my neighbor got caught in this same situation and she said the whole thing was a waste of time. spent all that effort getting her quarters and still got basically nothing from SS. just a heads up

The ONLY reason to get those 4 quarters is MEDICARE!!! If you don't have 40 quarters you'll pay WAY more for Medicare Part A, which is normally free if you have 40 quarters. That alone is worth working a little bit more!!!

Just my 2 cents - everybody's situation is different. My wife and I decided I'd file at 62 and she'd wait til 70 since her benefit was bigger. Worked great for us, we're 15 years into retirement and no regrets. Health problems can change everything tho so dont just think about the math, think about QUALITY OF LIFE!!

Has anyone mentioned survivor benefits yet? This is HUGE in your planning! When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse basically continues with the HIGHER of the two benefit amounts. So if you delay till 70 and get say $4200/month, then pass away, your husband would get that $4200/month for the rest of HIS life (assuming it's higher than his own benefit). So even if you delay and don't live super long, your husband could benefit from your higher amount for DECADES, especially with that 3 year age difference. This is especially important with his WEP situation limiting his own benefit.

One more thing I forgot to mention - when you call back, try to use their exact terminology. Instead of just saying your daughter "needs care" or "has disabilities," be specific about the "exercise of parental control and responsibility" and that you "provide personal services, supervision and direction" - those are the exact phrases from their policy manual that they're trained to look for.

good luck!! update us after u call again! my aunt might be in same situation soon

Actually, with FRA specifically, the amount is prorated by month. So if your FRA is November 15th, and you take benefits in November, you'd get approximately half of the reduction that would apply for someone claiming one month early. It's not a huge amount, but over a lifetime, it adds up. The cleanest approach is to just apply for benefits effective December 1 (which you'll receive in January). That way, you're clearly at your FRA and entitled to 100% of your benefit.

To clear up any confusion: For retirement benefits, if you start benefits in the exact month you reach FRA, your benefit will be calculated based on the number of days in that month before you reached FRA. For example, with FRA on November 15: - If you select November 1 as your start date, your benefit would be reduced by about 1/2 of one month's early retirement reduction (roughly 0.25-0.3%) - If you select December 1, you get your full benefit with no reduction For most people, waiting until the month after FRA (December 1 in your case) makes the most sense, especially if you want to ensure you get your full PIA amount.

they asked me for a letter from his doctor about his care needs and why he cant be left alone. i also gave them his guardianship papers and IEP from when he was in school showing his severe disability. and my work schedule showing i only work part time now to care for him

To answer the recent question - grandparents can qualify for this benefit in place of parents if they are the legal guardian providing care for a disabled individual receiving survivor benefits. The same criteria apply regarding care requirements and work limitations. One important note for everyone: If approved, the Mother's/Father's benefit is generally 75% of the deceased person's primary insurance amount, but may be reduced by the family maximum benefit limit if multiple people receive benefits on the same earnings record. This is something to be aware of when calculating potential benefit amounts.

One additional thing to be aware of - since you're applying for disability on your deceased husband's record, your benefit amount will be affected by whether he had started receiving Social Security benefits before his passing. If he had already filed for retirement or disability, your amount would be based on what he was receiving (including any reductions). If he hadn't filed yet, your benefit would be based on his Primary Insurance Amount at his full retirement age. This is something many widow applicants don't realize and it can make a significant difference in payment amounts. When you speak with SSA, be sure to clarify which calculation they're using.

my aunt just went thru this! if u get denied don't give up, she got denied first time then got a lawyer and won her case. her disability on her dead husbands record is like $2200/month i think

And another thing - if your application gets rejected (which it probably will the first time), APPEAL IMMEDIATELY! Don't make my mistake of waiting too long or filing a new application. The appeals process is how most people eventually get approved.

Regarding sedentary work while on SSDI - there are also programs specifically designed to help SSDI beneficiaries return to work if they're able. The Ticket to Work program provides free employment support services and protection against medical Continuing Disability Reviews while you're participating. Depending on your situation, this might be a good option to explore after you're approved for benefits. You can test your work ability with various supports in place. Look into Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) services in your area for personalized guidance on how working might affect your benefits.

Just to add a bit more clarity: the benefit calculation is more specifically based on your highest 35 years of *indexed* earnings. SSA adjusts your past earnings to account for changes in wage levels over time. So $50,000 earned in 1990 would be indexed to a higher value to make it comparable to $50,000 earned today. For most people retiring in 2025, earnings from before 1991 will be indexed, and earnings from 1991 and later are taken at face value. That's why sometimes recent earnings (even if nominally higher) might not replace earlier indexed earnings in your calculation.

My two cents - make sure when you apply that you specify you want benefits to START in May 2025 (your FRA month), not that you're APPLYING in May. You can actually apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to begin. So you could apply in January or February but specify May as your benefit start month.

Another thing to consider - if your husband served prior to 2001, he might actually have what are called "special credits" that could help him qualify for SS benefits on his own record. Military personnel who served between 1957-2001 received additional Social Security wage credits. These extra credits sometimes push military retirees over the threshold to qualify for their own benefits. You can check if he has these extra military credits by requesting his earnings record from SSA. But either way, he should be able to claim on your record regardless!

OMG ppl are so lucky with military pensions! My dad worked for the county for 35 years and gets a good pension but when he tried to get any SS from my moms record they said nope because of that GPO thing. makes no sense why military is treated different from other govt workers!

i had a similar problem but mine was because they started taking out for medicare part D even tho i never signed up for it!!!! took me 3 months to get it fixed and get my money back. check ur medicare stuff too, not just the tax withholding. sometimes they enroll u in things without telling u properly!!!

One thing to know is that withholding changes can actually be made a few different ways: 1. You can submit a W-4V form by mail or at a local office 2. You can request the change through your MySocialSecurity account online 3. A legal garnishment order can be applied (tax levy, child support, etc.) 4. Medicare premium changes can affect your net payment If someone accessed your online account, definitely report that as potential identity theft. SSA can see the IP address of whoever made the change. If it was a simple mistake, they can usually fix it within one payment cycle. Please update us when you get this resolved! It would help others who might face the same issue.