restricted spousal benefits (sometimes referred to as “claim now, claim more later”):

The strategy: At or after an individual’s official FRA, a person could file a “restricted” application for “just” spousal benefits, while allowing his or her own future retirement benefit to grow.

The change: Social Security will no longer allow certain individuals to restrict an application to spousal benefits only; the individual will be required to file and claim all eligible benefits.

What happens: People age 62 or older at the end of 2015 will continue to have the option of restricting an application to spousal benefits only. People turning 62 in 2016 or later will have to claim all their benefits upon filing.

These two strategies were often used together, with one spouse filing and suspending, and the other claiming just the spousal benefits—allowing each of their benefits to grow. That combined strategy will now be available only for those who are at their FRA and who claim within six months of the budget deal being enacted.