my aunt got more money switching to survivor benefits but everyone's situation is different

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to try to get an appointment specifically about widow benefits, and I'll look into that phone service if I can't get through on the regular line. It helps knowing I still have time before April to make a decision about withdrawal. I'll update once I know more!

dont forget taxes!!! might change her tax situation too if they get married vs just living together

To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Yes, remarriage will terminate her ex-spousal benefits 2. She is legally required to report the marriage to SSA 3. Her benefit would revert to her own retirement amount 4. After marriage, she may be eligible for spousal benefits on her new husband's record 5. If she doesn't report the marriage and SSA discovers it later, she'll face overpayment recovery 6. Some couples choose not to legally marry to preserve benefits This is ultimately a personal decision balancing financial and emotional factors. Whatever she decides, make sure she understands all implications and reports any changes appropriately to avoid future complications.

One more thing worth mentioning - even though there's no earnings limit after FRA, remember that up to 85% of your Social Security benefits may be subject to income tax depending on your combined income. This isn't the same as the earnings test (which won't apply to you), but it's something to be aware of for tax planning purposes if you'll be earning $85,000 plus Social Security.

just wondering why r u waiting till 70? i started at 67 and im happy i did. getting that money now to enjoy while im still active enough to travel

My grandma got survivors benefits last year but she was so confused because they kept asking her about her own retirement date. I think it DOES matter when your mom took her benefits originally because my grandma had to fill out some extra paperwork. Maybe different rules for different ages? I'm not sure but thought I'd mention it just in case.

one more thing... when my mom finally got her survivors benefits they gave her back pay from when my dad died, not just from when she applied! so make sure ur mom asks about that!!

The system is RIDICULOUS!!! Why do they penalize seniors for working???? I'm so sick of this stupid earnings limit! When I called about MY overpayment last year, I waited 3 HOURS and then got disconnected. Called back, another 2.5 hours - finally got someone who barely spoke English and couldn't explain ANYTHING clearly about how they calculated my payback amount. THE WORST PART is they don't even WARN you during the year when you're getting close to the limit! They could easily set up some kind of alert system but NOOOO, they'd rather catch people and take back money!!!!

One more important thing to know: if you're going to exceed the earnings limit again in 2025, you can request a "Rate Adjustment" where SSA reduces your monthly payments in advance based on your estimated earnings. This prevents a large overpayment situation. For example, if you know you'll exceed the limit by about $6,000 again, they could reduce your monthly benefit by about $250 ($3,000 ÷ 12 months) throughout the year instead of withholding full months later. This can be much easier to manage financially. You can request this by calling SSA or visiting your local office with an estimate of your expected 2025 earnings.

My sister went thru this with my mom. The caregiver payments were a problem during Medicaid application cuz they didn't have a formal agreement. They ended up having to pay back some money to qualify mom for Medicaid. Make sure you're charging a fair market rate. In our area agencies charge like $25-30/hr for similar care, so document your hours to show you're not overcharging.

Since everyone's focused on Medicaid, I want to address your Social Security question specifically: When someone needs a nursing home, their Social Security benefits typically continue but may be used differently: 1. If she goes on Medicaid, most of her Social Security check will go to the facility as her "patient responsibility" contribution, with a small personal needs allowance (usually $30-60/month depending on state). 2. You should become her representative payee with SSA before facility placement to ensure proper handling of benefits. 3. The caregiver payments won't affect her Social Security benefits directly, but will be scrutinized during Medicaid application. Call SSA directly about the rep payee process - it requires specific forms and sometimes an in-person interview.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet: if you do qualify for additional benefits based on your ex-wife's record, you might be eligible for some retroactive benefits too. Since you're past your FRA, you could potentially get up to 6 months of back payments for the difference amount if it turns out you've been eligible for a while. Definitely bring this up when you talk to SSA. Every little bit helps with today's prices!

You can definitely handle this by phone, especially with the proper documentation ready. When you call, be prepared with: 1. Your Social Security number 2. Your ex-wife's Social Security number (if you have it) 3. Your marriage certificate 4. Your divorce decree showing the marriage lasted over 10 years 5. Birth certificates for both of you If you don't have all of these, don't worry. SSA can often look up some of this information in their system. The most important document is your divorce decree proving the 10+ year marriage. If you prefer, you can also schedule an appointment at your local office using the SSA website. Some people find it easier to discuss complex benefit situations in person.

One other thing to check - if you recently became entitled to benefits on someone else's record (like spousal or survivor benefits) or if someone became entitled on your record, you might be hitting the family maximum benefit (FMB). When multiple people receive benefits on one earner's record, there's a cap on the total amount payable to the family, which could reduce individual benefit amounts. This is less common than the Medicare/tax withholding explanations, but worth mentioning.

For future reference, here's what I learned from my experience: The SSA and Medicare systems don't communicate well. Your COLA letter comes from SSA showing your gross benefit increase. Your Medicare Premium letter comes separately showing what you'll pay for Part B and any IRMAA surcharges. Then if you have a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, those premiums may be deducted directly from your Social Security. Add in possible tax withholding, and you need to do the math yourself to figure out your actual deposit amount. The online MySocialSecurity account usually doesn't update with the new detailed breakdown until mid to late January.

After seeing people mentioning the difficulty getting through on the SSA phone lines, I wanted to share what worked for me. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) when I had a similar situation with an unexpected deposit. They got me through to a real SSA agent in about 10 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows exactly how it works. Definitely worth it for peace of mind about mysterious money appearing in your account!

whatever u do MAKE SURE u document everything. get names of who u talk to, confirmation #s, & take notes during the call. my mom got a payment, spent it, then 8 months later they said it was a mistake & wanted it back!

I feel like this is becoming more common with all the experienced SSA staff retiring. My neighbor worked there for 30+ years and said they're losing institutional knowledge faster than they can train new people. When I had issues getting through on the phone to verify some benefit calculation questions, I used claimyr.com to connect with an agent (worked great, and I didn't have to wait on hold forever). The first agent gave me one answer, so I called back later using the service again and got a completely different answer from another agent. The third agent finally had the correct information that matched what the SSA website said. If I hadn't been persistent, I would have made decisions based on incorrect information.

sometimes i wonder if its on purpose tbh. my uncle was told he wasnt eligible for retirement benefits because he didnt have enough credits. turns out they were only looking at his us work record and completely ignored the fact that wed moved from canada and there's a totalization agreement. he was eligible after all but missed out on almost a year of payments because of bad info.