Just wanted to add one more consideration - since you mentioned caring for your wife who has health issues, you might want to look into whether you qualify for any caregiver credits or if your wife might be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits if she isn't already receiving them. Sometimes there are spousal benefit strategies that can help maximize household Social Security income, especially when one spouse has health issues. Also, if your wife worked and earned her own Social Security credits, you'll eventually be able to choose between your own benefit and a spousal benefit (whichever is higher). It's worth discussing these scenarios with SSA when you call to get your benefit estimate confirmed.

One thing that might help put this in perspective - you can actually run some rough calculations yourself before calling SSA. Take your 19 years of earnings (you can find these on your SSA statement), add 16 zeros, then divide the total by 35 to get your average. That average gets put through SSA's benefit formula to determine your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Since you were earning $160k annually, even with those zeros factored in, you're probably looking at a pretty decent benefit. The formula is progressive, meaning lower earners get a higher percentage of their average earnings replaced, but higher earners like yourself still get substantial dollar amounts even at the lower replacement percentages. The key thing to remember is that your high earnings years will help offset those zeros more than you might expect. Someone who worked 35 years but had many low-earning years early in their career might not be that much better off than your situation.

As someone who works in HR and helps employees with retirement planning, I can confirm what others have said - earnings after 70 absolutely still count toward benefit recalculation! I've seen this happen dozens of times with our retirees who continue working part-time or consulting. One thing I'd add is that you might want to keep detailed records of your 2025 earnings and maybe screenshot your current benefit amount, just in case you need to follow up with SSA later. Also, if you're planning to work through December, consider whether you want to adjust your tax withholdings since you'll be paying both income tax and FICA on those earnings while also receiving Social Security benefits. The extra paperwork is worth it if 2025 really will be one of your top earning years!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it's so relevant to your question! I turned 70 in September 2024 and kept working until the end of the year. My 2024 earnings were actually my highest in about 8 years due to some overtime and a small bonus. I just got my updated Social Security statement last month and my benefit did increase by $22/month starting this January - SSA processed it automatically without me having to call. The increase was retroactive to January 2025 even though I didn't see it reflected until my February payment. So yes, definitely keep working if it's going to be a high-earning year! The folks here have given you excellent advice about the AERO system and timing. Just wanted to add another real-world example that confirms what everyone's been telling you.

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's health situation. My thoughts are with both of you during this incredibly difficult time. I wanted to share something that might be helpful from a practical standpoint - when you do need to apply for survivor benefits, consider bringing a notebook or folder with you that contains all the key information organized in one place. Include things like your wife's Social Security number, her current benefit amount, copies of any award letters, and a written list of the specific language you want to use (like "I am applying ONLY for survivor benefits and want to EXCLUDE my retirement benefits"). Also, since you mentioned you're 66 now and your FRA is April 2026, that timing actually works in your favor. You'll be past FRA when you potentially need to apply for survivor benefits, which means you'll get 100% of the survivor benefit without any age-related reductions. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure you understand what happens to any Medicare coverage your wife currently has. When you become eligible for survivor benefits, you might need to make some decisions about Medicare coordination that could affect your overall healthcare costs. You're being incredibly thoughtful in planning ahead during such a challenging time. Having this strategy mapped out will give you one less thing to worry about when you're dealing with everything else.

I'm so sorry about your wife's situation - what you're both going through is heartbreaking, and I admire how thoughtfully you're planning during such a difficult time. I wanted to add one more perspective that might be helpful. Since you're currently 66 and not receiving any Social Security benefits yet, you're in a unique position to maximize this strategy. The fact that you can collect 100% of the survivor benefit (once you're past FRA in April 2026) while still earning delayed retirement credits until age 70 is really one of the best remaining optimization strategies available. Just to reinforce what others have said - when you do apply for survivor benefits, I'd strongly recommend calling rather than applying online. The phone representatives can better handle the complexity of restricting your application to only survivor benefits. And don't hesitate to hang up and call back if you get someone who seems confused about this strategy - not all SSA representatives are equally familiar with these rules. One small additional tip: keep a copy of your wife's most recent Social Security statement or award letter in an easily accessible place. You'll need her exact benefit amount and Social Security number when you apply, and having that information ready will help the process go more smoothly during what will already be a stressful time. Your research and preparation now will really pay off when you need to navigate this system while grieving. Wishing you both peace.

As someone who works in disability advocacy, I want to add that while many people here have shared positive experiences with continuing paper checks, it's important to understand that SSA's enforcement can be inconsistent across different field offices. Some offices are stricter than others about the electronic payment requirement. That said, for cases with such short remaining eligibility (5-6 months), most offices do exercise discretion and won't pursue enforcement. My recommendation would be to document everything - keep those warning inserts, write down dates of any calls you make, and if you do get contacted by SSA, explain that your daughter has less than 6 months of eligibility remaining due to graduation. This shows good faith compliance efforts while acknowledging the practical reality that setting up new payment methods for such a short period isn't efficient for anyone involved.

I'm going through something very similar with my daughter's survivor benefits right now! She's 18 and has about 4 months left before graduation. We've been getting those same scary paper check warnings for weeks and I was panicking about whether we needed to rush into setting up direct deposit. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - it sounds like SSA really does have that informal policy about not enforcing the electronic payment requirement for beneficiaries with such short remaining eligibility. The idea of spending months trying to set up direct deposit for just a few remaining payments seems ridiculous from both our perspective and theirs. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and just keep depositing the paper checks while documenting everything. It's such a relief to know other families have successfully navigated this exact situation!

This thread has been incredibly helpful for someone like me who's been dreading calling SSA! I need to update my direct deposit information after switching banks, and I've been putting it off for weeks because of all the horror stories about wait times. The consistent advice about Tuesday-Thursday mornings around 10am gives me hope that I can actually get through without spending my entire day on hold. I'm also going to try the online route first through my.ssa.gov since several people mentioned that routine updates like address and banking changes often go faster online. It's reassuring to know that even with all the system challenges, the agents are generally helpful once you reach them. Planning to tackle this Tuesday morning with all my account information ready - thanks everyone for sharing such practical advice!

As someone new to this community and dealing with SSA for the first time, I'm amazed by how helpful this thread has been! I've been nervous about calling regarding my spouse's Social Security number correction (there's a typo that's causing issues with our tax filing), but reading everyone's experiences has given me so much confidence. The Tuesday-Thursday 10am strategy seems to be the gold standard based on multiple people's success, and I love the tip about calling back immediately if disconnected since the queue might be shorter. I also didn't realize that having all your documentation ready beforehand could help resolve multiple issues in one call - that's such practical advice! It's reassuring to hear that despite the system's challenges, the agents are knowledgeable and patient once you get through. I'm planning to call this Thursday morning with all our paperwork organized. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this community wisdom is invaluable for newcomers like me!