One Social Security Move Boomers Used to Boost Their Checks Is Now Off-Limits to Almost Everyone Else.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 eliminated the restricted application method for boosting Social Security benefits, barring anyone born after 1954 from utilizing this strategy. This change took effect in 2026. Traditionally, individuals could file a restricted application for spousal benefits while their own retirement benefit continued to grow.

Once they reached full retirement age (FRA), they could switch from receiving the spousal benefit to the higher retirement benefit. With delayed retirement credits, their spousal benefit would increase by around 8% annually until they reached 70. However, the new deemed filing rules require individuals to apply for both their retirement and spousal benefit simultaneously, effectively ending the restricted application strategy.

Linda, a 1961-born hospital administrator, and Mark, a 1961-born school counselor, exemplify this change. Linda earned $2,400 monthly at 67, while Mark's spousal benefit was $1,000. Under the old rules, Linda could have received $36,000 over three years while her personal benefit grew to approximately $2,976. However, under the new deemed filing rules, claiming the spousal benefit would automatically trigger her own retirement benefit, forcing her to choose one or the other.

This strategy is no longer practical for new claimants born after the cutoff, as most affected individuals are already past 70 in 2026. However, other decisions remain useful under current rules, such as the higher earner delaying their benefit, sequencing survivor benefits independently, and considering divorced spouses' independent eligibility for spousal benefits.