Since we're discussing the earnings limit, I'd like to clarify one more important point: the limit is significantly higher in the calendar year you reach FRA, and only applies to months before your birthday. For example, in 2025: - Regular early retirement earnings limit: $23,520/year - Limit in year you reach FRA: $62,760 (and only counting earnings before your FRA month) Also, be aware that the earnings limit typically increases each year with inflation. So if you're planning several years in advance, expect these numbers to rise somewhat.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I think I understand how it works now: 1. The earnings limit applies from when I claim at 63 until I reach my FRA at 67 2. Only wages count, not other income like investments or rentals 3. If I go over the limit, they'll withhold some benefits 4. When I reach FRA, I'll get credit for those withheld benefits 5. After FRA, I can earn unlimited income with no penalty I'm going to carefully plan my work hours to stay under the limit for those 4 years. Really appreciate all the advice!

Wait does anyone know if the prison tells SSA automatically when someone is locked up or do u have to tell them yourself???

I want to thank everyone for their help and advice. I called SSA this morning but couldn't get through after being on hold for over an hour before getting disconnected. I'm going to try that Claimyr service someone mentioned to see if I can actually speak to someone. I've also scheduled an in-person appointment at my local office for next week just in case. I'm bringing all the documents suggested - marriage certificate, both our Social Security cards, birth certificates, and information about his incarceration. It's a relief to know that the POA situation doesn't affect my eligibility for spousal benefits. I'll update once I get some resolution!

my neighbor got hers january 22 last year then i got mine february 8 so who knows when they actually send them out lol. but yeah definitely will come before you need to file taxes

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I'll check my mySocialSecurity account in mid-January, and if it's not there, I'll watch for the mailed form in early February. I'm definitely concerned about the tax implications now - I had no idea so much of my Social Security could be taxable! I'll look into filing that W-4V form to have taxes withheld going forward. This has been very educational!

just wanted to say im in the exact same boat! im 61 and trying to figure all this out too. i think im going to take mine early bc i need the money now, but its nice to know if my husband dies (hes got heart problems) i can still get his full amount. social security is so confusing!!

Just to add one more point - when you're making these decisions, consider your life expectancy and health status. If you have reason to believe you'll have a shorter-than-average lifespan, claiming early often makes mathematical sense. If you expect to live well into your 80s or 90s, waiting until FRA or even 70 (for your husband especially) can be better in the long run. Also, don't forget that if both of you are collecting benefits and one passes away, the survivor keeps the higher of the two benefits, not both. That's why it can be a good strategy for the higher earner to delay claiming as long as possible.

does anyone know how long after applying it takes to get first payment? applied last week and wondering when to expect $$

Congrats on reaching FRA! I just went through this last month and found it pretty easy. Just make sure you're on the official ssa.gov website - there are some scam sites out there.

what about if u worked some under the table jobs? do those count?

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to double-check my earnings record one more time to make sure everything's accurate. From what I'm gathering, as long as my record is correct, I should be able to trust the estimate within a small margin of error. I feel much better about my retirement planning now.

I FINALLY got through to someone today after using that Claimyr service mentioned above. The agent told me my application had a flag because they needed to verify some earnings from 2005 that weren't showing up correctly in their system. Now they're sending me a form to complete. Check if maybe something similar is happening with yours - apparently they don't always notify you when they need more info!!

Quick update on processing times - SSA's current published goal is to process 80% of retirement applications within 21 days, but their actual performance has been closer to 24-35 days recently due to staffing issues. So you're still within normal ranges. If you want to check on specific issues that might be holding up your application, definitely call, but be prepared for wait times. The MySocialSecurity message center is another option, but responses there can take 7-10 business days.

Just chiming in to say there's also something called the family maximum benefit that limits the total amount that can be paid on a single worker's record. Usually it's between 150-180% of the worker's full benefit. So depending on if there are other people getting benefits on your record (like a spouse), that could affect how much your daughter might receive.

The benefit you're referring to is called Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB). Here are the requirements: 1. Your daughter must have become disabled before age 22 2. She must be unmarried (with certain exceptions) 3. She must meet the definition of disability for adults 4. She must be at least 18 years old Since your daughter is already receiving SSDI on her own record, she meets the disability criteria. If she qualifies for CDB on your record, she'll receive the higher of either her own benefit or the CDB benefit (up to 50% of your Primary Insurance Amount) - not both. I recommend calling SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to discuss this specific situation and initiate an application if appropriate. They'll need to calculate whether this would increase her total benefit.

My sister lost her DAC benefits because no one explained all this complicated stuff to her!!! She worked at Walmart for 4 months at 15 hours a week and they cut her off completely with no warning!! Now she's fighting to get them back and we're all stressed out. The system is DESIGNED to fail people with disabilities. Be really careful and document EVERYTHING.

Thank you everyone for all this amazing information! I'm feeling much more hopeful about trying to work a little bit. I'm going to: 1. Call the Ticket to Work helpline to get connected with a WIPA counselor 2. Look into my state's Vocational Rehabilitation services 3. Consider jobs at libraries or animal shelters that might accommodate my limitations 4. Make sure I understand the reporting requirements It's such a relief to know I can try working without immediately losing my benefits. I'll be very careful to stay under the limits and keep good records of everything. Thanks again for all your help!

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you're earning enough to have to pay back benefits, you might want to consider whether it makes sense to just suspend your benefits until you reach FRA. I did that when I went back to work, and it saved me the hassle of paying back benefits. Plus, for each month your benefits are suspended, you get a little boost when they restart (they recalculate to remove some of the early retirement reduction).

To address your specific situation more directly: Since your 2023 earnings were from a period when you were still receiving your own retirement benefits (before switching to survivor benefits in September), those earnings could indeed replace a lower year in your 35-year calculation. However, there's an important timing element here. The SSA doesn't apply new earnings to your record until after the employer W-2 forms are processed, typically around September of the following year. So you might not see any change in your record until late 2024, and any increase to your own PIA wouldn't be relevant while you're receiving survivor benefits (unless your own benefit eventually becomes higher).