my sister went through this same thing with her ex husband who benefit was alot more than hers. she started working when she was 45 after raising kids so her benefit was tiny. she tried taking ex spouse benefit at 62 and regretted it cause of the work limits. she should of just waited til 67 like everyone is telling you. the other thing nobody mentioned is that you can only get divorced spouse benefits if you haven't remarried!!! just making sure you know that part.

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful information! This cleared up so much confusion. Based on what I'm hearing, it sounds like my best strategy is to continue working until my FRA and then apply for benefits - either my own or ex-spouse benefits, whichever is higher at that point. I'm going to try to get through to SSA to confirm all these details for my specific situation. It's frustrating that these rules are so complicated, but I'm grateful for all your insights!

my mom had something like this happen... she got a letter afterwards saying they took too much from her checks and she got back pay but it took like 2 years i think

Based on everything in this discussion, here are your main options: 1. Claim at 63 as planned, accept the reduction while working, and know your benefit will be adjusted upward at FRA 2. Reduce your caregiving hours to keep income under the threshold (though this may not be practical for your son's needs) 3. Wait until FRA to claim, avoiding the earnings test entirely 4. Look into whether your state's Medicaid waiver program might allow another family member to be the paid caregiver temporarily until you reach FRA Option 4 might be worth exploring if you have another relative who could step in temporarily.

Based on the numbers you provided, I can give you a rough estimation. If your husband receives $2344, and the family maximum is approximately 175% of his PIA, that would be around $4102. After subtracting your husband's benefit, approximately $1758 would remain for auxiliary beneficiaries. Currently, your son receives $1177. If you adopt both grandchildren and they qualify for approximately $2000 combined, the total auxiliary benefits would be $3177, which exceeds the remaining $1758 by about 80%. This means all auxiliary benefits would be reduced to roughly 55% of their original amount. Your son's $1177 might be reduced to approximately $650-700, and the grandchildren's benefits would be similarly reduced. This is just an estimation - the actual family maximum calculation could be different based on your husband's complete earnings record.

my sister said when they adopted their foster kids the benefits got reduced but then they qualified for adoption subsidies from the state that made up the difference. maybe look into that too?

ALSO!!! If your husband passes away before you (sorry to be morbid), you should know that survivor benefits are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from spousal benefits! You'd get 100% of what HE was receiving if you're at FRA when you claim survivors (not just 50%!). This is super important for planning! And if he claims at 62 and gets reduced benefits, your eventual survivor benefit would be based on that reduced amount! The SSA doesn't explain this well!!!!!

Thank you all for the helpful information! One more question - if my husband decides to keep working after he starts collecting benefits (he only plans to work part-time), would that affect my spousal benefit at all?

When i first got social security i was confused about all this tax stuff too. the thing that surprised me is that they only give u those 4 choices for withholding (7, 10, 12, or 22 percent). why cant i just pick my own amount?? its weird but i just went with 7% since im in a lower bracket.

BE CAREFUL with the W-4V form! Make sure you check the right box for the percentage you want. My husband accidentally selected 22% instead of 12% and way too much was taken out for 3 months before we could get it fixed. The SSA is SLOW to process changes!!

Hang on a second - I'm confused about something. You mentioned a \

Good catch. Under current rules, when you file for any retirement benefit, you're deemed to have filed for all benefits you're eligible for. This is called \

ok but why not just claim at 62 and enjoy the $$ sooner? my uncle waited till 70 and died 2 months later, all that money left on the table smh

One more thing i learned the hard way - make sure you specificlly tell them you want your benefits to START in January. Don't just say you're applying for benefts AT age 70. If your birthday is in Jan. but you file in Dec. be VERY CLEAR about this!!!

btw have u looked into an ABLE account? its a special savings account for disabled people that doesnt count against asset limits for benefits. we set one up for my son and can put money in it for him without affecting his ssi eligibility. might be good for your situation if your financially stable and want to save for her

To summarize the options for your daughter based on what others have shared: 1. Focus on thorough documentation now rather than applying while your income disqualifies her 2. Consider applying for SSI when she turns 18 (though household support may still affect eligibility) 3. Look into setting up an ABLE account to save money for her future without affecting benefits 4. Understand that for future Childhood Disability Benefits (adult SSDI without work credits), she'll need to prove: - Disability began before age 22 - She remains unmarried - A parent is deceased, retired, or disabled and receiving Social Security The most important thing you can do now is maintain excellent records of all medical appointments, treatments, school accommodations, and how her conditions affect daily functioning. This documentation will be the basis for any future claims.

i just went through all of this last month! the rule is supposed to be certified copies but honestly depends on which person you get at the office lol. my rep said fax was fine then a different guy called me saying they were unreadable and i had to mail them anyway

One more thing to consider - even if they do accept faxed copies initially, they might still request the certified copies later in the process. I've seen this happen to several people. They think everything is proceeding fine with their application, then weeks later receive a notice requesting the original documents, essentially starting the clock over. If you're trying to maximize your benefits and avoid delays, I'd strongly recommend just following their official procedure from the start.

My sister waited 12 weeks and turns out they'd been sending mail to her old address even though she updated it online! Definitely call and check if you haven't heard anything by week 5. Sometimes there's a simple issue holding things up that you can easily fix if you knew about it.

The SSA's official guidance states that you should allow up to 6 weeks for processing a retirement benefit application. Some factors that affect processing time: - Accuracy and completeness of your application - Whether all earnings are properly posted to your record - Verification of non-covered employment (government jobs with pensions) - Whether you're applying right at FRA, early, or after FRA - Regional SSA office workloads If your application is straightforward, 3-4 weeks is typical. More complex situations can take 6-8 weeks. Anything beyond 8 weeks usually indicates a specific issue that needs resolution.