I'm in a very similar situation and have been putting off dealing with this for weeks! Reading through everyone's detailed experiences here has been incredibly helpful and much more informative than anything I could find on the SSA website. I particularly appreciate the insider tips from StarGazer101 about using the exact phrase "convert from survivor benefits to my own retirement benefits at age 70" - that kind of specific language seems crucial for getting the right response from SSA reps. The practice call idea from Zainab is brilliant too. I've been dreading making the actual application call, but doing a trial run first would definitely help me feel more prepared and less anxious about the whole process. One question I have: for those who successfully made the switch, did you find it helpful to have any documentation ready about your late spouse's work history or Social Security record? Or does SSA already have all that information accessible when you call about the conversion? Thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences. This thread has given me the confidence to finally start this process instead of continuing to procrastinate!

Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring! I'm turning 70 in May and have been putting off starting this process because the SSA phone system seemed so intimidating. But seeing how many of you have successfully navigated this transition gives me confidence. I love all the specific tips - especially the 8 AM calling strategy, having the exact phrase ready ("convert from survivor benefits to my own retirement benefits at age 70"), and the practice call idea. That's brilliant! One thing I'm still unclear on: when you all mention applying 3-4 months early, does that mean I should be calling in January or February for my May birthday? And should I be concerned about any potential delays given that it's the holiday season right now? Also, has anyone had experience with this process if you live in a rural area with limited local SSA office access? I'm wondering if the phone application is just as effective as doing it in person. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found elsewhere!

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

Just wanted to add something I learned when helping my mom navigate this - there's also a Medicare consideration to keep in mind. If you're under 65 when your husband passes and you start receiving survivor benefits, you won't automatically get Medicare until you turn 65 (unless you qualify for disability). This is different from retirement benefits where Medicare kicks in at 65 regardless. So factor in health insurance costs when you're calculating the financial impact of different claiming strategies. My mom had to get marketplace insurance for 3 years between when she started survivor benefits at 62 and when Medicare started at 65, which was an unexpected expense in her budget planning.

To clarify for everyone: When you apply for benefits in your first year of retirement, you need to: 1) Tell SSA you're retiring or significantly reducing work that month 2) Stay under the monthly limit for each month you receive benefits 3) Verify they coded your application for the monthly earnings test 4) Keep documentation of your work reduction If you do all that, then yes, your pre-retirement earnings in 2025 won't count against you. But you must actually reduce your work when you say you're going to.

Just wanted to add one more important point - when you apply in June, make sure you get written confirmation from SSA that they're applying the monthly earnings test to your case. I've seen too many situations where people thought they were set up correctly but SSA was actually using the annual test. You can request this confirmation in writing or ask for a receipt showing how they coded your retirement date. This will save you a lot of headaches later if there's any confusion about which test applies to your situation.

One other factor to consider: When your wife reaches her retirement age, the SSA will give her the larger of either her own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit she qualifies for. She doesn't get both. So if her teacher career ends up giving her a Social Security benefit that's more than half of your FRA amount, the spousal benefit would be irrelevant. If the GPO applies though, it could significantly reduce or eliminate any spousal benefits. Definitely worth contacting SSA directly to get a personalized analysis of your situation. They can do calculations specific to your earnings records.

Since she's only 52 now any planning you do is just rough estimates anyway. The rules might change by the time she's old enough to claim anything!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share some information that might help with your planning. I went through a very similar situation last year in Indiana when I was 64 and facing potential layoffs. One thing I learned that might be helpful is to check whether your company offers any "bridge to retirement" programs or enhanced severance packages for employees close to retirement age. Some companies have special programs for workers 62+ that can provide additional financial support during the transition to Social Security. Also, regarding the unemployment work search requirements that others mentioned - Indiana does allow some flexibility for older workers. You can often count activities like skills assessment meetings with career counselors, resume workshops, and even online job training courses toward your weekly work search requirements. The key is documenting everything properly. I'd also suggest contacting your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). They often have financial counselors who specialize in retirement transitions and can help you model different scenarios for free. They're familiar with both Social Security timing decisions and how unemployment benefits factor into the overall picture. The community has given you excellent technical advice about Indiana's favorable rules. From a practical standpoint, having multiple income sources during this transition actually worked out well for me - it gave me more flexibility to be selective about job opportunities while still meeting my financial needs. Best of luck with your planning - you're asking all the right questions ahead of time, which will make whatever happens much more manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add some perspective from someone who recently went through this exact situation in Indiana. I was laid off at 64 and had to navigate collecting both unemployment and Social Security benefits. The advice here is spot-on about Indiana allowing both benefits without reduction. What I'd add from my experience: **Timing considerations**: If you're planning to start Social Security in June anyway, getting laid off in April might actually work in your favor. You'll have two months to establish your unemployment claim and get familiar with the system before adding Social Security into the mix. **Communication between agencies**: Neither agency automatically notifies the other about your benefits. You don't need to report unemployment income to Social Security or vice versa - they're completely separate systems with different purposes and funding sources. **Practical tip for job searching**: Since unemployment requires active job searching, consider targeting positions that would start after you begin collecting Social Security. Many employers are actually interested in experienced workers who are supplementing Social Security - it can make you a more attractive candidate since they know you're not desperate for high wages. **Banking strategy**: I set up automatic transfers to move 25% of each payment to a separate account for taxes. This made tax season much less painful and helped me avoid the quarterly payment stress others mentioned. You're being smart to plan ahead rather than react after a layoff. Indiana's rules make this one of the easier states to manage both benefits, and this community has given you excellent guidance. Good luck with whatever happens!