This is such valuable information! I'm in a similar situation - turning 62 next year and considering early retirement while doing some part-time consulting. What I'm taking away from this discussion is that the key is planning which months you'll work versus which months you'll collect benefits, rather than trying to stay under annual limits. One question though - when you notify SSA about expected work months, do you do that when you first apply for benefits, or is there a separate process later? And if your actual work schedule ends up different than what you predicted, how flexible are they about adjusting? I'm also curious about the "highly skilled occupation" part of the 15-45 hour rule that @Giovanni Rossi mentioned. How does SSA determine if your work qualifies as "highly skilled"? My consulting involves financial analysis - would that likely fall into that category?

As someone who just turned 63 and is navigating these same waters, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I had no idea about the 45-hour monthly rule when I filed for early benefits last month. Like many others here, I thought I just needed to stay under the annual earnings limit. I do freelance marketing consulting with a very irregular schedule - some months I might work 60+ hours, others barely 10. After reading everyone's experiences, I'm definitely going to restructure my approach to batch work into specific months and forfeit benefits for those months rather than trying to juggle both throughout the year. One thing I'm still trying to figure out - when you notify SSA about expected substantial services months, do they adjust your benefit payments automatically going forward, or do you still get the full payments initially and then have to deal with overpayments later? I'd much rather have them withhold benefits upfront for my planned work months than deal with repayment issues down the road. Also, has anyone here worked with SSA to establish a regular pattern? Like if I plan to work intensively every January-March going forward, can I set that up as an ongoing arrangement or do I need to report it fresh each year? Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - this community is providing more practical guidance than anything I found in the official SSA materials!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a similar situation and was also confused about the different FRAs. Just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble reaching SSA by phone, try calling right when they open at 7 AM local time. I had better luck getting through early in the morning rather than later in the day. Also, make sure to ask them to mail you a written summary of whatever they tell you over the phone - having that documentation has saved me from confusion later. The strategy Ava mentioned about taking survivor benefits now and potentially switching to your own at 70 is exactly what my financial advisor recommended for my situation too.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Chloe. This has been such an incredibly informative thread - I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences! I'm not in this exact situation yet, but my husband is significantly older than me, so I know I may face similar decisions in the future. What really stands out to me from all these responses is how important it is to get personalized calculations from SSA rather than trying to figure it out from their confusing website. The strategy of taking survivor benefits at your FRA for survivor benefits (66y 6m) while continuing to work and build delayed retirement credits on your own record until 70 sounds really smart if your own benefit would end up being higher. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and taking notes on all the practical tips - especially calling at 7 AM, keeping detailed records of all conversations, getting everything in writing, and asking for "what-if" scenarios. The suggestion about using a service like Claimyr to actually get through to SSA is intriguing too, since so many people seem to have trouble reaching them. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences here. It's clear that navigating Social Security survivor benefits requires careful planning, but with the right information and strategy, it's definitely manageable. Wishing you all the best as you work through this process, Chloe.

One important clarification about dependent grandchildren: SSA has specific requirements about the status of the natural parents. Generally, for a grandchild to qualify: - Both parents must be deceased or disabled, OR - You must have legal adoption, OR - You must have legal guardianship AND prove the child was dependent on you Since you have legal guardianship, you'll need to address the status of the biological parents. For the unknown father, SSA will likely require some documentation stating he's not in the picture (your guardianship papers may cover this). For the mother, having court documents showing she's legally barred from contact will help your case. When you apply, bring: 1. Your grandson's birth certificate 2. Legal guardianship papers 3. Court orders regarding the biological mother 4. Any documentation about the unknown father 5. Proof of living arrangements (school records, medical records, etc.) 6. Proof of financial support (tax returns, expense records) Applying at your local SSA office in person is usually more effective for complex cases like this.

I work as a benefits advocate and see these cases regularly. Your grandson should absolutely qualify based on what you've described. The key factors working in your favor are: 1. You've had legal guardianship since birth (well before your husband's disability) 2. You've provided 100% financial support 3. The biological parents are effectively out of the picture legally A few practical tips from my experience: - When you apply, emphasize the TIMELINE - that your grandson was living with and dependent on you BEFORE your husband became disabled in 2022 - Bring bank statements or receipts showing you paid for his expenses (medical, school, clothing, etc.) - If you have any old tax returns where you claimed him as a dependent, those are gold - Consider bringing a letter from his school or doctor confirming your role as his guardians The process can take a few months, but with your documentation it should go smoothly. And yes, you should get some retroactive benefits - likely 6 months back from your application date, possibly more depending on when SSA determines he became eligible. Don't let the horror stories discourage you. Well-documented cases like yours get approved more often than not.

my aunt had this happen she just called and cried to the lady and they reduced what she had to pay back. worth a try lol

I went through a similar situation a few years back with a $22,000 overpayment due to unreported workers' comp benefits. Here's what I learned from the experience: First, you're absolutely right to self-report - this will definitely work in your favor during the waiver process. When I finally got through to SSA (took weeks of trying), they noted in my file that I voluntarily disclosed the issue. Regarding the tax situation, everyone here is correct - SSA won't reduce the overpayment amount because of taxes you paid. However, I want to emphasize how valuable that tax relief can be. In my case, using the "claim of right" provision when I filed taxes the year I made repayments resulted in about $4,800 back from the IRS. It doesn't eliminate the sting, but it helps significantly. My advice for the process: When you call SSA, immediately request Form SSA-632 (waiver request) and ask about setting up a payment plan while the waiver is being reviewed. In my case, they approved a $75/month payment plan which was manageable on my fixed income. The waiver took about 8 months to process (they denied it, but the payment plan stayed in place). One more tip: document EVERYTHING. Take notes during phone calls including the representative's name and badge number. I had to reference these notes multiple times when information got mixed up in my file. Good luck - this process is stressful but manageable if you stay organized and persistent.

make sure u keep track of when he dies. my mom had trouble proving her ex died because his new family didn't tell her and she needed the death certificate.

Just wanted to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you remarry before age 60, you would lose eligibility for survivor benefits from your ex-husband. But if you remarry at 60 or later, you can still collect survivor benefits from your ex. This is different from divorced spouse benefits where remarriage at any age ends your eligibility. Since you're approaching 67, this might not be relevant now, but it's good to keep in mind for future planning!