You're right to distinguish between WEP and GPO - they're often confused: - WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) affects your own Social Security benefits if you receive a pension from work where you didn't pay SS taxes - GPO (Government Pension Offset) affects spousal or survivor benefits if you receive a pension from work where you didn't pay SS taxes And yes, GPO is generally more impactful since it reduces spousal/survivor benefits by 2/3 of your non-covered pension amount. As for the original question - if and when any WEP reform passes, SSA will absolutely send notification letters to affected beneficiaries. They're legally required to inform you of benefit changes. And yes, they would handle any retroactive adjustments automatically.

Thanks everyone for clearing this up. Sounds like my brother-in-law might have been confused or maybe just hopeful about WEP reform. I'll keep an eye on those bills in Congress. The worst part for me is how complicated these calculations are. I worked my whole life, paid into the system for 22 years, and then find out I'm penalized because my fire department job had its own pension system. I understand preventing "double-dipping" but the current formula seems unfair to those of us in the middle who worked both types of jobs.

my neighbor said she only got her husbands FRA amount not his age 70 amount when he died. maybe the rules changed?

After reading through all these comments, I want to clarify something important: There's a difference between SPOUSAL benefits during your husband's lifetime (which are based on his FRA amount) and SURVIVOR benefits after he passes (which include his delayed retirement credits up to age 70). This confusion might explain why your friends gave you different answers - they might have been thinking about different benefits. But rest assured, as a widow, you would receive his full age-70 benefit amount as your survivor benefit, assuming it's higher than your own benefit. This is exactly why my financial advisor encouraged my wife to delay claiming until 70 - to protect me with a higher survivor benefit if she passes first (she had the higher earnings record).

my sister told me the secret is to be super careful with the trial work period to make sure you dont use them all up at once. use maybe 1 month here and there if you can so they dont all get used up together and then your not stuck without a safety net

To answer your question about my transition - yes, I did have a couple of payment gaps around month 10-11 after my TWP ended. I earned above SGA for those months, so my benefits were supposed to stop, but then I had a medical setback and my earnings dropped below SGA the following month. SSA was supposed to automatically reinstate my benefits for that month, but I had to make multiple calls to get it resolved. This is where documentation saved me - I had proof of my earnings drop and proof that I'd reported it. Eventually I did fully transition off SSDI, but knowing I had that 36-month safety net of the Extended Period of Eligibility made it much less scary to try. Best decision I ever made, but I wouldn't have done it without understanding all the protections available.

Something else to keep in mind - the earnings limit only applies to wages and self-employment income. It doesn't include investment income, pension payments, government benefits, or annuities. So if part of your income comes from those sources, they don't count toward the $23,400 limit.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I understand much better now - I need to watch the monthly amounts this first year (2025), but in future years only the annual total matters. I'll keep my earnings under the limits and keep good records of everything. One follow-up question though: does anyone know if they automatically track my earnings through payroll reporting, or do I need to report my earnings to SSA myself throughout the year?

wait so is it the box 1 wages or the box 3 ss wages that count? im still confused

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I clearly misunderstood how this works. We'll go back and check his actual gross earnings to make sure we're tracking correctly for 2025. And we'll be setting aside some emergency funds just in case we accidentally go over and have to deal with benefit withholding. It's frustrating that something seemingly simple gets so complicated. Hopefully when he reaches Full Retirement Age in a few years, we can stop worrying about all this earnings limit stuff!

one thing nobody mentioned - if your daughter gets approved for DAC and your spouse is also getting benefits on your record there's something called the family maximum that might reduce the total amount your family receives. doesnt affect your benefit but might affect your planning

After reading through all the comments, I'd recommend this approach: 1. Consult with a disability attorney who specializes in DAC claims specifically (not just general disability) 2. Have them review your daughter's medical records and previous SSI denial to assess likelihood of DAC approval 3. Consider scheduling a pre-retirement interview with SSA (use Claimyr if phone access is difficult) to get official information about how your benefit choices affect your daughter's eligibility 4. Run the financial numbers comparing scenarios: (a) take reduced benefits now to enable DAC, or (b) wait until 70 while continuing to support your daughter 5. Make sure your daughter's medical records clearly establish disability onset before age 22 A thorough preparation approach will give you much more confidence in your decision.

forgot to mention - when i did my SS claim, the backpay was nice (they paid me for the month i applied even tho i didnt get my first check til the next month) also check out if ur eligible for any spousal benefits maybe?

Since you're planning to continue working part-time while collecting, also be aware of how your earnings will be calculated for the earnings test. SSA counts income when it's earned, not when it's paid. So December bonuses count for December even if paid in January. Good news is that once you reach your Full Retirement Age, the earnings test no longer applies - you can earn any amount without reduction in benefits. For the year you reach FRA, there's a higher limit and a lower penalty rate for the months before your birthday month. Regarding application timing - I recommend applying approximately 2 months before you want benefits to begin. The SSA's processing times can vary dramatically depending on their workload and staffing.

dose she get 50% of ur benifet or is it less? my wife only got like 35% and we dont understand why

To answer your original question more definitively: You will NOT need to take the original marriage certificate to the office. SSA has been accepting digital submissions for proof of marriage since 2021 as part of their pandemic procedures, and they've kept those policies in place. During your phone appointment, they'll send you a secure link where you can upload the document, or they might have you upload it through your my Social Security account. Only in rare cases (like suspected fraud or extremely poor document quality) would they request in-person verification now.

wait i just realized something... since they index earnings from past years, wouldn't that mean that $15,000 loss from the 1970s would actually be like a $60,000 loss in today's dollars? does that matter at all for the calculation? or is it still just treated as zero regardless of the year and inflation?

I remember reading something about how self-employment losses could be carried forward for income tax purposes, but I'm pretty sure that has absolutely nothing to do with Social Security calculations. Like the others have said, for SS purposes, a loss year is just a zero - nothing more, nothing less. There are so many confusing details with Social Security. I've been retired for 2 years now and I'm still learning new things about how it all works!

I forgot to mention - I found it helped to keep a simple spreadsheet for each kid showing the deposits coming in and the major expenses going out. Makes doing the annual report WAY easier. Don't wait till the last minute like I did the first year, lol.

After reading through all these comments, I want to emphasize that while being a representative payee does come with responsibilities, thousands of parents manage this role successfully. The SSA has resources to help, including a Guide for Representative Payees you can download from their website. One final note: if your 15-year-old is approaching 16, be aware they may be required to have their own direct deposit account when they turn 16, as some states allow banking at that age without an adult co-owner. Check with your bank about their specific policies for teen accounts.