all this pia and fra and rib-lim stuff is why i hate dealing with SS. they make everything so complicated!!! my friend's husband died last yr and she said she just got whatever he was getting, period. no fancy math involved

Don't forget you'll need his death certificate and your marriage certificate when you apply for survivors benefits! Took me forever to find our marriage certificate when my time came.

i heard that if u do 1099 work u can do the thing where u put all money into a solo 401k and then it doesnt count for SS earnings test. my tax guy told me that last year but i didnt try it

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'm going to call SSA directly to confirm everything before making my decision. I'll definitely keep careful records of all my business expenses if I go the 1099 route, and make sure to set aside money for quarterly taxes. It seems like self-employment might actually work better for me since I can deduct legitimate business expenses from my countable income. I really appreciate all your insights!

hey did ur wife try any of the new meds for parkinsons?? my uncle got on some new one starts with K i think and it helped him alot with the tremors. maybe that could help her keep working?

One important thing to understand is that SSA evaluates Parkinson's disease under Listing 11.06 (Parkinsonian syndrome). The key criteria they look for are: 1. Marked limitation in physical functioning AND cognition, OR 2. Marked limitation in physical functioning AND mood/behavior regulation, OR 3. Marked limitation in physical functioning AND completed tasks in a timely manner "Marked limitation" means the symptoms seriously limit the ability to function independently, appropriately, and effectively. Even if your wife doesn't meet these exact listing requirements, she might still qualify through a medical-vocational allowance based on her Residual Functional Capacity, age, education, and work experience. The evidence needs to be compelling about how her condition prevents substantial gainful activity. For someone in an accounting position, documenting how tremors affect computer use, how fatigue impacts concentration for detailed financial work, or how speech issues affect client interactions would be particularly relevant.

my cousin works for ssa and says they're TOTALLY BACKED UP with these kinds of cases. the computer system automatically cuts off kids at 18 and then humans have to manually fix it for disabled kids. they're like 2 years behind on fixing these!! its not right but thats how it is

One more thing to consider - if your son qualifies for both SSI and disabled adult child benefits (CDB/DAC) on your record, there are complicated rules about which pays first. If the SSA retroactively determined he was eligible for the higher DAC benefits on your record after initially putting him on SSI, this could explain part of the confusion with the overpayment and underpayment notices. When he gets DAC benefits on your record, this can reduce or eliminate his SSI, but might result in a higher total payment. It's extremely complex and SSA reps often get confused themselves about how these programs interact.

One more important thing to consider: The benefit your child can receive is based on your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), which is what you would receive at your Full Retirement Age. Since you're claiming at 62, your personal benefit is reduced, but your child still gets up to 50% of your FULL benefit amount. For example, if your full retirement age benefit would be $2,000, but you're taking a reduced benefit of $1,400 at age 62, your child could still receive up to $1,000 (50% of $2,000), subject to family maximum limits. This is why it's especially important to apply for the child's benefit when you retire - they may receive more than you think.

After you file for your retirement benefits, you'll need to apply separately for your child's benefits - it's not automatic! In my experience, the best approach is to: 1. Gather your child's birth certificate and Social Security card 2. Get documentation showing custody arrangement (court order) 3. Call SSA and make an appointment specifically for applying for child's benefits 4. At the appointment, make sure they process both your retirement AND the child's benefit Doing this correctly from the start saved me a lot of headaches later. And yes, as others mentioned, once benefits start, take that documentation to family court to adjust your support obligation.

Just a heads-up for everyone following this issue - the Social Security Fairness Act has been introduced in multiple Congresses but hasn't passed yet. The current version (H.R. 82 in the House and S. 1398 in the Senate) would eliminate both WEP and GPO if passed. While we wait to see if legislation passes, here's what affected individuals should do: 1. Stay informed through official channels (SSA.gov and Congress.gov) 2. Consider joining advocacy groups focused on this issue 3. Keep documentation of your earnings history, both from covered and non-covered employment 4. If legislation does pass, wait for official guidance from SSA about implementation In most cases, if changes are made, SSA would implement them systematically, but it's always wise to follow up if you don't see adjustments within the timeframe specified in the legislation.

After trying to navigate this WEP/GPO situation myself, I found that having a one-on-one conversation with an SSA representative was really the most helpful. They explained exactly how my benefits were calculated and what would happen if the law changed. But getting through on the phone was nearly impossible until I used that Claimyr service I mentioned. If you do end up needing to speak with someone at SSA, I'd recommend trying them rather than wasting days getting disconnected. The agent I spoke with was surprisingly knowledgeable about the proposed legislation too.

My wife worked for 33 years before claiming at 62 and kept working pt and they still increased her benefit every year! Even tho she was over the earnings limit at first. its been 5 years now and her check is almost $200 more than when she started! But like someone else said she did have to wait till FRA to get the full increase.

To summarize what's been discussed: 1. Your 35-year calculation continues throughout your lifetime 2. New earnings can replace lower years, potentially increasing your benefit 3. The earnings limit applies until FRA ($21,240 for 2025) 4. Benefits withheld due to the earnings limit are partially returned at FRA through a recalculation 5. These recalculations happen automatically 6. The taxation of benefits is a separate consideration If you're replacing very low earning years from when you cared for your parents, you could see a meaningful increase over time, especially considering you'll potentially have many years of part-time work ahead of you.

i got my ss account set up online but then forgot my password lol. they had to mail me a reset code thing. so even if u go paperless they still gotta mail some stuff i guess

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! Based on what I've learned, I'm going to:1. Double-check my mySocialSecurity preferences to ensure everything possible is set to electronic delivery2. Get a PO box specifically for the government documents that must come by mail3. Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to monitor when mail is coming4. Try that Claimyr service to speak with SSA directly about my specific situationReally appreciate all the insights - this community is always so helpful!

One other thing to consider is that if you're still working, taking benefits before your Full Retirement Age means you'll be subject to the earnings limit (about $21,240 for 2025). If you earn over that amount, they'll withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. This applies to both retirement and survivor benefits taken early.

To answer your specific question about percentages: At 62 and 0 months, survivor benefits are reduced by approximately 28.5%, so you get 71.5% of the full benefit. By 63 and 0 months, they're reduced by about 23.5%, so you get 76.5%. So the difference between 62 years 10 months (March) and 63 years 0 months (May) would be roughly 1% of the full benefit amount. Not a huge jump, but still worth considering if you can set the later start date during your March appointment.

My friend tried to do exactly what you're describing last year. Applied December 18th for January 1st start date. His application got stuck in processing, and they ended up making February 1st his start date. He called and complained but they said there was nothing they could do because they couldn't process it fast enough. Don't risk it!

Just to clarify for everyone: The online application allows you to specify a benefit start date up to 4 months in the future. So if the original poster applies now (October 2024), they can specify January 2025 as their start month, and their first payment would arrive in February 2025. There's really no advantage to waiting until December to apply. Applying earlier gives SSA more processing time and reduces the risk of delays pushing the start date beyond January. Also, as others have correctly pointed out, once you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings test no longer applies at all. You can earn unlimited amounts without any benefit reduction.