I'm sorry for your loss, Connor. Going through this at such a young age must be incredibly difficult. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful - you mentioned your husband had way more than the required 40 credits, which is great. But keep in mind that survivor benefits are calculated based on his highest 35 years of earnings (adjusted for inflation), just like regular retirement benefits. Since he passed at 58, he may not have had a full 35 years of high earnings, which could affect the benefit amount. Also, I'd suggest keeping detailed records of any communications you have with SSA when you do start the process. Based on what others have shared, it's unfortunately common to get different information from different representatives. Having everything documented will help if you need to appeal or correct any mistakes. The fact that you're planning ahead now puts you in a much better position than many people. Take your time to understand all your options - you've got several years to make the best strategic decision for your situation.

Connor, I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing your husband at such a young age must have been devastating, and dealing with Social Security rules on top of grief is incredibly challenging. Everyone here has given you excellent advice, but I wanted to add one more perspective that might be helpful. Since you're 53 and have 7 years to plan, consider this an opportunity to really optimize your strategy. You mentioned earning a decent salary now - this could actually work in your favor. If you continue working and earning good income for the next 7 years, you'll be building up your own Social Security record. This means when you turn 60, you'll have a clearer picture of whether your own eventual retirement benefit (especially if you delay it to age 70) might exceed the survivor benefit amount. The key is to get those benefit estimates as others suggested, then you can model different scenarios. For example: - Survivor benefits at 60 while working (factoring in earnings test) - Survivor benefits at your FRA - Your own benefits at various claiming ages I work in financial planning and see this situation often. The people who fare best are those who, like you, start planning early and get all the facts before making decisions. You're already ahead of the game by asking these questions now rather than scrambling when you turn 60. Hang in there - you've got time and you're asking all the right questions.

I'm brand new to this community and just found this discussion while researching this exact issue for my own family situation. We've been caregivers for our adult daughter with cerebral palsy through our state's DD waiver program for about 3 years now, and we have the difficulty of care exemption as well. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both incredibly helpful and alarming - it's clear that this confusion about self-employment taxes versus income tax exemption is affecting far more families than it should be. The systematic nature of this problem, where tax preparers, case managers, and program materials all seem to miss this critical distinction, suggests this is a major communication failure at the policy level. I'm going to immediately check our Social Security earnings statements and schedule a meeting with our tax preparer to review our past returns. Based on what I've learned from this thread, we should still be able to correct all 3 years through amendments if we've been making the same mistake. What strikes me most is how many families are discovering this years into their caregiving roles when the financial impact becomes much more significant. This information should absolutely be front and center in all waiver program materials and orientations. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and practical advice - this thread has been invaluable for understanding what steps we need to take to protect our future Social Security benefits.

I'm new to this community and just discovered this incredibly detailed discussion while searching for help with the exact same issue! My husband and I have been caregivers for our adult son with developmental disabilities through our state's waiver program for about 4 years. We've had the difficulty of care exemption the entire time, and our tax preparer always told us we were "completely covered" by the exemption. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm now realizing we may have completely missed the self-employment tax requirement. What's really eye-opening is seeing how widespread this problem is - it's clearly not just individual families making mistakes, but a systematic failure to communicate these critical tax distinctions when families enter waiver programs. I'm going to immediately request our Social Security earnings statements and schedule an urgent meeting with our tax preparer. Based on what I've learned here, we should be able to amend all 4 years if needed, which is a relief compared to families who've discovered this much later. Thank you to everyone who has shared such detailed experiences and practical advice about the amendment process, Schedule SE, and Form SSA-7008. This thread should honestly be required reading for every family entering a disability waiver program. The fact that so many of us are learning about this years later shows there's a serious need for better upfront education about these tax implications. I'll definitely keep you all updated on what we discover!

I'm a newcomer here but wanted to share what I learned when helping my elderly neighbor with SSI. Your brother definitely sounds like he qualifies - 65+ with no work history and limited resources is exactly what SSI covers. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that you might want to apply ASAP even if you're not 100% ready with all documents. SSI benefits start from the application date, not the approval date, so there's a real financial advantage to getting the application in quickly. You can always submit additional paperwork later. Also, if your brother does get approved, make sure to ask about state supplemental payments. Some states add extra money on top of the federal SSI payment - it's not much, but every little bit helps when you're living on such a tight budget. The housing reduction that others mentioned is real, but honestly, getting $645/month plus automatic Medicaid eligibility is still life-changing for someone with zero income. You're doing an amazing thing for your brother, and I really hope this works out for both of you!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience as someone who recently went through the SSI application process with my aunt. Your brother absolutely qualifies - the combination of being 65+ with no work history and limited resources is exactly what SSI is designed for. A few things that really helped us: - We started the application online at ssa.gov even though she was nervous about technology. You can save your progress and come back to it, which took a lot of pressure off - The local Legal Aid office had a benefits specialist who helped us prepare for the interview and explained what questions to expect - We brought a simple one-page summary of her living situation, income sources (none), and basic medical info to the appointment - the interviewer really appreciated having everything laid out clearly The hardest part was honestly just getting started, but once we submitted the application, the process moved pretty smoothly. Your brother is fortunate to have someone advocating for him so thoughtfully. The fact that you're researching all this and gathering information shows how much you care, and that advocacy will make all the difference in getting him the help he needs and deserves.

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share my recent experience that perfectly aligns with what everyone has been saying here. I just turned 62 last month and was getting intense pressure from my siblings to file immediately because "the COLA is coming in January and you'll miss it if you wait!" I was so confused by all the conflicting advice that I decided to visit my local Social Security office in person rather than deal with the phone hold times everyone mentioned. The representative was very clear and patient in explaining that COLA increases are automatically applied to your Primary Insurance Amount from age 62 onward, regardless of when you actually start collecting benefits. She even showed me a printout of how my future benefit would be calculated, including all projected COLA increases plus the delayed retirement credits I'd earn by waiting past my FRA. It was eye-opening to see the numbers laid out that way - the 8% annual delayed credits really do add up to much more than typical COLA increases over time. What struck me most was how she mentioned that this is one of the most common misconceptions she deals with. Apparently, many people come in panicked about "missing" COLA increases, when in reality the system is designed to protect your benefit's purchasing power whether you're collecting or not. I'm sticking with my plan to wait until 67, and now I have the confidence to push back when family members try to pressure me otherwise. Thanks to everyone here for sharing their experiences - it's so reassuring to know I'm not alone in dealing with this widespread myth!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm 59 and have been researching Social Security timing strategies, and this thread has been absolutely invaluable in clearing up the COLA misconception that seems to be everywhere. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's experiences have been - whether calling SSA directly, visiting local offices, or researching online, the answer is always the same: COLA increases are automatically applied to your Primary Insurance Amount from age 62 forward, regardless of when you actually claim benefits. The mathematical comparison that keeps coming up - typical COLA increases of 2-4% versus guaranteed delayed retirement credits of 8% annually after FRA - really drives home why this myth is not just wrong, but potentially costly for those who claim early based on it. It's fascinating (and concerning) how widespread this misinformation is. Reading through everyone's stories about family pressure to "claim before you lose the COLA" makes me realize this isn't just isolated confusion - it's become almost like folk wisdom that's being passed down, despite being completely incorrect. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences, especially those who went through the hassle of verifying with SSA directly. This community is proving to be such a valuable resource for navigating these complex decisions with accurate information rather than well-meaning but misguided advice from family and friends!

I'm new to this community and this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently dealing with a very similar DRC situation. I delayed my benefits for 9 months past my FRA and started collecting in November 2024. My January payment was the same amount as my previous payments, so I was getting quite concerned that something had gone wrong. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I feel much more confident that this processing delay is completely normal. The 6% increase I'm expecting (9 months × 0.667%) will definitely be worth the wait, even if it takes until March or April to process. @aa0a55660898 your update about getting through to SSA and confirming your case is in their February batch gives me hope that I should try calling soon too. I'm going to follow Aria's advice about calling Tuesday-Thursday mornings around 8-9 AM to avoid the worst hold times. One thing I'm curious about - has anyone here had experience with delays as long as 9 months? I'm wondering if the longer delay periods might get processed in later batches, or if it really is just random like some have suggested. Either way, this community has been so helpful in understanding that these delays are normal and the retroactive payments will eventually come through!

Welcome to the community! As a newcomer here, I've been following this thread closely because I'm in a somewhat similar situation. I delayed my benefits for 5 months past my FRA and started collecting in January 2025, so I'm just beginning this whole DRC waiting process. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It's clear that these processing delays are completely normal, and the variation in timing (anywhere from February to April) seems to be standard across different cases and delay periods. What really stands out to me is how important it seems to be to call and verify that SSA has calculated your delay months correctly. Several people mentioned initial calculation errors that had to be corrected, so it's definitely worth the effort to get through to an agent and confirm your case details. @aa0a55660898 thank you so much for posting this question and providing the update after calling! It's been really valuable to follow your experience in real-time. For those of us just starting this process, knowing that agents can confirm which batch your case is in provides a lot of peace of mind. I'm planning to call next week using the timing suggestions from @65c6793a02e7 about Tuesday-Thursday mornings. Even though I'm early in the process, I want to make sure they have my 5 months calculated correctly from the start. The 3.33% increase will definitely be worth ensuring everything is set up properly!