everyones ignoring the obvious - 20 yr olds change jobs like they change clothes. my kids had like 5 diff jobs by age 25. she prob wont even be there next yr so why stress about it

As someone who's dealt with similar decisions, I'd say don't overthink this one. At 20 with a part-time job making $12k/year, the PARS contributions are minimal and unlikely to significantly impact her Social Security benefits decades from now. The WEP reduction is proportional to your non-covered pension amount - a small pension from 2-3 years of part-time work would result in a very small WEP reduction, if any. Plus, if she ends up with 30+ years of substantial Social Security earnings (which is likely given her age), WEP won't apply at all. I'd focus on her building good work experience and figuring out her career path rather than worrying about retirement systems at this stage. The financial impact of this decision is probably much smaller than you think.

You actually only need 40 quarters (10 years) to qualify for your own retirement benefit. With 15 years of even part-time work, you might qualify! Definitely check your my Social Security account online. If you do have your own benefit, you'll receive the higher of: 1) your own reduced retirement benefit, or 2) your reduced spousal benefit. They don't stack - you get the larger of the two.

Just wanted to add my experience here - I went through this exact same situation two years ago! My husband filed at 62 and I was worried my spousal benefits would be tiny. But like everyone else confirmed, it's based on his full retirement age amount (PIA), not what he's actually getting. The SSA representative I finally got through to was really helpful and calculated it out for me on the spot. She explained that his early filing penalty stays with him - it doesn't get passed down to affect my spousal benefit base calculation. The only reduction I get is for MY early filing. I ended up getting about $920/month at age 62, which was way better than I expected! Definitely create your my Social Security account online first - it'll show you estimates and your earnings record so you know exactly what to expect before you apply.

I went through a very similar situation with my disabled daughter a few years ago. One thing that might be worth considering is the timing of when your husband applies versus when you apply. Since you're the higher earner, your son's potential CDB benefit on your record will likely be significantly higher than on your husband's record. Here's what we learned: If your husband files first at 62, your son can immediately switch from SSI to CDB on his record. Then later when you file for retirement (whenever that is), your son can potentially switch again to the higher benefit on your record if it's more advantageous. The key is that once someone is receiving CDB, they can usually switch to a higher-paying parent's record when that parent becomes eligible. Also, don't forget that when your son switches from SSI to CDB, he'll no longer be subject to those strict SSI asset and income limits, which can be a huge relief for the whole family's financial planning. We were finally able to help our daughter save some money and have a small inheritance without it affecting her benefits. Definitely get those calculations from SSA - the difference in potential benefits between your record and your husband's could be substantial given the earnings gap you mentioned.

I work as a benefits counselor and see families in your exact situation regularly. A few additional points that might help: First, regarding the timing strategy - since you mentioned your husband just turned 62, you have some flexibility here. One approach to consider: your husband could file for his retirement benefits now (even with the reduction) to get your son immediately onto CDB benefits and off the restrictive SSI program. This gives your son 5 extra years of the higher CDB payments and eliminates the SSI asset/income restrictions right away. When you reach 62 in 7 years, you can evaluate whether your son should switch to CDB on your higher-earning record. The math might work out favorably even with your husband's reduced benefit, especially considering your son gets those extra years of higher payments. Also, make sure to ask SSA about retroactive benefits when your son switches from SSI to CDB - sometimes there can be back payments involved if the application process takes time. One last thing - if your son is currently receiving Medicaid through his SSI eligibility, switching to CDB shouldn't affect his Medicaid in most states, but definitely confirm this with your local Medicaid office as healthcare coverage is crucial. The system is complex, but you're asking all the right questions. Good luck!

I'm so glad I found this thread! My son turns 18 on June 15th and graduates June 12th, so we're dealing with the exact same timing issue. I had been staring at those SSA-1372 forms for weeks, completely confused about whether I needed to fill them out. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening, especially learning about that "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule. I had no clue that without these forms, benefits would stop in May for a June birthday - that's potentially three months of lost payments! I called our high school's guidance office this afternoon after seeing all the advice about going directly to student records rather than the main office. They confirmed they handle these SSA forms routinely and can turn them around in 1-2 days. The counselor also mentioned they'll need official enrollment verification and will use letterhead with the school seal. Planning to take the forms in tomorrow with copies of my son's Social Security card and birth certificate, make duplicates of everything for our records, and send it all back via certified mail like several people recommended. The extra documentation and postage costs are definitely worth it for this much money. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you've transformed what felt like an impossible bureaucratic puzzle into a clear action plan. It's amazing how many families go through this exact same situation every graduation season!

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! My daughter turns 18 on June 8th and graduates June 6th - so close to your timing. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm definitely filling out those SSA-1372 forms immediately. The "month before the 18th birthday" rule that everyone mentioned is such a shock - I had no idea benefits would terminate in May for a June birthday without the student forms! That could mean losing 2-3 months of payments, which is substantial money during an already expensive graduation time. I'm going to follow the excellent advice shared here: contact our school's registrar office directly (not main office), bring copies of her Social Security card and birth certificate for verification, make duplicates of everything for our records, and send it back via certified mail with return receipt. One question for those who've been through this - roughly how long did it take SSA to process your forms once submitted? I want to make sure I'm not cutting it too close with the June timeline. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what seemed like such a confusing bureaucratic process. It's amazing how many families deal with this same timing challenge every graduation season.

wait i'm confused about something - does he have to wait til hes FRA to get the spousal benefit or can he get it as soon as you file???

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! So it sounds like: 1) Yes, he can get some additional amount when I file, but it won't be a full 50% of my benefit 2) The amount will be reduced because he took early retirement 3) We need to specifically apply for this when I file for my benefits 4) Every situation is different, but we might see a few hundred dollars extra per month This really helps us with our retirement planning. I appreciate all the responses!