ANOTHER THING they don't tell you - if you switch to widow benefits, make ABSOLUTELY SURE they don't mess up your Medicare. When I switched from my disability to my husband's record, they somehow dropped my Medicare Part B for three months and I had to pay out of pocket for doctor visits!!! Had to spend hours on the phone fixing that mess too. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING and follow up obsessively.

I just wanted to update everyone - I called SSA this morning (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it worked great - got through in 3 minutes!) and spoke with a representative who confirmed I AM eligible for disabled widow benefits! I have an appointment next week to complete the application. Thank you all so much for your help - I never would have known to ask specifically about this. You've potentially saved me from 4 more years of financial struggle!

Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to try to reach SSA to get specific information about my situation. I'll ask about: 1. If I'm eligible for survivor benefits from my first husband despite being remarried 2. How my teacher pension affects things (GPO) 3. Whether I should take survivor benefits now and my own benefits later or vice versa Wish me luck navigating this maze!

One last tip - when you talk to SSA, ask them to run a benefits calculation called the "maximize my benefits" scenario, where they look at all possible filing strategies. Also, request a copy of your deceased ex-husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - that's the base figure they'll use for your potential survivor benefit before any reductions. Good luck, and feel free to come back with questions after your call!

That's awesome! Glad it worked out for you. Tax season is stressful enough without adding grief to the mix.

don't forget that some of those medical expenses might be deductible on the final return if they're over 7.5% of the adjusted gross income. my brother's accountant got him a bigger refund by tracking down all the medical stuff when my dad passed

JUST BE CAREFUL! Social Security is NOT always straightforward about this! They told me benefits would start immediately when I applied and then I had to wait almost THREE MONTHS before my first payment showed up! And when I called to ask where my money was, they acted like this was completely normal and I should have expected it. Their systems are from the STONE AGE!!!

To summarize for the original poster: Since you just reached FRA last month and want benefits ASAP, select the current month as your benefit start date. Just be prepared that it might take 2-3 months for your application to be processed and payments to begin. Once they do start, you'll receive any back payments owed to you. And since you're already at FRA, there are no penalties or reductions regardless of when you start.

my aunt got widows benefits and they messed up her payments for 6 months!!!! make sure u double check EVERYTHING they tell you and get it in writing if possible

ALSO!!!!! don't forget the one-time death benefit of $255. Not much but better than nothing I guess.

btw when i got my retroactive $$ it was for the full benefit amount for those months not reduced or anything

After you get this sorted out, you might want to check if you made the optimal claiming decision. At FRA, you receive 100% of your primary insurance amount (PIA), but each year you delay past FRA (up to age 70) adds 8% in delayed retirement credits. If you're in good health and have other income sources, sometimes it's more beneficial to delay even past FRA. Just something to consider for others reading this thread - in your case, definitely claim those retroactive benefits!

My husband went through this last yr. Didn't matter what he earned Jan-Oct, once he hit FRA in Nov all the rules changed. Make sure u check if ur state taxes SS too, lots of people forget about that part!

Just to add a bit more clarity on the technical aspects: There are actually two different earnings tests: 1. The annual earnings test for people who won't reach FRA during the year (limit of $22,320 for 2024) 2. The higher monthly earnings test for the year you reach FRA, which only counts earnings before your FRA month (limit of $59,520 for 2024) In your case, since you're only starting benefits in your FRA month (December), neither test applies to you. Your benefits starting with December (paid in January) won't be affected by any earnings, before or after your FRA.

my uncle tried 2 go back 2 work after FRA and his SS checks kept coming same as before. he made like $30k extra that year and nothing changed with his SS. so ya once FRA hits ur good 2 go

One more clarification that might help: The complete removal of earnings limits at FRA applies to ALL types of Social Security benefits - retirement, spousal, and survivor benefits alike. This is established in Section 203 of the Social Security Act. I'd recommend keeping your SSA award letter that shows your FRA date, just in case there's ever any question. Also, it's good practice to create and maintain a my Social Security account at ssa.gov where you can track your benefits and reported earnings. Since your part-time earnings were below the threshold anyway, you should have no issues whatsoever. The system is designed to allow seniors to supplement their benefits with work if they choose to do so, especially after reaching Full Retirement Age.

One more important thing about the earnings limit that hasn't been mentioned yet - it only applies to wages or self-employment income. It does NOT apply to investment income, pension payments, annuities, capital gains, rental income, or other non-work sources. So if you have income from investments or rentals, that won't reduce your survivor benefits at all. Also, if your benefits are withheld due to working, when you reach FRA, your benefit amount will be recalculated to give you credit for those months when benefits were withheld. So you do eventually get some adjustment for the withheld benefits.

After working through all this with my own survivor benefits last year, my suggestion would be to run the numbers carefully. Calculate exactly what your survivor benefit would be (reduced for early claiming), how much would be withheld based on your earnings, and compare that to waiting until FRA for unreduced benefits. For me, even with the earnings test, claiming early still made mathematical sense because I needed the income and expected to live a long time. Everyone's situation is different though!

This is why I HATE the earnings limit rules!!! So complicated and they PUNISH people for working. I had to turn down a part-time job last year because it would have put me over the limit by just $500 and I would have lost WAY more in benefits. The whole system needs to be fixed!!!!!

I think u should just call ur local office and ask. Every situation is different and maybe yours will qualify for an exception. My friend said her severance pay didn't count toward her limit even tho it was paid after she started SS.