Did anyone have issues with their COLA not showing up correctly in the MySocialSecurity portal? Mine showed the wrong amount last year and it took MONTHS to get it fixed...

I want to thank everyone for the helpful responses! Based on what you've all shared, I'm going to apply for benefits to start in January 2025 so I can get the COLA increase right away. I'll make sure to submit my application a few months in advance as suggested. I'm also going to check out that Claimyr service for getting through to SSA - sounds much better than waiting on hold for hours. Really appreciate all the insights!

Thank you all for your insights! Based on your suggestions, I've done some more calculations and we're sticking with our plan to have my husband wait until 2027 to file. I've set a reminder to check the IRMAA thresholds each year since they can change. I'm also going to talk with our financial advisor about structuring our retirement withdrawals to minimize MAGI during those years. Maybe we can use some Roth conversions we did years ago to help stay under the threshold. Quick question: Does anyone know if HSA withdrawals count toward IRMAA calculations? We have about $24,000 in an HSA we could use for medical expenses during the gap years.

my friend said he got his IRMMA reduced after he retired by filing some special form with social security. forgot what its called but worth looking into

for the death certificate problem, try calling the vital records office in NJ and explain your situation. sometimes they can make exceptions if you explain its for social security benefits. or you could ask one of his children to request it since they are definitely eligible to get copies

Update: I called SSA this morning and got disconnected twice after waiting over 45 minutes each time. On my third try I finally got through to someone who told me they CAN verify his death internally, but that I need to make an in-person appointment to discuss survivor benefits. The earliest appointment is in FEBRUARY 2025 - almost 3 months away! Unbelievable. She did confirm that neither my pension nor deferred comp count toward the earnings limit, so that's at least one question answered. Still trying to figure out if I should take my own benefit at 62 or wait and take ex-spouse survivor benefit...

One more important point: When your brother starts receiving the higher benefit amount on your father's record, his benefit status will change from SSDI to Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefits. This is important because DAC benefits have different rules than regular SSDI. For example, if your brother ever gets married, he could lose the DAC benefits unless he marries someone who is also receiving certain types of Social Security benefits. Also, make sure to bring your brother's birth certificate, your father's death certificate, and proof of your brother's disability to the SSA appointment.

UPDATE: I just spoke with my brother and he says you should also request the benefit verification letter from SSA once everything is processed. It took us another 2 months after approval to get all the payment amounts sorted out correctly. The letter will show exactly how much SSDI and SSI he qualifies for. If the math doesn't add up right (which happened to us), you'll have documentation to help get it fixed. Also, have your brother's current benefit verification letter with you when you go in so you can compare the old and new amounts.

wait i just texted my sister to double check what i said earlier! she said it's more complicated than she first told me. the medicaid waiver payments DO count for the earnings test but DON'T count for calculating your benefit amount. sorry for the confusion! this stuff is so confusing even when you think you understand it :/

Thank you all for your responses! Based on everything shared here, it sounds like I should: 1. Assume my IRS Notice 2014-7 exempt income WILL likely count toward the earnings limit 2. Get documentation from my employer clearly showing which portions of my income fall under this exemption 3. Try to speak with a Technical Expert at SSA (not just a regular rep) 4. Get any determination in writing 5. Consider using Form SSA-795 to document my understanding I'm seriously reconsidering whether to claim now or just wait until my Full Retirement Age (66+8mo) when the earnings test no longer applies. Working and providing care for my family member is important to me, and I don't want to have to reduce those hours. Thank you all again for sharing your experiences and knowledge!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I've scheduled an appointment with SSA for next month to go over all my options. Based on your advice, I'm thinking I might work until the end of the year to avoid any earnings test issues, then apply for survivor benefits in January when I'm 63. Then at my FRA or possibly at 70, I'll switch to my own retirement benefit if it would be higher by then. The workers comp/survivor benefit interaction is still confusing me though. I'll definitely ask SSA about any possible offset calculations. This has been so much more helpful than trying to figure it all out from the SSA website!

make sure u bring ALL ur paperwork to that appointment!!! birth certificates, marriage certificate, death certificate, workers comp award letter, tax returns, EVERYTHING. my aunt forgot one document and had to reschedule the whole thing and wait another month!!

By the way, if you haven't done so already, create a mySocialSecurity account online. You can see your estimated benefit amounts at different ages without having to call anyone. The site also shows your earnings history which is worth checking for accuracy since that determines your benefit amount. My sister found errors in hers that would have reduced her benefit if not corrected.

One more consideration: if you file for retirement now but later get approved for SSDI before reaching Full Retirement Age, you could switch to the higher SSDI benefit. This gives you income security now while preserving the option for a higher benefit if your disability claim succeeds. Given your medical conditions and limited work history since 2019, a new SSDI application might be worthwhile, especially with proper medical documentation.

i was in the same boat last year! ended up printing all the screens from my hubbys account and bringing them to local office. the lady there laughed and said \

That's actually a great idea - our local office might be less crowded than the ones in the city. Maybe I'll try making an appointment there instead of dealing with the phone system. Thanks for sharing what worked for you!

One more thing you should know: The fact that you didn't file earlier may actually work in your favor regarding retroactivity. Since you never received a formal denial, you could potentially argue that misinformation from an SSA employee prevented you from filing. This is called \

This is incredibly helpful information I had no idea about. I'll definitely bring up the misinformation form and ask about establishing a protective filing date from my 2020 visit. I remember it was in March 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down. I imagine that might have contributed to the rushed service. Thank you so much for this suggestion!

To add to what others have said: If you're worried about accidentally going over the earnings limit with your part-time work, you can contact SSA and ask them to do a "midyear recalculation" if your earnings will be lower than expected. That way you won't have benefits withheld unnecessarily. I've done this when I reduced my working hours mid-year.

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information! I think I understand now that the RMDs won't count against the earnings limit (big relief!), but I need to watch out for: 1. Making sure my part-time work stays under the annual limit 2. Considering how the RMDs might affect the taxation of my Social Security benefits 3. Thinking about whether the survivor-to-retirement benefit switch makes sense with my RMDs I appreciate all the insights and personal experiences shared here. Really helps with this complicated decision!