BTW dont forget bout paying taxes on ur SS benifits if ur making other money too!! My brother got hit with a big tax bill cuz he didnt know his part time job would make his SS taxable!!

As someone who went through SSDI to retirement conversion recently, I can confirm what others have said - they absolutely base it on your actual benefit amount, not potential earnings. The system doesn't consider "what if" scenarios about continued work. Your situation sounds almost identical to mine - I was also getting around $2,400/month on SSDI when I converted. The good news is the conversion itself is seamless and automatic at Full Retirement Age. The potentially disappointing news (which you've already figured out) is that with your benefit being $2,450 and your wife's being $1,750, neither of you would qualify for spousal benefits since both your individual benefits exceed 50% of the other's. One thing I'd recommend is double-checking your wife's actual Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) rather than just her current payment, as there can sometimes be small differences due to early filing reductions or other factors. But based on the numbers you provided, it's unlikely to change the outcome. The conversion process itself was pretty straightforward for me - just make sure to verify everything looks correct in your MySocialSecurity account once it happens!

I'm so sorry you're going through this bureaucratic nightmare! The death certificate situation is particularly frustrating when SSA clearly already has this information in their system. A few suggestions that might help: 1. **For the death certificate issue**: Since your children received benefits on his record after his death, SSA definitely has his death recorded. When you call back, specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" or "Claims Specialist" and mention that his death was already established for your children's survivor benefits. Reference those benefit payments as proof they have the death information. 2. **Congressional assistance**: This is exactly the type of federal agency issue that Congressional offices are equipped to handle. Contact your Representative's or Senator's constituent services - they can often cut through red tape that would take you months to resolve. 3. **Survivor benefit timing**: You have some valuable options here. Since you can take survivor benefits as early as 60 (though reduced), you might be able to claim those while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70 with delayed retirement credits. The optimal strategy depends on the relative amounts. 4. **Getting through to SSA**: Try calling right when they open (8 AM local time) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. The Claimyr service others mentioned could also save you hours of frustration. The earnings limit clarification is great news for your planning - having that pension and deferred comp income without it affecting your Social Security makes retirement much more feasible!

Daniel, I've been through a very similar situation and want to share what finally worked for me. The death certificate roadblock is incredibly common - SSA has the information but still demands documentation they already possess. Here's what broke through for me: When you call SSA, immediately ask for a "Claims Authorization Representative" and explain that you need to discuss "potential auxiliary benefits on a deceased number holder's record." Use those exact terms - it signals to the system that this is a complex benefits determination, not a simple inquiry. Also mention upfront that "benefits were previously awarded to minor children on this record following the number holder's death in 2012." This creates a paper trail they can follow in their system without requiring external documentation. For the survivor vs. retirement benefit decision, you have a huge advantage being divorced after 19 years. You can potentially use a "claim and switch" strategy: take reduced survivor benefits starting at 60, then switch to your own maximum retirement benefit at 70 if it's higher. This is one of the few scenarios where you can actually optimize both benefits. One often-overlooked point: if you do qualify for survivor benefits, they're calculated differently than spousal benefits and aren't subject to the Government Pension Offset if that applies to your situation. The February appointment is unacceptable given that this should be a straightforward records review. Keep pushing for an earlier date or phone consultation - they often have cancellations that open up sooner slots.

Since several people have mentioned the SSDI to retirement conversion, I want to make sure one important point is clear: When SSDI converts to retirement at FRA, there is no change in benefit amount. Some people worry there will be a reduction, but the SSDI benefit amount simply continues as your retirement benefit amount. As for maximizing your benefits as a couple, you might want to consider whether it makes sense for you to wait until your FRA to file if your own benefit would be significantly higher than your spousal benefit. It's a complex calculation that depends on your respective benefit amounts, how long you expect to live, and your current financial needs.

I just wanted to add that you might also want to consider looking at your Social Security statements to get a better sense of the numbers involved. You can create an account at ssa.gov/myaccount and see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages. This will help you compare your own retirement benefit at 62 versus waiting until FRA, and also see how that compares to the spousal benefit amount. Having those actual numbers in front of you will make it much easier to decide whether it's worth waiting or not. The online calculators can also help you figure out the break-even point based on your life expectancy assumptions.

My neighbor had this same problem! She ended up just going in person to the local office with the W-4V form filled out. Said it was way faster than trying to call or mail it in.

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can confirm that the tax withholding option is buried pretty deep in the online application - it's easy to miss! The good news is you have several options to fix this. Since you just applied 2 weeks ago and your benefits haven't started yet, I'd definitely recommend calling SSA first to see if they can add withholding before processing your first payment. If that doesn't work out, the W-4V form is your backup plan. Just be prepared that it might take a couple months to take effect, so you'll want to set aside money from your first few payments for taxes. Given that you have other income sources, you'll definitely want some form of withholding in place to avoid a big tax bill next year!

One more thing to be aware of - if you're paying quarterly premiums directly, make sure to track any premium increases throughout the year for accurate tax records. Medicare premiums often change in January, so your Q1 payment might be different from your Q4 payment. This matters for calculating your total medical expenses deduction correctly.

Just wanted to add that if you're paying Medicare premiums by check, your cancelled checks from your bank are excellent documentation for tax purposes. I've been doing this for 2 years now and my tax preparer accepts them without any issues. Also, if you set up automatic payments from your bank account, most banks will let you download annual summaries showing all payments to Medicare - this can be really helpful for keeping organized records. The key is just being consistent about saving whatever payment method records you have throughout the year.