Another thing to check - are they including your Medicare Part B premium deduction in some calculations but not others? That's currently $174.70/month for most people in 2025, and sometimes reps will quote your benefit amount before the Medicare deduction, sometimes after. That could explain nearly $175 of the difference right there.

my uncle says just take the higher number and dont ask questions lol. but seriously they should all be using the same calculator right?? makes u wonder if theyre just making up numbers sometimes

Does anyone know if you'll get the increased benefits AUTOMATICALLY or do we have to reapply? I don't trust the SSA to just adjust everything properly!

My cousin works for the SS office and she told me that Jan. 1st 2026 is when the 100% starts not this year.

My neighbor said she got both her benefit AND her husbands!!! Why do u people say she can only get one???

My sister actually got a spousal benefit for 3 years and THEN switched to her own benefit when she hit 70. But that was under the old rules that changed in 2015 with the Bipartisan Budget Act. You can't do that strategy anymore unless you were born before January 2, 1954. Just mentioning it because there's a lot of outdated advice floating around from people who filed under the old rules!

SS is THE WORST with these kinds of complex family situations!!! I've been dealing with them for years with my disabled son and working spouse. Got hit with a $7,000 overpayment because nobody could give me a straight answer about reporting requirements. THEN they had the nerve to tell me I should have known better!!! The system is designed to fail us. Good luck getting a straight answer even if you call.

Thank you everyone for the responses. I'm going to try the mobile app first for reporting, and then try to get an appointment with a Claims Specialist who understands concurrent entitlement situations. I'll make sure to get everything in writing and keep good records of all our reporting. Just to clarify - my spouse benefits are definitely under the child-in-care provision because of our disabled adult daughter, not regular spousal benefits (which I know I couldn't get until 62). It sounds like both my wife and daughter need to report their earnings directly to SSA, regardless of employer reporting. I appreciate all the helpful information!

Since you mentioned your health isn't the best, here's another strategy to consider: Apply for reduced survivor benefits now, but ALSO apply for SSDI (disability benefits). If approved for SSDI, you'd receive your full retirement benefit amount without reduction. The SSDI approval process is lengthy and often involves appeals, but it's worth pursuing if your health condition is documented and severe enough to limit your ability to work. You can apply for both benefits simultaneously. This approach gives you some income now through survivor benefits while potentially securing your full retirement rate through SSDI if your health deteriorates further.

Thank you all for the helpful advice. I've scheduled an appointment with SSA (took forever to get through) to review my specific numbers. Going to get documentation of all my options before making a decision. I think I'm leaning toward taking the survivor benefit now and then switching to my own retirement benefit at 70, but I want to see the actual dollar amounts first. Will update once I have more information!

These replies are making my head SPIN!!! So many rules and exceptions to the rules!!! Why does the government make this so complicated?? I'm approaching retirement age too and haven't even started figuring out MY situation with two ex-husbands and whether I can claim on either of them or not. Ugh!

To summarize what others have said correctly: - You cannot receive divorced spouse benefits on your ex's record while married to someone else. - The "remarriage after 50" rule only applies to survivor benefits, not divorced spouse benefits. - Since your ex is still alive, survivor rules don't apply to your situation. One thing not mentioned: Even if you could claim on your ex's record (if your current marriage ended), the maximum you could get would be 50% of your ex's full retirement age benefit. And that's only if you wait until your own full retirement age to claim it. I recommend creating an account at my.ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can see your estimated benefit amounts and explore different claiming strategies based on your own work record.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - the earnings limit is PRORATED in the first year! Since you're starting SS in June, you'll only have 7 months of benefits in 2025. So your earnings limit for 2025 would actually be 7/12 of $22,680, which is about $13,230. If you earn more than that from your part-time job from June-December, you could still have some reduction. Just wanted to point this out since timing matters! If you're going to earn $16,000 for the full year, that means about $9,333 during June-December, which would still be under your prorated limit.

WATCH OUT for the 20% TAX withheld from your SS when you first start!!! I was SHOCKED when I got my first payment and it was WAY LOWER than expected!!! You have to specifically tell SSA you don't want taxes withheld when you apply!!! Call them ASAP to change this if you haven't applied yet!!

Don't forget about Medicare!!! If you claim at 63, you still won't get Medicare until 65. That trips up a lot of people I know who retired early. They think SS gives them health insurance right away but it DOESN'T.

Have you considered what happens if you take your benefit now but your husband delays until 70? That maximizes his benefit (and potentially your survivor benefit if he passes away before you). For couples with one much higher earner, that's often the optimal strategy - lower earner claims early, higher earner waits as long as possible.

My aunt just went thru this exact thing last yr. SSA gave her a nice chunk of backpay for 6 months plus her monthly check went up by like $800 or something. She was so mad nobody told her sooner!

One more important point - when you call SSA, specifically ask for the "spousal benefit" or "spouse's benefit" by name. Sometimes if you just say you want to see if you can get a higher benefit, the representative might not check all options. Be sure to mention that your husband's benefit is significantly higher than yours and you believe you qualify for a spousal top-up benefit. Write down the name of the representative you speak with and ask for a confirmation number for your application.

One thing to keep in mind is that while your application is for benefits starting February 2025, we're still in January 2025, so technically your benefits haven't started yet. However, you should still have received an acknowledgment letter confirming your application and intended start date. The Medicare bills are separate from your Social Security application status. Since you've enrolled in Medicare, those premiums start regardless of when your Social Security begins. To ease your immediate concerns, you could request a status conference with your local office. Explain your financial hardship due to the Medicare premiums and no income. They may be able to expedite your case or at least provide more specific information about when you can expect a decision.

After working for SSA for 24 years, I can tell you that retirement claims are taking longer than usual right now. The 30-day estimate on the website hasn't been updated to reflect current processing times. For straightforward retirement claims, expect 2-3 months. If there are any special circumstances (non-covered employment, foreign work, earnings record discrepancies), it can take 4-6 months. Regarding your Medicare premiums: Yes, you need to pay these to maintain coverage. Once your Social Security benefits begin, your Medicare premiums will be deducted automatically from your monthly benefit. SSA will adjust your initial benefits to account for premiums you paid directly during months you were entitled to benefits. If you're experiencing financial hardship, mention this specifically when contacting SSA, as there are procedures for expediting claims in hardship situations.