# How One Small Move Before 65 Can Unlock a Bigger Social Security Benefit
Social Security benefits increase substantially when you delay claiming past your full retirement age, but one strategic move before turning 65 can boost your eventual payout even further.
If you're married, coordinating your claiming strategy with your spouse creates real money opportunities. One spouse can file for spousal benefits based on the other's work record while the higher earner delays claiming. This approach lets one household member receive income immediately while the primary earner's benefit grows by 8% annually until age 70.
The spousal benefit typically maxes out at 50% of the primary earner's full retirement age benefit. If your spouse's own retirement benefit is smaller than the spousal benefit available to them, they can receive the spousal amount instead. This works best when there's an income gap between partners.
Example: Tom has a full retirement age benefit of $2,400 monthly. Mary's own benefit is $1,200. If Mary claims her spousal benefit at her full retirement age (typically 66 or 67 depending on birth year), she receives roughly $1,200—half of Tom's $2,400. Meanwhile, Tom continues working and delays claiming until 70, when his benefit reaches $3,168. At that point, Mary can switch to her own higher benefit based on delayed credits.
This strategy requires careful timing. Some people born before January 2, 1954 still qualify for file-and-suspend tactics, allowing them to claim spousal benefits first while their own benefit grows. Rules changed significantly in 2015, so younger workers have fewer options.
Working longer than 65 also boosts benefits. Each additional year of earnings replaces a lower-earning year in the calculation, and delayed claiming adds 24% to benefits between 65 and 70.
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