wait im confused... if shes getting 50% of ex husbands benefit AND her own benefit isnt that double dipping???? that doesnt seem fair to people who stayed married

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! So if I'm understanding correctly: 1. I can't do the "claim spousal first, then switch to my own later" strategy because I was born after 1954 2. When I file (at any age), I'll automatically be applying for both benefits and get the higher amount 3. If I claim at 62, both amounts would be permanently reduced 4. My best options are either claim everything early if I need the money, or wait until 70 if I can afford it I think I'm going to talk to a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security before making my final decision. This is too important to get wrong!

I got mine early too! I always get confused with the SS payment schedule. I wish they'd send a text alert or something when payments are coming early.

My mother-in-law had the same situation this month. I helped her check her MySocialSecurity account online, and there was actually a notice about the adjusted payment date. Maybe check your account or email notifications if you have those set up?

one more thing - if u mess up and earn too much in any month after retiring this year, u only lose benefits for THAT month, not the whole year. next year is when they start looking at the whole annual amount

This has been incredibly helpful, everyone. I think I have it straight now. For 2025 after I retire in August: - Only my post-retirement earnings matter (August-December) - I can earn up to $1,950 per month without penalty - If I go over in any month, I lose benefits just for that month - My $48,000 pre-retirement earnings don't count against me Then starting in 2026, I switch to the annual limit of $23,400 (plus whatever COLA they add). I feel like I can actually breathe now. Thank you all so much!

BTW make sure u know filing at 62 means permanently reduced benefits! I did it and sometimes regret not waiting longer

After reading through this thread, I want to summarize the correct information for clarity: 1. You cannot receive both your own retirement benefit AND an ex-spouse benefit at full value simultaneously. 2. If eligible for both, you receive the higher of the two amounts. 3. The "restricted application" strategy that allowed collecting one benefit while the other grows was eliminated for anyone born after January 1, 1954. 4. At age 62, both your own retirement benefit and any ex-spouse benefit would be reduced by approximately 30% from their full retirement age amounts. 5. The rep likely meant you'd receive $900 total (not $900 + $600). I strongly recommend getting a detailed benefits calculation from SSA showing your options at different claiming ages before making any decisions.

I tried callin SSA for 2 weeks straight about my disability review and kept getting hung up on after waiting for HOURS. system is totally broken!!!

We didn't need the agreement notarized - just signed by both parties with the date. As for taxes, my accountant had me report it as rental income, but there were offsetting expenses (utilities, home repairs, etc.) so it didn't affect our tax situation much. Your mom should probably consult with a tax professional about her specific situation, though.

Update: I took the advice about requesting critical case status and brought documentation about my financial hardship to the local office yesterday. The claims specialist was actually very helpful and submitted the request. She said it should speed things up considerably. Also got confirmation that I'll receive full back pay once it's resolved. Thanks everyone for your suggestions - this has been so stressful!

That's great news! The critical case designation really does make a difference. When you get your benefits sorted out, make sure to check that they've calculated everything correctly. My backpay had errors initially and I had to get them to recalculate.

They shouldn't be allowed to do this! You earned those benefits and they take them away just because you have a pension??! My dad worked for the railroad and they did this to him too. Such a scam.

One more important thing: WEP can't reduce your Social Security by more than half of your pension amount. So with your $3,100 pension, the maximum WEP reduction would be $1,550. Also, if you have 30+ years of substantial earnings under Social Security, WEP doesn't apply at all. With 12 years, you get a partial exemption. And regarding the timing question - yes, waiting until your Full Retirement Age would avoid the early claiming reduction, which makes a significant difference. At 62, you'd get only about 70% of your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount), and then WEP would reduce that further.

my neighbor said he just askd for 6 months retroactive benefits when he applied at 67 and got a lump sum payment. maybe thats better than waiting??

So after considering everyone's advice, I think I'm going with option 1 - starting at my FRA in June. The math makes sense, and I'd rather have the money now than wait for a slightly higher amount later. This whole DRC processing delay feels like something they should explain better on the SSA website. Without this forum, I might have waited until November thinking I'd get an immediate increase! Thanks to everyone who helped explain this confusing policy. I feel much more confident about my decision now.

BE CAREFUL!! The Social Security rules are INSANELY complicated and most of the employees don't even understand all the details!! My mom got terrible advice from someone at SSA and it cost her THOUSANDS in benefits she could have received. Whatever you do, get EVERYTHING in writing and maybe consult with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security claiming strategies before making your final decision. Also, did you know that if you're widowed, you can claim SURVIVOR benefits as early as 60 (or 50 if disabled), but you can't claim spousal benefits until 62? The whole system is designed to be confusing!

Thank you all for your helpful responses! I think I understand my options better now. Since my husband's benefit is so much higher than mine would be, it seems like a good strategy might be to: 1. Take my own reduced benefit at 62 2. If my husband passes away before I reach my FRA, evaluate whether to: - Switch immediately to a reduced survivor benefit (if it's higher than my reduced retirement) - Continue with my own benefit until my FRA, then switch to the full survivor benefit I'm going to try using that Claimyr service to actually speak with SSA to confirm this strategy for my specific situation before I make any decisions. It's frustrating how complicated they make all of this!

When I got my first payment it was actually MORE than my regular payments and then they sent me a letter saying I owed them back $433!!! So I think you're lucky yours is just smaller! The SSA systems are so complicated sometimes I wonder if anyone there even understands how it all works lol.

One more thing to consider - check if your Medicare premium is being deducted from your Social Security. Sometimes the first payment doesn't include the Medicare deduction, but subsequent payments do, which would actually make your first payment LARGER. Since yours is smaller, it's almost certainly the prorated amount others have mentioned, but it's good to check your award letter for any Medicare details too.