I'm also brand new to collecting Social Security while working part-time - just started benefits last month and I'm doing freelance web design work from home with very similar variable income to yours ($900-$1,700 monthly). This entire discussion has been incredibly reassuring! I was honestly feeling pretty lost about whether I needed to report anything, but the consensus from everyone's experiences is clear - call SSA to document your estimated earnings even if you're staying under the annual limit. Your medical coding work sounds like it has the same unpredictable workload that I deal with. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to create a tracking spreadsheet and give SSA a realistic annual range estimate when I call (probably something like "$12,000-$20,000 based on current workload patterns"). It's so comforting to know there are so many of us successfully navigating this same transition - makes the whole process feel much more manageable than I initially thought! Thanks for asking this question that's helping all of us newcomers figure out the right approach.

I'm also new to this whole Social Security and part-time work situation - just started collecting benefits in January while doing remote customer support work with variable hours like yours. This thread has been incredibly helpful! From everything I've read here, it's clear that calling SSA to document your estimated earnings is the smart move, even when you're likely staying under that $22,320 annual limit. Your medical coding income range of $1,100-$1,900 monthly sounds very manageable compared to the threshold, but I totally understand wanting to be proactive about it. I'm planning to set up one of those tracking spreadsheets everyone keeps mentioning and give them a realistic annual estimate when I call (probably around $15,000-$18,000 based on my current pattern). It's so reassuring to see how many people have successfully navigated this exact transition - makes me feel much more confident about handling everything correctly. Thanks for asking this question that's helping all of us newcomers figure out the proper approach!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through this entire discussion with great interest since I'm currently caring for my grandmother who may face a similar situation soon. The depth of knowledge and real-world experience shared here has been absolutely invaluable! What gives me the most confidence is seeing the consistent advice from multiple people who have actually been through this process - that CASDI is definitively NOT considered earned income for Social Security purposes, so you can collect both benefits without any issues. The explanation about the distinction between actual wages versus disability insurance payments really helps clarify the situation. The practical tips shared throughout this thread are fantastic: calling SSA right at 8 AM for shorter waits, keeping detailed payment records, being upfront about disability status during applications, and visiting local offices when online verification doesn't work. These real-world strategies are exactly what someone needs to successfully navigate these systems. @Liam Murphy - you've received some truly excellent guidance here! Your timeline actually works out really well since you'll be so close to full retirement age when you return to work. Based on all the expert input shared, you should feel confident moving forward with both benefits. Best wishes for your recovery and smooth transition to retirement! This discussion is a perfect example of why community support is so valuable when dealing with complex government benefit programs.

As a newcomer to this community, I've been following this discussion with great interest since I'm helping my father who's approaching retirement age and dealing with some similar benefit questions. The consistent advice from everyone with real experience has been so reassuring - it's clear that CASDI absolutely does not count toward Social Security earnings limits since it's considered unearned income rather than wages from work. The fact that multiple people have successfully collected both benefits simultaneously really drives this point home. I've been taking notes on all the practical tips shared here, especially the calling strategies (8 AM seems to be the golden time!), the importance of documentation, and being transparent during the application process. The suggestion about visiting local SSA offices for account setup is particularly helpful since we've also struggled with online verification. @Liam Murphy - you've gotten incredible guidance here! Your situation actually has great timing since you'll reach full retirement age so soon after returning to work. Based on all the expert advice shared, you should feel confident moving forward with both benefits. Hope your back heals well and everything goes smoothly with SSA! This thread really shows how valuable community knowledge is for navigating these complex systems.

I'm a recently retired teacher who just went through this exact process! After reading all these great responses, I wanted to add one more important tip that saved me hundreds of dollars. When you meet with SSA, specifically ask them to check if you qualify for the "dual entitlement" calculation. This is where they compare your own potential Social Security benefit (even if reduced by WEP) against what you might get from spousal benefits after GPO reduction, and you get whichever is higher. In my case, even though my spousal benefit was eliminated by GPO, I qualified for my own small SS benefit from various non-teaching jobs over the years. It's only about $400/month, but every bit helps! Also, don't forget that once you start collecting any Social Security benefit, you'll be eligible for Medicare at 65 even though you have other health coverage from your teaching pension. The Medicare coordination can actually save money on healthcare costs. Hang in there - the system is frustrating but there might be more options than you think!

I'm a former HR benefits administrator who worked with many teachers transitioning to retirement, and I want to emphasize something crucial that could affect your situation. When you meet with SSA, make sure they run what's called a "comprehensive benefit analysis" that includes all possible scenarios - your own retirement benefit (accounting for WEP), spousal benefits (accounting for GPO), and future survivor benefits. Sometimes the representative will only calculate one type unless you specifically ask. Also, bring documentation of ANY employment where you might have paid FICA taxes, even if it was decades ago - I've seen people discover quarters from college work-study programs, substitute teaching in different states, or even brief periods of private sector work between teaching jobs. One more tip: if your state teacher's retirement system allows you to "buy back" years for military service or other employment, make sure SSA knows about that original employment too, as it might have generated SS credits before it was converted to pension service. The system is definitely unfair to educators, but being thorough about your complete work history could uncover benefits you didn't know existed.

I'm new to this community and wanted to express my heartfelt condolences for your losses. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly enlightening and, frankly, quite concerning about how many families face similar situations. What really stands out to me is the systemic nature of this problem - it's not just your father-in-law who missed out, but clearly many others based on the responses here. The fact that over $30,000 in legally entitled benefits went unclaimed highlights a serious gap in how Social Security communicates with beneficiaries. As someone just starting to learn about these systems, I'm grateful for all the expertise shared here, particularly the policy references and clarification about estate claims. While it's disappointing there's no recourse for your specific situation, this discussion has become an invaluable educational resource. I'm definitely planning to help my elderly relatives review their benefits and set up those "my Social Security" online accounts that were mentioned. It's clear that proactive benefit management is crucial, and unfortunately, the burden falls entirely on families to stay informed. Thank you for sharing such a personal and painful experience. Even though you couldn't recover what was lost, your openness is clearly helping other families take the steps needed to ensure they don't face the same heartbreak. That's a significant contribution to this community.

I'm new to this community and want to express my deepest sympathies for your family's losses. After reading through this extensive discussion, I'm both heartbroken for your situation and grateful for the education this thread has provided. What's particularly striking to me as a newcomer is how this conversation has revealed a significant flaw in the Social Security system - the lack of proactive communication about available benefits. Your father-in-law missing out on over $30,000 in survivor benefits he was legally entitled to is not just a personal tragedy, but a systemic failure that clearly affects many families based on the responses here. While the legal consensus seems clear that posthumous benefit claims aren't possible, this discussion has become an incredible resource for preventing similar situations. The information shared about "my Social Security" online accounts, the 6-month retroactive window, and the importance of immediately contacting SSA when a spouse passes away could save other families from this heartbreak. I'm committed to using what I've learned here to help elderly relatives in my own family review their benefits. Your willingness to share such a painful experience is creating ripple effects that will benefit countless other families. Even though you couldn't recover what was lost, you're helping prevent others from facing the same devastating oversight. Thank you for turning your family's frustrating experience into a learning opportunity for this entire community.

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! I'm 59 and planning to retire at 62, so this thread has been incredibly helpful. One thing I learned from talking to a financial planner is that the Social Security Administration actually updates their benefit calculators pretty regularly, but they don't always make it clear which assumptions they're using. What I ended up doing was creating a spreadsheet where I tracked the estimates from different calculators with different assumptions - Quick Calculator with current earnings continuing, Detailed Calculator with $0 future earnings, and even the one on my actual SSA account. The differences were pretty significant! For anyone else going through this, I'd recommend checking your Social Security Statement annually anyway to make sure all your earnings are recorded correctly. I found an error from 2019 that took months to get corrected, and it would have affected my benefit calculation if I hadn't caught it. Also, don't forget that if you're married, your spouse's benefits and timing decisions can affect your overall household Social Security strategy. Sometimes it makes sense for one person to claim early while the other delays, depending on your respective earning histories.

As someone who just went through this exact process at age 61, I can confirm the confusion is real! What helped me was understanding that the SSA uses different methodologies depending on which tool you're using. The key insight that changed everything for me was realizing that even the "detailed" calculators make assumptions about wage growth and inflation that might not match your actual situation. Here's what I wish someone had told me earlier: create a simple Excel sheet with three scenarios - (1) retire and claim at 63, (2) retire at 63 but delay claiming until FRA, and (3) work until FRA then claim. For each scenario, use the detailed calculator on your my Social Security account and manually input your expected earnings year by year. The difference in monthly benefits between these scenarios was eye-opening for me. In my case, working just two additional years increased my monthly benefit by about $280 because those were high-earning years that replaced lower-earning years from the early 1990s. Also, don't forget about healthcare coverage if you retire before 65 - that gap between employer insurance and Medicare eligibility can be expensive and should factor into your decision just as much as the Social Security calculation!