This is such a helpful and thorough discussion! As someone who's been on the fence about returning to work while on SS benefits, reading through everyone's experiences has really clarified a lot of my own questions. One thing I want to add that might be useful - I recently attended a Social Security workshop at our local senior center, and the presenter mentioned that SSA has been working to improve their online tools for tracking earnings. They now have a feature in your my Social Security account where you can view your posted earnings and see how they compare to the annual limits. It's not real-time, but it does get updated more frequently than just once a year after tax filing. The presenter also emphasized something that several people here have touched on - that the earnings test is designed to be fair, not punitive. The whole point is that if you're earning significant income, you temporarily need less support from Social Security, but you get credit for those withheld benefits later when you reach FRA. StarSeeker, your plan sounds really solid, and I think you're going to do great with this temporary position. The fact that you're planning ahead and asking the right questions puts you way ahead of the game. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread is going to be a valuable resource for a lot of people!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who's been considering going back to work while on SS benefits, I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and practical advice. One thing I'd like to add that might help others - I discovered that some local AARP offices offer free one-on-one counseling sessions specifically about working while receiving Social Security. They helped me understand my specific situation and even walked through some earnings scenarios with me. It might be worth checking if there's something like that available in your area as another resource beyond calling SSA directly. StarSeeker, your methodical approach to planning this out is really smart. The 90% safety buffer suggestion from Yara is excellent - I think I'm going to use that rule myself if I decide to take on some part-time work. And keeping those monthly calendar reminders to check earnings totals is such a simple but effective way to stay on track. Thanks to everyone for making this such a valuable discussion. I feel much more confident about the possibility of returning to work now that I understand how the earnings test actually works in practice!

I just went through this exact situation last year with my husband adopting my daughter. We were devastated to learn about this rule AFTER we had already started the adoption process. Fortunately, our attorney caught it and we were able to halt everything before it was finalized. What really helped us was meeting with both a family law attorney AND a Social Security disability attorney who specialized in benefits. The disability attorney knew all the ins and outs of the POMS manual and confirmed there were no workarounds for our situation. We ended up doing a legal guardianship instead, which gave my husband all the practical parental rights he needed - medical decisions, school authorization, emergency contacts, etc. The only real difference is that if something happened to me, custody wouldn't automatically go to him, but we addressed that with additional estate planning documents. My daughter is now 12 and still receiving her $1,200 monthly survivor benefits. We plan to do the adoption when she turns 18 if she wants us to. Honestly, she doesn't even realize there's a legal difference - to her, he's been "dad" for years regardless of what the paperwork says. The hardest part was explaining to family members why we weren't doing the adoption right away, but once we explained the financial impact, everyone understood. That money is going straight into her college fund and will give her opportunities her biological father would have wanted her to have.

I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation right now. My fiancé and I are planning to get married in a few months, and I was considering adopting his 6-year-old daughter who receives survivor benefits. After reading through all these responses, I'm honestly shocked that this rule exists and that SSA doesn't make it more widely known. The financial impact is staggering when you actually calculate it out over the remaining years until 18. For us, we're looking at potentially losing around $95,000 in total benefits. That's literally a full college education at many schools. What I'm struggling with is the emotional side of this. I really want to make our family "official" through adoption, but I also can't ignore the financial reality. It feels like the system is forcing blended families to choose between legal recognition and financial security for their children. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about consulting with attorneys who specialize in both family law and Social Security benefits. The legal guardianship option sounds like it might be the best compromise - giving me the parental rights I need while preserving her benefits. Has anyone found resources or advocacy groups working to change this rule? It seems like there are so many blended families affected by this, and the current law doesn't reflect how modern families actually work.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've learned a lot. To summarize what I understand now: 1. My current wife gets 50% of my benefit at her FRA (if that's more than her own benefit) 2. She'd get 100% survivor benefits after I pass away 3. My ex-wife can't claim on my record since she remarried I'll try using that Claimyr service to confirm these details directly with SSA. It's frustrating how difficult it is to reach them by phone these days.

You've got it exactly right! Just one small clarification on point #1 - your wife will receive the higher of either her own Social Security benefit OR 50% of yours, but not both added together. So if her own benefit ends up being $1,200 and 50% of yours would be $1,500, she'd get the $1,500 spousal benefit. Also, since you mentioned you're delaying past your FRA until 69, those delayed retirement credits will increase your benefit amount, which means your wife's spousal benefit calculation (50% of your Primary Insurance Amount) and eventual survivor benefits will be based on your higher delayed amount. Good planning on your part! Hope the Claimyr service works out better for you than the regular SSA phone lines. Getting official confirmation is always wise with these complex situations.

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to receiving Social Security benefits, I found this entire thread incredibly reassuring and educational. I'm only a couple months into getting my payments and had no idea that holiday adjustments were even a thing! When I first noticed payment dates seeming "off" in my MySocialSecurity account, I immediately panicked thinking there was an error. Reading everyone's explanations about how SSA always pays early rather than late for federal holidays, and that they publish payment calendars in advance, has been such a relief. I particularly appreciate how welcoming this community is to newcomers - everyone has been so patient in explaining these details that experienced recipients probably take for granted. I'm definitely going to download that payment schedule and start marking federal holidays on my calendar so I can anticipate these adjustments going forward. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where people feel comfortable asking questions and learning from each other!

Hi there! As someone who's also pretty new to receiving Social Security benefits, I completely understand your initial confusion about the payment date change. I'm only about 6 months into getting my payments and I remember having the exact same worry when I first noticed a date that didn't match what I expected! This entire thread has been so educational - I had no idea that holiday adjustments were standard practice or that SSA always pays early rather than late when federal holidays interfere with regular schedules. The Veterans Day explanation makes perfect sense for your November 12th payment. I'm definitely going to look up that payment calendar that several people mentioned and start keeping track of federal holidays so I can anticipate these changes going forward. It's really reassuring to find such a knowledgeable and welcoming community where newcomers like us can ask questions and get such thorough, helpful explanations. Thanks for posting this question - it's helped me understand the system better too!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help. I just went through a similar situation with my disability benefits review that took 3+ months. What finally worked for me was using the "Contact Us" feature in my online SSA account rather than calling. I was able to submit a message asking for a status update on my application, and they responded within 5 business days with specific information about what was causing the delay. It turned out they needed additional documentation from one of my previous employers, but for some reason that request never made it to me. Once I provided what they needed, my case was processed within 2 weeks. The online messaging system seems to be more reliable than phone calls right now, and you get a written record of all communications. Might be worth trying that route alongside calling - sometimes multiple touchpoints help move things along faster.

I'm sorry to hear about the stress you're dealing with - waiting months without communication from SSA is incredibly frustrating! I wanted to add another perspective based on what I've seen in this community. You mentioned your application was straightforward, which is actually good news. Sometimes the simplest cases get delayed not because there's a problem, but because they get deprioritized in favor of more complex cases that require immediate attention. It's backwards, but that's how the system sometimes works. One thing I'd suggest is documenting everything from this point forward - dates you call, who you speak with, what they tell you. If there are any issues with your payment timing later, having that documentation can be really helpful. Also, don't be afraid to escalate if the first person you talk to can't give you specific answers. Ask to speak with a supervisor if needed. The February payment date is still achievable if they process your application in the next couple of weeks, so there's still hope you won't experience any payment delays. Keep us posted on what you find out when you contact them!