Anyone else feel like they need a law degree to understand all these rules and regulations? 🤯 Why do they gotta make it so complicated?

Just wanted to add my experience for anyone reading this thread. I applied for spousal benefits about 6 months ago and the whole process took around 3 months from start to finish. A couple things that helped me: • I made copies of EVERYTHING before submitting - saved me when they "lost" my marriage certificate the first time • The online application actually worked fine for me, but I called afterward to confirm they received everything • They'll send you a letter confirming your application - keep that safe! One thing I wish someone had told me: even if you're approved, there might be a delay before your first payment. Budget accordingly! Good luck to everyone going through this process. It's frustrating but totally worth it in the end 💪

ugh why does the government make everything so complicated? 🙄 good luck OP, hope you figure it out!

Another thing to keep in mind - if you're divorced, you might still be eligible for spousal benefits on your ex-spouse's record even if they've remarried! The marriage has to have lasted at least 10 years and you need to be unmarried currently. It's called "divorced spouse benefits" and a lot of people don't know about it. Definitely worth asking about if it applies to your situation.

Smart choice waiting until FRA! I made the same decision last year and it was absolutely the right call. The peace of mind alone was worth it - no tracking earnings, no worrying about overpayments, no confusing letters from SSA. One tip for when you do apply in August: even though there are no earnings limits after FRA, SSA will still ask about your work plans on the application. Just be honest about continuing to work through October. They need this info for tax purposes and Medicare coordination, but it won't affect your benefits at all. Also, don't forget that your benefits will be subject to federal income tax if your combined income (including work earnings) exceeds certain thresholds. Might want to discuss tax withholding options with SSA when you apply, especially since you'll have work income through October.

Just want to add another perspective as someone who went through this decision process. I was in almost the exact same situation - turning FRA in July 2024 and debating whether to start benefits early while working part-time. I ended up starting benefits 3 months before my FRA, and honestly, it worked out fine for me. The key was being VERY conservative with my earnings estimates and staying well below the higher earnings limit ($56,520 in 2024 for those reaching FRA that year). I earned about $35,000 in those first 7 months and had no issues with benefit withholding. That said, I completely understand why you're choosing to wait until FRA - the peace of mind factor is huge! The earnings test rules are genuinely confusing even when you think you understand them. Plus, you'll avoid the permanent reduction factor that applies to early benefits. One thing I'd suggest: even though you're waiting until August, go ahead and create your my Social Security account online NOW if you haven't already. This will make the application process much smoother when the time comes, and you can use the benefit calculators to see exactly what your full benefit amount will be.

Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! As someone who just joined this community, I'm impressed by how helpful and detailed all the responses have been. I'm actually in a similar boat - my dad will be turning 70 next year and we've been having the same discussions about documentation. Based on all the success stories shared here, it seems like the consensus is pretty clear: if you're already on Medicare, the birth certificate usually isn't needed, but it's smart to check your mySocialSecurity account first to make sure everything matches up. The tip about applying 3 months early and being careful about the benefit start date seems crucial too. This thread has been a goldmine of practical advice - I'll definitely be bookmarking it for when we go through this process with my dad!

Welcome to the community and thank you for posting this question! As someone who works in benefits counseling, I can confirm what most others have shared - your brother is most likely correct that he won't need his birth certificate since he's already on Medicare. The SSA typically has all the identity verification they need from the Medicare enrollment process. However, I'd suggest a compromise approach that might give you both peace of mind: have him log into his mySocialSecurity account now (not when he's ready to apply) and verify that all his personal information matches exactly what he expects - full name, date of birth, Social Security number, etc. If everything looks correct, he should be all set to apply without additional documents. If there are any discrepancies or if anything looks off, that's when you'd want to gather supporting documents ahead of time. This way you're being proactive without creating unnecessary work. Also, definitely emphasize the importance of applying 3-4 months before his 70th birthday and being very careful to select his birthday month as the benefit start date, not the application month. This ensures he gets those maximum delayed retirement credits he's been working toward! The online application through mySocialSecurity is generally very user-friendly, and the system will clearly indicate if any additional documentation is needed during the process.

I just wanted to add another perspective from someone who recently navigated this process. Like many others have mentioned, there's absolutely no separate WEP form - it's all handled through the standard retirement application. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple timeline document before applying. I listed out: 1) All my years of SS-covered employment with approximate earnings, 2) All my government employment years, 3) When my pension would start and the estimated monthly amount, and 4) When I planned to start Social Security. Having this all laid out made filling out the application much easier and helped me spot potential timing issues. Also, I'd strongly recommend calling the SSA national number (1-800-772-1213) about 3-6 months before you plan to apply, not just to ask about WEP but to do a "dry run" of the information you'll need to provide. The representative I spoke with was very knowledgeable about WEP and helped me understand exactly what documentation I'd need. One last tip: if your state has a public retirement system website, check if they have any resources about Social Security coordination. Mine had a whole section explaining how WEP works with our specific pension system, including examples of benefit calculations. It was more helpful than the general SSA materials because it was tailored to our exact situation. You're smart to plan ahead - being prepared really makes the whole process much smoother!

Just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact process about 8 months ago after 32 years with the state. Everyone here is absolutely right - there's NO separate WEP form to file! The key thing that saved me a lot of headaches was being super proactive about getting my Social Security earnings record corrected BEFORE I applied. I found that 3 years of my early employment were miscoded as government work when they should have been regular covered employment. Getting that fixed took about 6 weeks but it actually reduced my WEP penalty because those years counted toward my "substantial earnings" total. Also, I can't stress enough how important it is to be crystal clear about your pension being from "non-covered employment" when you fill out the application. The online application has dropdown menus and checkboxes - don't just select "government pension," make sure you select the options that specifically indicate it's NON-COVERED. The system uses those selections to trigger the WEP calculations. One more thing - keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit. I had to reference my original application details twice during the process when they recalculated my benefits. Having my own records made those conversations with SSA much easier. You're asking all the right questions and planning well ahead. That preparation will definitely pay off!