I'm really sorry for your loss, Zara. This kind of misinformation from SSA is unfortunately all too common, especially with complex survivor benefit calculations. From what I understand (and what others have confirmed here), when a worker dies before claiming benefits, SSA uses their Primary Insurance Amount at Full Retirement Age (67 in your husband's case) as the baseline for survivor benefits - NOT the age 62 amount. The rep who told you they use the age 62 PIA was definitely incorrect. Here's what I'd recommend for your next contact with SSA: 1. Ask specifically to speak with a "survivor benefits specialist" or request an appointment with a Technical Expert 2. Reference Program Operations Manual System (POMS) sections RS 00615.300-RS 00615.772 which cover survivor benefit calculations 3. Ask them to document the correct calculation method in your file 4. Request a written estimate showing the calculation breakdown The $640 monthly difference you mentioned is substantial, so it's worth being persistent to get the right information. Don't let them rush you off the phone until you're completely satisfied with their explanation and have it documented properly. You might also want to contact your congressional representative's office - they often have staff who can help cut through SSA bureaucracy when you're getting conflicting information on important benefit calculations.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Zara. The confusion you're experiencing is unfortunately very common with SSA representatives, but the community here has given you excellent guidance. To add one more resource that might help: the Social Security Administration's official website has a detailed publication called "Survivors Benefits" (Publication No. 05-10084) that specifically addresses your situation. It clearly states that when a worker dies before claiming benefits, survivor benefits are calculated based on the worker's unreduced PIA at full retirement age, not age 62. You can download this publication directly from ssa.gov and bring it with you to your next appointment or reference it during your phone call. Having the official SSA publication in hand makes it much harder for representatives to give you incorrect information. Also, when you do get the correct calculation, ask them to send you a written benefit estimate. This way you'll have documentation of the proper calculation method and amount for your future planning. The estimate should show your husband's FRA PIA as the base amount, then any reductions applied based on when you choose to claim. Stay strong and keep advocating for yourself - you deserve accurate information to make informed decisions about your financial future.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Amy. As someone who's still learning about Social Security benefits, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening. Like so many others here, I had no idea that survivor benefits were calculated based on the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) rather than the actual monthly benefit amount the deceased spouse was receiving. What's really concerning is how widespread this confusion seems to be - nearly every person who's shared their experience here has gone through the same cycle of expecting the full spousal benefit and then being surprised by the actual amount. This suggests there's a fundamental communication problem at SSA that's affecting families during one of their most difficult times. The advice about requesting a detailed breakdown of the benefit calculation from SSA seems really valuable. Having those specific numbers would not only provide peace of mind that no errors were made, but also help your mom plan her finances with accurate information going forward. It's unfortunate that families have to learn these complex rules during their time of grief rather than having clear, comprehensive information available beforehand. Thank you for sharing your situation - it's helping all of us understand how these benefits actually work and preparing us to have important conversations with our own families before we might face similar circumstances. I hope your mom finds clarity and confidence once she has the detailed calculation information from SSA.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Amy. As someone new to understanding Social Security benefits, this entire discussion has been incredibly educational. The distinction between Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) and actual benefits with delayed retirement credits is something I never knew existed before reading this thread. What really strikes me is how many families seem to experience this exact same confusion - expecting the full spousal benefit amount but receiving something different based on complex calculations. It appears to be such a widespread issue that suggests the Social Security Administration could do much better at explaining these rules upfront, especially during such a vulnerable time. The practical advice from other community members about requesting a detailed breakdown of how SSA calculated your mom's $2,320 benefit sounds very helpful. Having those specific calculations in writing would provide peace of mind that everything was done correctly and help with her financial planning moving forward. Thank you for sharing your experience - it's helping those of us who haven't faced this situation yet understand how survivor benefits actually work versus what many people naturally assume. I hope getting that detailed explanation from SSA gives your mom the clarity and confidence she needs during this difficult time.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really struck by how comprehensive and supportive everyone has been in helping @Ravi Sharma navigate his lottery win situation! This thread has been incredibly educational for someone like me who is just beginning to understand the intricacies of Social Security and tax implications. What really stands out to me is how what initially seemed like a straightforward question - "will this affect my benefits?" - turned into a complex discussion involving multiple systems: Social Security retirement benefits, federal income taxes, Medicare IRMAA calculations, and even gift tax considerations. It's a perfect example of how financial decisions can have ripple effects across different areas. @Ravi Sharma, I'm impressed by your methodical approach - from asking the community for guidance, to using Claimyr to actually reach an SSA representative for official confirmation, to proactively setting aside 20% for taxes. Your transparency in sharing both the good news (the win!) and your concerns has created such a valuable learning opportunity for newcomers like me. The distinction between earned and unearned income that several people explained is something I never fully understood before. It's reassuring to learn that gambling winnings don't affect retirement benefits after FRA, even though they do create other considerations like potential taxation of benefits and future Medicare premium impacts. Thank you for sharing your experience so openly - it's helping people like me understand these complex systems before we need to navigate them ourselves. Congratulations on your win and on handling it so responsibly!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely amazed by the wealth of knowledge and support that's been shared in response to @Ravi Sharma's lottery win situation! This thread has been like taking a crash course in Social Security, tax implications, and Medicare - topics I'm just starting to learn about as I help my aging parents navigate these systems. What strikes me most is how this conversation perfectly illustrates the complexity hidden behind what seems like simple questions. @Ravi Sharma asked whether his $27K lottery win would affect his Social Security benefits, and the answer unfolded into discussions about earned vs. unearned income, provisional income thresholds, Medicare IRMAA calculations, gift tax exclusions, and even strategies for tax planning. It's mind-boggling how interconnected all these systems are! I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips that have emerged - the Claimyr service for actually reaching SSA (something I'll definitely remember for my parents), the advice about setting aside 20% for taxes, and the suggestion to use a separate high-yield savings account for tax obligations. These are the kinds of real-world solutions you don't find in official brochures. @Ravi Sharma, your approach throughout this whole situation has been exemplary - asking questions early, seeking multiple perspectives, getting official confirmation, and planning ahead responsibly. Your willingness to share both your excitement about the win and your concerns about the implications has created an incredibly valuable learning opportunity for newcomers like me. Congratulations on your lottery win, and thank you for handling it in such a transparent way that's helped educate the rest of us! This community is clearly a treasure trove of practical wisdom.

I'm currently in week 9 of waiting for my retirement application approval (filed December 28th), so I completely understand your anxiety! What helped me get through this process was calling SSA at the 8-week mark just to confirm everything was on track. The representative was actually very helpful and explained that December/January applications are experiencing the longest delays due to the combination of holiday staffing reductions, COLA implementation, and the annual surge of new retirement applications. She assured me that my application was progressing normally and that I should expect approval within the next 1-2 weeks. The key thing she emphasized is that as long as you haven't received any requests for additional documentation, your application is likely complete and just waiting in the queue. One tip that really helped my peace of mind: write down your confirmation number and the date you applied, and when you do call SSA, ask them to confirm these details match what they have in their system. This immediately verifies your application is properly in their system and being processed. Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, 6 weeks for a January application is completely normal right now. You should definitely see movement soon!

I'm a newcomer to this community but wanted to share my recent experience that might help ease your anxiety. I filed my retirement application on December 15th and just received approval yesterday after exactly 9 weeks of waiting. Like you, I had a straightforward work history and provided all documentation upfront. What I learned from calling SSA at the 7-week mark is that they're currently processing applications in the order received, but January applications are taking 6-10 weeks due to several factors: the annual COLA recalculation system updates, holiday staffing impacts that carried into January, and an unusually high volume of retirement applications submitted after the new year. The representative I spoke with explained that the "processing" status often doesn't change until final approval, so don't read too much into the lack of updates on MySocialSecurity. She also confirmed that since you applied in January for March benefits, you'll receive full backpay for any months between your eligibility date and approval date. One thing that really helped my peace of mind was asking the representative to read back my confirmation number and application date to verify everything was properly in their system. Given that you're at 6 weeks for a January application, you're well within the current normal range. I'd suggest waiting until week 8 before calling, but try not to stress - your timeline sounds completely typical for applications submitted during that period.

As someone who just joined this community, I want to thank everyone for such an informative discussion! I'm currently preparing my own retirement application and was honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the details and potential for mistakes. Reading through @Abigail Spencer's experience from initial concern to successful resolution has been incredibly reassuring. It's such valuable insight to learn that employment date errors don't actually affect benefit calculations since SSA verifies everything through tax records anyway. The consistent advice about visiting the local office rather than dealing with phone system delays really seems like the way to go based on everyone's experiences here. This thread perfectly demonstrates why communities like this are so helpful - you get real, practical guidance from people who've actually navigated these processes. Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge and creating such a welcoming environment for newcomers like me!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm just starting to navigate the Social Security system myself and was honestly pretty nervous about making mistakes on my application. Reading through @Abigail Spencer's experience from initial panic about the employment date error to getting it resolved so quickly at the local office has been tremendously reassuring. It's such valuable information to learn that benefit calculations are actually based on tax records rather than the dates we enter, so these kinds of errors don't affect the final outcome. The consistent advice from everyone about visiting the local office instead of dealing with phone system delays really seems to be the most practical approach. This community is already proving to be an amazing resource for real-world guidance that you just can't find in official documentation. Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences and creating such a welcoming environment for those of us just getting started with this process!