Quick update on something I forgot to mention earlier - if you're having a continuing disability review (CDR), make sure you have a copy of your original medical evidence handy during the call. While they should have all this in their system, I've found it helpful to be able to reference specific doctor names, treatment dates, and diagnoses from your initial approval. Makes the whole process go much smoother and reduces the chance they'll schedule yet another follow-up appointment.

Update to my earlier comment - I called SSA today to check on my rescheduled appointment and they have NO RECORD of it in their system!!! I'm absolutely furious right now. The agent I spoke with today apologized but couldn't find any notes from my previous call. Now I'm rescheduled AGAIN for two weeks from now. This is the most dysfunctional government agency I've ever dealt with!

One last piece of technical information that might help: When you reach your FRA of 66 years and 8 months (February 18, 2025), your benefit amount will be 100% of your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). Many people think there's a special advantage to waiting until exactly their birth day of the month, but that's not how it works. The month you reach FRA is February 2025, so you'll get 100% of your PIA for that entire month, regardless of whether you were born on the 1st or 30th. The payment for February 2025 arrives in March 2025. If you claimed early at age 62, the reduction would be based on months, so birth date can matter more in early claiming scenarios. But at FRA, you simply get your full PIA for the whole month in which you reach your FRA.

Does anyone know if the Social Security office tells u all this stuff when u go in for an appointment? I want to retire next year but so confused about all these rules!!

Has anyone told SS that you got married? My sister didn't report her marriage for almost a year (not on purpose, she just didn't think about it) and nothing changed with her benefits.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing that my actual SS benefit amount won't be reduced just because my husband is working. I'm going to look into having some taxes withheld using that W-4V form someone mentioned, and I'll definitely check if I might qualify for a higher spousal benefit when my husband claims in a couple years. I tried calling the SSA office yesterday but gave up after being on hold for 45 minutes. Might try that Claimyr service someone mentioned if I can't get through soon. Thanks again for all the advice!

When my mom died I waited like 3 weeks to call them and they had already found out somehow?? Got a letter saying I needed to return the $1750 payment that went into her account after she died. So even if you can't reach them right away they'll probably find out through some government system.

dont botter waiting, go to your local ss office its WAY faster

my cousin gets survivors for her kids and she said sometimes they can get more when theres fewer people receiving from same record but its complicated. something about family maximum calculation??

Your cousin is partly right, but it's more nuanced. There is a Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) that caps the total amount payable on one worker's record. However, when one beneficiary becomes ineligible, the remaining beneficiaries don't automatically get that portion. Instead, their benefits are recalculated based on the new family composition, which might sometimes result in a slight increase, but never the full amount of what the ineligible person was receiving. In most survivor situations though, each person is already receiving their maximum individual entitlement, so there's often no change when one beneficiary becomes ineligible.

Update: I finally got this sorted out! For anyone who finds this thread later - here's what worked: 1. Rep payee for Social Security is completely separate from Medicare authorization 2. Got the CMS-1696 form from Medicare.gov, filled it out, and mailed it to my mom's Medicare Advantage plan 3. Had to fill out a separate form for her Part D prescription plan 4. Used Claimyr to finally reach a Medicare rep who added me as an authorized person on her Medicare.gov account Frustrating process but finally done! Thanks everyone for the help and guidance.

they should really make this easier, my grandmother needed help and i had to do all this paperwork too. glad u got it fixed!

Everybody here is right about the 35 years, but nobody mentioned that Social Security does look at a 5-year period for disability benefits (SSDI), not retirement. For SSDI, you generally need to have worked 5 out of the last 10 years to qualify. Maybe that's where your friend got confused?

Wow, I learned so much from this thread! Thank you all for clearing this up. I'm going to tell my buddy at work that he's completely wrong about the 5-year thing before he scares anyone else. I checked my earnings record carefully, and all 42 years of my work history are there. My recent part-time earnings definitely won't be in my highest 35 years, so my benefits won't be affected like I feared. I'm still planning to claim at 62 next March because honestly, I'm ready to be done working. My mortgage will be paid off by then, and I have some savings. Even with the reduction for claiming early, I think I'll be okay.

Here's the technical explanation of what you need to do: 1. This is a simple benefit month of election (BMOE) change, not a full withdrawal and reapplication. The official term helps when speaking with SSA. 2. For someone whose FRA falls mid-month (like your husband in November), entitlement for full benefits begins the following month (December). So you're requesting a BMOE change from January 2025 to December 2024. 3. Call the national number (800-772-1213) and specifically request a "month of election change." Have your husband prepared to verify his identity. 4. The retroactive adjustment will be calculated as: December's full FRA amount, minus any January benefit already received. 5. You'll receive a new award letter showing the adjusted start date and payment amount within 2-3 weeks. Any retroactive payment typically comes with the following month's regular payment. This is a routine administrative adjustment that does not require a formal appointment or withdrawal of application.

Just wanted to ask - are you guys SURE the difference is worth all this hassle? How much more would he actually get each month? Sometimes its only like $20-30 difference.

Here's what I recommend based on your situation: 1. For your wife: If she'll be $15,000 over the annual limit, SSA will withhold approximately $7,500 in benefits ($1 for every $2 over). Depending on her monthly benefit amount, this could mean several months of complete withholding before she receives payments. She could either: - Start benefits in April as planned, understanding initial payments may be withheld - Delay until May or even June to reduce the amount over the limit 2. For you: Your plan to start in March sounds optimal given your earnings will be under the annual limit. 3. When applying: Yes, be extremely clear about estimated earnings. There's a specific form (SSA-131) for reporting estimated earnings that you'll complete during the application process. 4. Documentation: Keep detailed records of when you stop working and final paychecks. If vacation payout is substantial, have documentation ready to explain that it's a one-time payment. Remember that once you reach FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, and any benefits withheld previously will gradually be returned through a recalculation of your monthly benefit.

Yes, the recalculation after FRA works like this: SSA tracks how many months of benefits were completely or partially withheld due to the earnings test. Once you reach FRA, they'll recalculate your monthly benefit as if you had claimed later. For example, if your wife has 8 months of benefits fully withheld between claiming at 65 and reaching her FRA, when she reaches FRA, her monthly benefit will be increased as if she had claimed 8 months later than she actually did. This adjustment is permanent and continues for the rest of her life. This is why the earnings test isn't actually a "penalty" in the long run - it's more like a forced delay of benefits that you eventually recoup after FRA. Regarding your decision to have your wife delay until May - that sounds like a reasonable approach that balances immediate income needs with minimizing withholding complications.

Since you mentioned seasonal work with fluctuating income, here's a practical approach I've recommended to clients in your situation: 1. Create a simple spreadsheet with your expected monthly earnings 2. At the beginning of the year, give SSA your best annual estimate 3. If your income changes significantly (more than 10-15% from your estimate), report the change 4. Keep your own monthly records regardless 5. Plan your finances assuming you might need to return some benefits if you exceed the limit After your first year, the monthly limit no longer applies, and SSA will only look at your annual total when applying the earnings test. Once you reach your full retirement age, there's no earnings limit at all.

Im totally confused about another thing - do they count gross wages or net wages for the limit? My gf says gross but someone at SS told me net. Huge difference!