I've been helping people navigate Social Security for years, and I want to emphasize something important that hasn't been fully addressed: when your ex-husband is receiving SSDI, his benefit amount is calculated differently than regular retirement benefits. His SSDI is based on his Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME) at the time he became disabled, not what he would receive at full retirement age. This can actually work in your favor sometimes, especially if he became disabled at a younger age when his earnings were lower, because the SSDI formula can be more generous. However, your ex-spouse benefit will still be calculated as up to 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), reduced for early filing at 62. The key thing is that his current SSDI payment amount and your potential ex-spouse benefit are calculated from the same base (his PIA), so you're not getting shortchanged because it's disability versus retirement. Just make sure when you apply that they specifically look at both your record and his disability record to give you the higher amount.

I went through this exact situation about 3 years ago! My ex-husband was on SSDI and I applied for divorced spouse benefits at 62. Here's what I learned that might help you: First, yes you absolutely can get benefits based on his SSDI record since you were married over 10 years and haven't remarried. The amount will be based on his Primary Insurance Amount (the same number his SSDI is calculated from), so you're not penalized because it's disability vs retirement. However, filing at 62 means you'll get about 32.5% of his PIA instead of the full 50% you'd get at your full retirement age. In my case, this ended up being around $850/month. Also, make sure to apply online or by phone rather than going to the office - the online application lets you provide all your info upfront and seemed to process faster. They'll need your marriage certificate, divorce decree, and his Social Security number. The whole process took about 6 weeks for me. One last tip: if you're still working, definitely factor in the earnings test that others mentioned. I had to reduce my hours because I was losing $1 in benefits for every $2 I earned over the limit. Good luck!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for this incredibly thorough and enlightening discussion! I'm 64 and have been paralyzed by anxiety about claiming Social Security while continuing to work, largely because the official SSA materials made the earnings limit rules seem impossibly complex and confusing. This thread has been a complete game-changer for me - especially discovering that the earnings limit disappears the exact MONTH you reach your Full Retirement Age, not just sometime during that calendar year. I was completely wrong in assuming the restrictions lasted the entire year you turn 67, which would have caused me to make some very poor financial decisions and unnecessarily limit my income for months after reaching FRA. The clarification about the different earnings limits ($23,400 if under FRA all year vs. $63,840 if reaching FRA during the year, with only pre-FRA months counting) is absolutely critical information that I've never seen explained so clearly anywhere else. Combined with all the practical advice about monthly earnings tracking, understanding bonus payment timing, and how pre-tax retirement contributions can strategically help you stay under the limit before FRA - these insights are pure gold for anyone navigating these decisions. I'm also incredibly grateful to learn about Claimyr as an alternative for reaching SSA agents. After reading so many horror stories about endless hold times and disconnections, knowing there's a service that can actually get you through in 15-20 minutes seems like a lifesaver for when you need real answers about your specific situation. What strikes me most is how this community fills such a vital gap - the government gives you the rules, but only real people with actual experience can teach you how those rules work in practice. The collective wisdom shared here is infinitely more valuable than trying to decode dry official publications alone. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and incredibly informative resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my sincere thanks for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm 66 and have been putting off claiming Social Security because I was completely overwhelmed by the earnings limit rules on the SSA website - they make everything sound so complicated and scary. This thread has been absolutely life-changing for my understanding - especially learning that the earnings limit disappears the exact MONTH you reach FRA, not just during that calendar year. I had been assuming I'd need to worry about the limit for all of 2025 since I turn 67 next year, but now I realize it only matters until my actual birthday month in November! The breakdown of the different limits ($23,400 vs $63,840 depending on whether you reach FRA during the year) and all the practical tips about tracking earnings monthly, understanding when bonuses count, and how retirement contributions can help you stay under the limit - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance you can't find anywhere else. I'm also bookmarking the information about Claimyr for getting through to SSA when needed. After hearing all these stories about impossible phone waits, having an alternative that actually works seems incredibly valuable. What amazes me most is how this community provides the context and practical wisdom that makes these complex government rules actually manageable. The official materials tell you the rules exist but don't explain how they work in real life. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so generously and creating such a supportive resource for navigating these important decisions!

Correct - you don't get both benefits added together. The way it actually works is: 1. You get your own retirement benefit amount 2. If 50% of your spouse's benefit is higher than your own benefit, you get the DIFFERENCE added on So in your example with your $45K salary vs his $96K salary: - Your benefit might be around $1,500/month - His might be around $3,200/month - 50% of his would be $1,600 - You would receive your $1,500 + $100 extra = $1,600 total This is why for couples with very disparate incomes (like one spouse who didn't work much or at all), the spousal benefit is more significant.

Great advice in this thread! One additional consideration for you and your husband: since you're 58 and he's 60, you might want to look into the "restricted application" strategy if either of you were born before January 2, 1954. This allows someone at Full Retirement Age to file for spousal benefits only while letting their own benefit continue to grow with delayed retirement credits until age 70. However, this strategy was mostly phased out for people born after that date. Also, don't forget that if your husband passes away first, you could potentially receive 100% of his benefit as a survivor benefit (rather than the 50% spousal benefit), which is why it's important to consider both of your claiming strategies together as a couple, not just individually.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! I'm 60 and just beginning to understand how complex Social Security taxation really is. One aspect I haven't seen mentioned yet is how pension income factors into the provisional income calculation. I have a small pension from a previous employer that will start at 65 - does this count the same way as other retirement income toward the thresholds? Also, I'm curious about the interaction between Social Security taxation and Medicare premiums. I know higher-income retirees pay more for Medicare (IRMAA), and I'm wondering if there's any overlap between the provisional income thresholds for SS taxation and the income levels that trigger higher Medicare premiums? The strategic timing discussions here have been eye-opening - particularly the ideas about taking larger 401k distributions before claiming SS to keep provisional income lower in the SS years. It seems like there's real value in thinking about this as a multi-year tax planning exercise rather than just focusing on individual years. Thank you all for sharing such detailed, practical insights. This thread has convinced me that I need to do much more comprehensive planning before making any claiming decisions!

Welcome to the community! Great questions about pension income and Medicare IRMAA thresholds. Your pension income absolutely counts toward your provisional income calculation for Social Security taxation - it gets added to your AGI just like any other retirement income. So you'll need to factor that in when planning your claiming strategy. Regarding Medicare IRMAA, there IS overlap but the thresholds are much higher. For 2024, IRMAA kicks in at $103,000 for single filers and $206,000 for married filing jointly, while SS taxation starts at much lower levels ($25k single, $32k married). So you could be paying taxes on your SS benefits long before you hit the higher Medicare premiums. However, both use similar income measures (MAGI for IRMAA vs provisional income for SS taxation), so the same strategies that help with SS tax planning - like Roth conversions, timing of distributions, HSA usage - can also help manage your Medicare costs down the road. One thing to note: IRMAA uses income from 2 years prior, so there's a lag effect that can actually work in your favor for planning purposes. You have more time to see the impact of your decisions and adjust accordingly. You're absolutely right about taking a multi-year view - it's all interconnected and the timing strategies people have mentioned can have compound benefits across different aspects of retirement taxation.

As someone who's 64 and completely new to Social Security planning, this thread has been absolutely life-changing! I honestly thought benefits would start automatically when I retired - the idea that I have to actively apply and that there's only a 6-month window for retroactive payments after 70 is shocking. I was actually planning to wait until 73 to file, thinking I'd get even higher monthly payments, but reading about people permanently losing $30,000+ has made me realize what a catastrophic mistake that would have been! The real experiences shared here are so much more valuable than anything on the SSA website. I'm immediately changing my strategy to file right at 70 and setting up calendar reminders to apply online 3 months beforehand. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge - you've literally saved me from potentially losing tens of thousands of dollars in benefits I've earned over my entire working life. This is exactly the kind of critical information that should be taught in pre-retirement workshops but sadly isn't widely available!

This entire discussion has been incredibly educational! I'm 62 and honestly had no idea that Social Security benefits don't start automatically or that there's such a strict 6-month retroactive payment limit after age 70. Like many others here, I was considering waiting until my early 70s to maximize benefits, but reading about people permanently losing $30,000+ has completely changed my perspective. The real-world experiences shared here are invaluable - especially learning that delayed retirement credits stop at 70 and any delay past that point just means throwing money away. I'm definitely going to apply online right at age 70 and will set calendar reminders to start the process 3 months early. It's frustrating that the SSA doesn't communicate these critical details more clearly, but I'm so grateful for this community sharing their knowledge. You've potentially saved me from making a very costly mistake! I'll be sharing this thread with my spouse and retirement planning group because this information is too important to keep to ourselves.