Whatever you do, DON'T just ignore it and not report it!!! My cousin didn't report a small insurance payment and ended up with an overpayment notice for six months of benefits they wanted back! The SSA computer systems eventually find these things through tax records or banking information. You have to report it within 10 days of receiving it. That's non-negotiable. But after that, you have options for how to handle it. The spend-down period gives you time to plan. I'm wondering though... if this was from a pre-need funeral plan, could you just use the money to establish a new pre-paid funeral arrangement? Those are exempt from SSI resource limits completely. Might be the cleanest solution!

also just wanna say the whole $2000 limit is ridiculous in 2025!!! how is anyone supposed to save anything with that stupid rule??? cant even have emergency savings without losing benefits smh

I had this same problem last year and discovered something that really helped. After struggling to reach SSA by phone, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it when you need answers quickly about payment dates or other urgent issues.

Just to add a quick note - while the payment SHOULD arrive on the 24th, I always recommend having a small emergency buffer in your account around the holidays. Even though SSA sends the payment early, sometimes there can be system delays or other issues that might cause a hiccup. Better safe than sorry!

my uncle works for ssa and says ths happens ALL THE TIME with stolen identities. the theives dont care if the person is dead they just need a matching name and SSN to get jobs

Final update: You all have been so helpful through this stressful situation! I wanted to share what's happened after taking your advice. I filed all the recommended reports and placed credit freezes. The credit card companies closed the fraudulent accounts after I sent death certificates. The most progress came after using that Claimyr service someone suggested to reach SSA directly. I actually got through to a knowledgeable agent who confirmed my husband's death was properly recorded but explained the earnings issue slipped through during employer reporting. They're removing the false earnings and flagging his SSN in their system for enhanced monitoring. They also connected me with their OIG (Office of Inspector General) to ensure a thorough investigation. It's been exhausting but I feel like I've done everything possible to shut this down. Thank you all again for your guidance through this ordeal!

ok so I checked with my brother again and he says I misunderstood him. The BENEFIT CALCULATOR may include projected COLA in some scenarios but the MySocialSecurity estimates do NOT include future COLA. Sorry for the confusion everyone!!

Wait im confused again. So the number I see for age 67 retirement will actually be HIGHER when I actually turn 67 because of all the COLAs between now and then? So like if im 55 now and looking at my age 67 benefit, by the time I actually hit 67 the real dollar amount could be way higher due to 12 years of inflation adjustments?

Let me clarify a few important points about divorced spouse benefits that might help with your decision: 1. For ex-spouse benefits, you need to remain unmarried, but the ex-spouse's current marital status doesn't matter. They could be remarried multiple times and it doesn't affect your eligibility. 2. For survivor benefits if your ex passes away, the rules are different - you can remarry after age 60 and still collect. 3. There's no "waiting period" for eligibility after a divorce, but as someone mentioned, SSA may scrutinize divorces that happen suspiciously close to benefit applications. 4. Importantly, if you're born after 1954, you cannot file for divorced spouse benefits separately from your own. Due to the deemed filing rules, you'll automatically receive whichever is higher when you file - your own benefit or the divorced spouse benefit. 5. Since you mentioned the difference is about $850/month, have you verified this takes into account any potential reduction for claiming early, if that's your plan? If you decide marriage now is important for other reasons (health insurance, home purchase), just be aware of the clean break needed before applying for benefits in the future.

SOCIAL SECURITY IS SO UNFAIR!!!! Why should anyone have to make these ridiculous choices between health insurance now and benefits later?? My friend had to stay in an unhappy marriage for YEARS just to reach the 10-year mark for Social Security. The whole system is designed to trap people in relationships or force them to make these weird divorce calculations. Europe doesn't make people jump through these kinds of hoops!! I'm sorry I don't have advice but I'm just so ANGRY about how complicated they make everything!!

Thank you all for the helpful information! I've made an appointment with SSA for next week to discuss my options. I'm going to apply now even if I don't receive payments right away due to my earnings. And I'll definitely get information about what my own benefit would be at 70 so I can compare it to the survivor benefit at my FRA. It's complicated, but I feel much better equipped to make decisions now. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share your knowledge and experiences.

Good luck with your appointment! One last tip - bring a notepad and write down the name of who you speak with and take detailed notes. If you get conflicting information later (which happens more than it should), having documentation of your earlier conversations can be invaluable.

this happened to my sister last year and she was so upset about it. turns out there was a year where her employer reported her income wrong and it took MONTHS to get fixed. check your earnings record for the past few years really carefully.

After reading through this thread, I'd suggest two actions: First, download your complete earnings history and verify all recent years are correct. Second, try using the more detailed calculator on the SSA website called the "Retirement Estimator" rather than just the quick estimate on your account page. It asks more questions and tends to be more accurate. If you still see the significant drop, then it would be worth contacting SSA directly. The $122 monthly difference is substantial enough (about 7-10% for most retirees) that it warrants investigation.

I went thru this WITH MY HUSBAND LAST YEAR when he was deciding about his SS. We went to our local SS office after not being able to get a straight answer on the phone. They told us my husband's benefit would NOT grow nearly as much as the estimates showed because he'd been on disability for 3 years. IT WAS SHOCKING how different the real numbers were from the estimates!!! Make the trip to the office - it's WORTH IT to get accurate information.

I want to thank everyone for their helpful responses. I've decided to: 1. Create a my Social Security account to see current estimates 2. Try calling my local office directly for an appointment 3. If that doesn't work, I'll consider using that Claimyr service someone mentioned Based on what I'm hearing, it sounds like my benefit will still grow with delayed retirement credits even though I stopped working, but probably not as much as those original estimates showed. I'll make sure to get updated calculations before making any decisions about whether to switch from survivor to retirement benefits.

my brother just started getting ss too and he had to wait till the SECOND payment to see everything right. the first month was kind of a mystery lol. but now he can see it all fine

I've been getting Social Security for 3 years and I STILL get confused about where to find this info sometimes!!! The website is not user friendly AT ALL. For me, the easiest thing is to look at my bank statement and then look at the letters they send in the mail. I gave up on trying to navigate their website. Also - be prepared that sometimes the Medicare premium changes and they don't really warn you!!! Mine went up $23 this year and the only notification was buried in a letter with a bunch of other information. Aging in America, what a joy!!!

I really appreciate everyone's help! It sounds like since my husband's SSDI is already higher than what he'd get as a spousal benefit (half of my amount), there's no additional money available to him right now. I'm glad I asked because now I understand how the system works. And I learned about survivor benefits too, which is important for our future planning.

does anyone know if this works the same if ur collecting a government pension? my wife gets teachers pension and i heard theres some offset or something