I'm so sorry for your loss, Honorah. I wanted to share something that might help with the application process - if you're comfortable with technology, you can actually create a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov and start some of the paperwork there. It won't replace the need to speak with someone for survivor benefits, but it can help you get organized and familiar with the system. Also, I've found that Tuesday through Thursday mornings tend to have shorter wait times than Mondays or Fridays when calling SSA. And if you do get disconnected (which happens unfortunately), don't give up - the system is frustrating but the benefits are absolutely worth it. One more thing - when you do speak with a representative, ask them to send you a written summary of what benefits you've applied for and the timeline for processing. This gives you something to reference later and helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks. You're being so strong advocating for yourself and your children during such a difficult time. The CIC benefits will provide some financial stability while you're navigating this new chapter. Take it one day at a time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Honorah. As someone who works as a benefits counselor, I want to emphasize something important that might give you peace of mind - you are absolutely entitled to these CIC benefits, and they exist specifically for situations like yours. Don't let anyone make you feel like you're asking for something you don't deserve. One practical tip I always share with clients: when you finally get through to SSA, ask them to explain the "earnings test" clearly since you mentioned being a teacher. With your $38,000 salary, they'll reduce your CIC benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn above $22,320 (the 2025 limit), but this only affects YOUR benefit - never your children's. So even if your personal benefit gets reduced, you're still helping your family's overall financial situation. Also, ask specifically about "retroactive benefits" - they can sometimes pay you back to the month after your husband passed away, not just from when you apply. This could mean a significant lump sum payment that really helps during this transition. The system is complicated, but you're asking all the right questions and this community has given you excellent advice. You've got this, and your children are lucky to have such a dedicated advocate in their mom.

I'm 66 and 4 months old, so I just passed my FRA a few months ago. This discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about this January adjustment timing for DRCs earned in the current filing year. My question is about the math - if I file in August 2025, I'll have earned about 7 months of DRCs in 2025 before filing. When SSA does the January 2026 adjustment, do they calculate the retroactive payment based on the exact number of months I received the lower benefit, or is there some other formula they use? I'm trying to figure out if there's any financial advantage to filing earlier in the year versus later in the year (aside from just getting payments sooner). Also, does anyone know if there's a deadline for when you have to file in a given year to receive the January adjustment, or does it apply regardless of when in the year you file? Thanks for all the detailed experiences everyone has shared - this is exactly what I needed to understand before making my filing decision!

I'm 68 and filed for my Social Security benefits last September after reading horror stories online about long wait times and processing delays. I wanted to share my actual experience to help others who might be in a similar situation. When I filed in September 2024, my initial benefit included all the DRCs I had earned through December 2023, but not the DRCs from January-August 2024. Just as others described here, SSA automatically adjusted my payment in January 2025 and paid me the retroactive difference as a lump sum. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected - no phone calls or follow-up required on my part. The January payment was about $1,200 higher than my regular monthly amount to cover the 8 months of missed DRCs. One tip I'd add: I kept detailed screenshots of my benefit estimates before filing, which helped me verify that the January adjustment was calculated correctly. For anyone on the fence about filing mid-year versus waiting until January, I'm glad I filed when I did - those extra months of payments (even at the temporarily lower amount) added up to more total money received than if I had waited until January to start benefits.

This has been such an educational thread! As someone who's about to apply for Social Security benefits myself, I was already worried about scam calls, but reading through all these experiences has really opened my eyes to how sophisticated these scammers can be. The caller ID spoofing information is particularly alarming - I definitely would have been more trusting of a call that appeared to come from the official SSA number. What I'm taking away from all this excellent advice is that there's really no downside to being overly cautious. The verification methods everyone has shared (calling back through the official number, asking for employee IDs, requesting written documentation, checking MySSA account first) seem foolproof when used together. I especially appreciate learning that legitimate SSA representatives are trained to expect and encourage this kind of verification - that takes away the worry about seeming uncooperative. Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive guide to staying safe during the SSA application process!

This thread is absolutely fantastic! As someone who just submitted my Social Security application yesterday and was literally Googling "how to avoid SSA scams" when I found this community, I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found all this practical advice. The combination of technical insights (like the caller ID spoofing warning) and real-world experiences from people who've actually been through this process is incredibly valuable. I'm definitely implementing the multi-layered verification approach: checking MySSA account first, using the official callback number, asking for employee IDs and extensions, documenting everything, and requesting written documentation when possible. The reassurance that legitimate SSA reps are trained to expect and appreciate caution is huge for me - I was worried about being rude or uncooperative. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips - this community is a treasure trove of protective information!

I'm completely new to this community but just found this incredibly comprehensive thread while desperately researching this exact same issue! My spouse and I have been caregivers for our adult daughter with Down syndrome through our state's HCBS waiver program for about 6 months now. We just received our difficulty of care exemption approval, and our tax preparer assured us that we were "completely covered" and wouldn't need to worry about taxes on this income. However, after reading through everyone's detailed experiences here, I'm now deeply concerned that our tax preparer may not fully understand the distinction between income tax exemption and Social Security/self-employment tax obligations. It's absolutely shocking to see how widespread this confusion appears to be - literally every family in this thread has a nearly identical story of being told they were "all set" with just the income tax exemption. Since we're only 6 months in, I want to make sure we get this right from the beginning rather than discovering we've made a costly mistake years down the line like so many others here. Should I be proactive and specifically ask our tax preparer about filing Schedule SE for this caregiving income? Or should I immediately start looking for a specialist who specifically understands disability waiver tax situations? This thread has been absolutely invaluable - thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and practical advice. It's clear that families entering waiver programs desperately need better upfront education about these tax requirements. The systematic nature of this problem really shows there's a serious communication failure that needs to be addressed at the policy level.

I'm brand new to this community and just discovered this incredibly detailed thread while searching for answers to this exact same situation! My husband and I have been caregivers for our adult son with intellectual disabilities through our state's DD waiver program for about 18 months now. We received our difficulty of care exemption approval early on, and our tax preparer told us we were "fully covered" and didn't need to worry about any taxes on this caregiving income. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both enlightening and concerning - it's clear that this confusion about the distinction between income tax exemption and self-employment tax requirements is affecting an enormous number of caregiver families. What's particularly striking is how consistent everyone's stories are - tax preparers saying families are "all set" with just the income tax exemption, without mentioning Schedule SE or self-employment taxes at all. Since we're still relatively early in our caregiving journey at 18 months, I want to make sure we address this correctly before it becomes a bigger problem. Based on what I've learned from this thread, I'm planning to immediately request our Social Security earnings statements to see what's been recorded so far, and schedule a meeting with our tax preparer to specifically ask about Schedule SE requirements for our caregiving income. I'm also going to reach out to our son's case manager and our state's disability advocacy organization to see if they have any guidance or referrals for tax professionals who actually understand these waiver program nuances. It seems like there's a real need for better education about these tax implications when families first enter waiver programs. Thank you to everyone who has shared such comprehensive experiences and practical advice - this thread should honestly be required reading for every family considering or entering a disability waiver program. The systematic nature of this issue clearly shows there needs to be better communication at the policy level to prevent more families from facing this same confusion years down the line!

One more thing to consider: if you return to work, especially at a good salary like $55,000, you'll be adding to your lifetime earnings record. Social Security calculates your benefit amount based on your highest 35 years of earnings. If this new job would replace a lower-earning year or a zero in your calculation, you could actually increase your benefit amount going forward, beyond just the adjustment for withheld benefits.

Just want to add one practical tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation: consider asking your potential employer if there's any flexibility in when you start or how your compensation is structured. Some employers are willing to delay a start date by a few months if it helps with your Social Security situation, or they might be able to structure part of your compensation as benefits rather than salary (which wouldn't count toward the earnings test). It's worth having that conversation since many employers these days are more understanding about Social Security considerations for older workers. Good luck with whatever you decide!