My neighbor just went thru this exact thing and said if u work AT ALL in jan 2026 they'll take ur whole check for that month so be careful bout working that month

One other thing to consider is that if some of your benefits are withheld due to the earnings test, they're not lost forever. Once you reach your full retirement age, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to give you credit for the months when benefits were withheld. So even if you do have some reductions in 2025 or 2026, you'll get that money back in the form of a higher monthly payment starting at your FRA.

To respond to your follow-up question - yes, if your first entitlement month was February 2025, then January 2025 earnings don't count toward your limit. Regarding tracking, while SSA does receive wage reports from employers and self-employment income from tax returns, there's often a significant lag. I recommend keeping your own records and if you expect to exceed the limit, contact SSA proactively. You can submit an earnings estimate for the year by calling them or visiting your local office. Also worth noting - even if benefits are withheld due to excess earnings, you'll get credit for those months later. When you reach FRA, SSA will recalculate your benefit amount to account for months when benefits were withheld.

Wait a minute... I thought there was a special rule for your first year on benefits? Something about a grace period or monthly limits instead of annual? Can someone clarify this please?

I went through this exact process last yr. They told me the same thing about only getting a small amount when I first applied. Turns out there's a HUGE reduction when you take your own benefits early AND then try to get divorced spouse benefits. The math gets complicated. Basically, they look at the difference between your reduced benefit and 50% of your ex's FRA benefit (which is also reduced because you filed early). For most people, that difference is tiny. But here's what nobody tells you - they'll recalculate when your ex actually files! So even though you can apply before he files (since you're divorced >2 years), you might get a different amount after he files. It's worth applying now anyway just to get in the system.

One more important detail - alimony has no effect on your Social Security divorced spouse benefits. They are completely separate programs. Your eligibility for divorced spouse benefits is based on: 1. Marriage lasting at least 10 years (yours was 25, so you qualify) 2. Being at least 62 years old (you are) 3. Being currently unmarried (you mentioned staying single for alimony purposes) 4. Your ex being eligible for benefits (at 66, he is) The reduction in your benefit is purely mathematical - it's about when you filed for your own benefits (at 62) and how that affected both your own benefit amount and any potential divorced spouse benefits. At this point, I would recommend filing for the divorced spouse benefit even if it's small. There's no advantage to waiting since your ex's delayed retirement credits won't increase your divorced spouse benefit.

To directly answer your original question: No, disability benefits don't automatically "cash out" at 65. SSDI benefits convert to retirement benefits when you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), which for someone your age is approximately 66 years and 4 months. Regarding the inheritance and your options: 1. Your inheritance affects SSI eligibility (which has asset limits), but not SSDI eligibility 2. You can apply for SSDI even though you're receiving early retirement benefits 3. If approved for SSDI, your benefit would be recalculated to remove the early retirement reduction 4. At your FRA, your disability benefit would convert to retirement at the same amount Whether this process is worth it depends on: - How much higher your non-reduced benefit would be - How long the application/appeal process might take - Whether you can prove your disability began before you applied for early retirement Given your age (64), you might only receive the potentially higher SSDI amount for a short time before FRA conversion. This is likely why the rep suggested it might not be worth pursuing.

My cousin went thru something similar. She was 63 and got disability. Only raised her payment like $75 a month but she said it was worth it. She got backpay too but I think that's cuz her disability started before she took retirement.

Has anyone noticed how they changed the survivor rules lately?? My friend who just applied got different info than I did 2 years ago. The whole system changes constantly!

good luck with everything... losing a spouse is so hard... the benefits stuff is just extra stress nobody needs

Another thing to consider is guardianship or conservatorship. If your brother isn't able to manage his own finances or make medical decisions, you might need legal authority to help him navigate the SSI/SSDI system and manage benefits. We established legal guardianship for my daughter before applying for benefits, which made the process smoother since I could sign documents and communicate with SSA on her behalf. Also, don't forget to apply for Medicaid at the same time as SSI. In most states, SSI approval automatically qualifies someone for Medicaid, but sometimes you need to file a separate application through your state's Medicaid office.

Thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I'm feeling a lot less overwhelmed now. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to speak with someone at SSA directly about both SSI and the DAC benefits (which I had no idea about!). I've already started gathering his medical records, and I'll look into the Special Needs Trust and guardianship options too. One last question - several of you mentioned appealing if we get denied initially. Is there a specific timeline for appeals? And would it be worth hiring a disability attorney right from the start, or should we try navigating the initial application ourselves?

I'm confused. If he's filing in Feb 2025 isn't that AFTER the COLA already happens? Don't they do the COLA in January? My head is spinning with all these dates lol

Btw make sure your husband has all his documents ready. They're super strict about that stuff. Birth certificate, marriage license, the whole deal. My application got delayed 2 months cuz I didn't have right papers.

To clarify something important: SSDI doesn't automatically terminate at FRA. What happens is that SSDI legally converts to retirement benefits at exactly the same amount - but this is primarily an administrative change. For people receiving both SSDI and Survivor benefits, the situation is more complex. At FRA, SSA will evaluate which combination gives you the highest possible benefit: 1. Your converted retirement benefit (formerly SSDI) plus partial Survivor benefits 2. Your full Survivor benefit alone Then they'll automatically select whichever gives you more money. This might explain why you're concerned about changes at FRA, but it doesn't explain the direct deposit situation - that's almost certainly just an error.

When my wife hit FRA last year they suddenly DECREASED her survivor benefit without ANY WARNING!!! Said something about the 'family maximum' we never heard about before. And they gave us a $5,700 OVERPAYMENT notice!!! The whole system is DESIGNED to confuse people!!

When I started SS last year I had a similar issue but with different months. My cousin told me to just pay the one month but then I got a warning letter about overdue payments! Turns out my SS benefit processing was delayed (they didn't tell me) so the auto-deductions didn't start when expected. Just keep an eye on your myMedicare account to make sure everything transitions properly.

One more thing to be aware of - once SSA starts deducting your Medicare premiums, they're actually paying for the current month, not in advance. So your March SS payment will have the March premium deducted. This is different from when you pay directly, which is why the transition month (February in your case) is so important to handle correctly.

Couple things nobody mentioned: 1. With SSDI you can actually try going back to work under their Ticket to Work program without losing benefits right away. They have a 9-month trial work period where you keep full benefits even if working. 2. If your early retirement payment would be higher than SSI (which is different from SSDI and has strict income/asset limits), you might qualify for both partial SSDI and partial retirement to maximize your monthly income. 3. SSDI applications get approved faster if you're over 55 because they have different vocational guidelines for older workers. Good luck!

Based on everything shared here, I think your next steps should be: 1. Schedule an appointment with a Social Security representative (online or phone) to discuss your specific situation and options 2. Talk to your doctors about providing detailed documentation about your cognitive limitations and expected recovery timeline, specifically addressing whether impairments may last 12+ months 3. Consider consulting with an SSDI attorney for a free consultation before filing 4. Prepare a detailed work history and list of all your medical providers 5. Apply for SSDI as soon as your documentation is in order Given your age and situation, this is definitely worth pursuing over simply taking early retirement benefits. The approval rates for well-documented cases with clear medical evidence are much higher than many people realize.