You are one of the lucky folks who was born before 1954 and you filed a restricted application for Social Security spousal benefits. This allowed for your own Social Security benefit to be delayed, accruing the delayed retirement credits (DRCs). So now you’re about to turn 70 – what should you do now? Will your own Social Security benefit be automatically applied once you hit 70?
Unfortunately, no. You will need to go through the regular Social Security application process. This is the only way to get your own Social Security benefit to start up for you now that it has maximized.
You should not delay past age 70 in filing this application. There is no further increase to your Social Security benefits after you’ve reached 70, so waiting will only leave money behind that you are due at this point. Generally you should file this application within the 2-3 month period prior to your 70th birthday.
If for some reason you missed filing for your own Social Security retirement benefit at age 70, you should file as soon as possible. If it’s been less than 6 months since your 70th birthday, you can get a retroactive lump sum for the missed months. Unfortunately, if it’s been more than 6 months, you’ll have lost any additional months (beyond 6) that you should have received.