He Suspended Social Security to Add $480 a Month. His Wife’s Check Stopped Too, Raising the Upfront Cost to $108,000.

The larger delayed benefit only protects a surviving spouse if the suspending partner dies first, making longevity and health critical to the decision. Suspending your Social Security benefit also stops payments for any current spouse or dependent children drawing on your earnings record. When he suspended his retirement benefit, Social Security suspended the benefit she was collecting on his earnings record. For every month the benefit remains suspended, delayed retirement credits increase the eventual payment, up to age 70. A worker can ask Social Security to restart suspended benefits before 70, although reinstatement generally begins no earlier than the month after the request.