I've been following this thread closely because I'm in a somewhat similar situation, and I wanted to add a few thoughts based on my own research and experience navigating SSA. First, regarding the conflicting information you've gotten from SSA representatives - this is unfortunately very common with complex scenarios like yours. The rules around divorced spousal benefits, child-in-care provisions, and deemed filing are intricate, and not all phone representatives are equally knowledgeable about these nuances. I'd strongly recommend requesting to speak with a supervisor or scheduling an in-person appointment at your local SSA office where you can bring documentation and get more detailed assistance. Second, while everyone's correctly pointed out the deemed filing issue, I want to emphasize something that might give you some hope: the earnings test is only temporary. If you did decide to file for benefits now (despite the reduction), once you reach full retirement age at 67, SSA will recalculate your benefits to remove the reduction caused by the earnings test (though not the early filing reduction). This is called the "adjustment of reduction factor." Finally, don't overlook the possibility of appealing or requesting reconsideration if you receive information from SSA that doesn't seem right. Given how many different answers you've gotten, it might be worth getting a formal written determination that you can review carefully or have an attorney look at. The system is complicated, but you're asking all the right questions. Keep advocating for yourself and your child!

yes! child in care benefit are the exception to deem rule and do no effect your own retirement. Exceptions to deemed filing Regardless of the claimant’s DOB, you must consider the following two exceptions before applying deemed filing: a.  Child-in-care (C-I-C) A claimant who has in their care a child (under age 16 or disabled) entitled to a child’s insurance benefit on their spouse’s earnings record, and is filing for spouse's benefits is not deemed to have filed for RIB. They may exclude RIB from the scope of the application for spouse's benefits by providing an unequivocal statement.

Wow, this entire discussion has been absolutely invaluable! I'm 58 and still have a few years before Medicare, but I'm already starting to see how critical it is to plan for IRMAA now rather than later. The strategy of using Roth distributions as "invisible income" is brilliant - I had no idea they were completely exempt from IRMAA calculations. What really struck me was the point about the surviving spouse situation and how the thresholds essentially get cut in half when you switch from joint to single filing. That's terrifying to think about, but at least now I know to plan for it. I'm curious - for those of you who have successfully navigated this, what's a reasonable target for how much you'd want in Roth accounts by the time you hit Medicare? Is there a rule of thumb for what percentage of retirement assets should be in Roth vs traditional accounts to give maximum flexibility for IRMAA management? I'm trying to figure out how aggressive I should be with conversions over the next 7 years before I hit Medicare eligibility. Also, has anyone here actually used Form SSA-44 for a life-changing event? I'd love to hear about real experiences with how that process works and how long it takes to get approved.

Fantastic discussion... Thank you Eli Wang and Cassandra Moon! I did my first withdrawal from my 401k last year to buy a property. I'm 71, I did this with eyes wide open, knowing it's going to hit taxes and IRMMA hard. All of my investments are in tax sheltered accounts, 401k's, IRA's... My investments have significantly grown over the years but I didn't study into all the benefits of a Roth Account beyond taxes. I think I've out earned the tax game, but did not consider (or know about) the IRMMA surcharges... Is there a way to get around the 5 year Roth qualification?

I'm a newcomer to Social Security benefits and this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable! I just started receiving retirement benefits about 6 weeks ago and was experiencing the exact same confusion about payment dates. I was born on the 13th, so based on all the helpful explanations here, I should expect my payments on the third Wednesday of each month. What really struck me is how many of us newcomers went through this same anxiety about "unpredictable" payments when there's actually a very logical system in place. I've already bookmarked the SSA payment calendar link that @Giovanni Rossi shared and I'm going to set up those bank notifications that several people recommended. The tip about building in a 3-4 day buffer between expected deposits and bill due dates is brilliant - I definitely don't want to learn about overdraft fees the hard way! Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion. It's amazing how much peace of mind comes from simply understanding how the system works.

It's wonderful to see so many people gaining understanding here, but I am still confused. I have been on SSDI for about a year and a half now, the SSA website has said this whole time that my checks come on the 3rd Wednesday of the month but without fail, my checks have been in my account on the 29th, give or take a day, and almost always fault to an earlier date when weekends and holidays are involved. Because of this, my entire budget revolves around a 1st of the month pay schedule. I was expecting to have my check yesterday and as of now it has still not arrived and I am starting to panic a little. I am unable to find any mention of anyone else with the same date oddity as this anywhere on the internet but my friend who is also disabled and has a birthday on the 16th has always gotten his check on the same day as I do and he hasn't seen his deposit yet either and we are staring to feed into each others concern because neither of us can find anywhere that even mentions a anomaly like this, let alone 2 cases in the same county, and everything tells us that we are not late and to expect the deposit on the 15th. Not only would that severely mess up my budget and maybe bring an eviction notice from the landlord who is already breathing down my neck wanting the rent, being a stage 4 metastatic cancer patient, I simply cannot go 2 weeks with no food. Does anyone have any insights on what might be happening?

I'm just starting to research Social Security claiming strategies and this thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about the complexity of the withdrawal process or the potential tax form delays. For someone who hasn't started benefits yet but is considering the possibility of needing to withdraw later, are there any preparatory steps you'd recommend? Should I be setting up specific documentation systems before I even apply, or are there particular questions I should ask SSA upfront about their withdrawal procedures? Also, reading about all these processing delays and system issues makes me wonder - has anyone found that certain SSA field offices are more efficient than others with withdrawal requests? Or is this pretty much a universal experience regardless of which office handles your case? Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here. This is exactly the kind of real-world insight you can't get from the official SSA publications!

As someone who went through this exact process last year, I can confirm that SSA will eventually issue the corrected 1099 showing $0 benefits, but the timing is absolutely brutal. My advice: start preparing for a tax extension NOW rather than hoping the corrected form arrives in time. A few hard-learned tips: 1) When you make your repayment, insist on getting a receipt with your SSN and a confirmation that it's being applied to your withdrawal request - don't just assume they'll process it correctly. 2) Keep calling every 2-3 weeks for status updates and document every conversation. 3) Ask specifically for Form SSA-4195 as temporary documentation while waiting for the corrected 1099. The January payment you received is normal - their systems are slow to stop payments once withdrawal is in process. Just include it in your repayment calculation and keep it in a separate account until then. The whole process is frustrating but it does work eventually. Hang in there!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - turning 62 soon and trying to figure out the self-employment earnings rules. One thing I wanted to add based on my research: if you're planning to work sporadically throughout the year (like taking on projects here and there), you might want to consider the monthly earnings test for your first year instead of the annual test. In your first year of benefits, you can choose to use a monthly test where you can earn any amount in months before you start collecting, and then you're only subject to a monthly limit ($1,860 for 2025) in the months you receive benefits. This can sometimes work out better than the annual test if your income is lumpy. Just something to ask SSA about when you file - they should explain both options and help you choose which works better for your situation!

I've been helping people navigate Social Security for years, and this is one of the most common sources of confusion! You're absolutely right to ask for clarification because getting this wrong can be costly. For self-employed individuals, SSA uses your **net earnings from self-employment** as calculated on Schedule SE. This is your Schedule C profit (gross receipts minus business expenses) adjusted for the self-employment tax calculation - but it's the amount BEFORE you take the deduction for half of your SE tax. So in your example, if you have $26,000 in gross receipts and $4,500 in legitimate business expenses, your net would be $21,500 - which would keep you under the $22,320 limit for 2025. A few critical points to remember: - Only legitimate business expenses count (office supplies, equipment, business mileage, etc.) - Personal deductions like the standard deduction don't affect this calculation - Since you're starting benefits mid-year, you'll be subject to the prorated first-year limit (about $16,740 if starting in April) - Keep meticulous records - SSA may request documentation I'd also suggest asking SSA about the monthly earnings test option for your first year if your income is irregular. Sometimes it works out better than the annual test for contractors with lumpy income patterns. Good luck with your application!