As a newcomer to this community, I want to express how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm in almost the exact same situation - my 16-year-old son wants to get a summer job at our local grocery store, and I've been so worried about how it might affect his survivor benefits. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been such a relief. The consistent message that typical part-time teenage work (15-20 hours at minimum wage) is very unlikely to hit those earnings limits really puts my mind at ease. At around $7.25-$12/hour for 15-20 hours weekly, he'd be earning maybe $500-900 monthly - well under that $1,950 monthly threshold everyone mentioned. What I find most encouraging is how many parents shared that the work experience actually made their teenagers MORE responsible overall - better time management, improved grades, increased maturity. I hadn't considered these positive developmental benefits because I was so focused on worrying about the SSA implications. The practical advice here is invaluable too: keeping simple tracking records, setting up separate accounts, being proactive with SSA communication rather than avoiding it, and working with employers on scheduling awareness. These feel like manageable steps rather than overwhelming bureaucratic hurdles. After reading all these experiences, I'm feeling confident about encouraging my son to take the grocery store job. The life skills, work ethic, and confidence he'll gain seem far more valuable than any minimal risk to his benefits. Thank you all for creating such a supportive community!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - my 17-year-old wants to work at a local restaurant while receiving survivor benefits, and I've been paralyzed with worry about potential impacts. What's been so reassuring is seeing how consistent everyone's experiences have been. The earnings limits ($23,400 annually, ~$1,950 monthly) are very reasonable for typical teenage part-time work, and it's clear that most kids working 15-25 hours per week at standard wages stay well under these thresholds. But what really changed my perspective was reading about all the unexpected benefits - improved time management, better grades, increased confidence and responsibility. I was so focused on the "what if something goes wrong with SSA" that I wasn't considering how much my son could gain from the work experience itself. The practical tips shared here are fantastic: simple tracking systems (love the notebook idea!), separate bank accounts for organization, proactive communication with SSA rather than avoidance, and working with employers who are usually understanding about scheduling constraints. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've had teenagers work in food service specifically, have you found any particular challenges or benefits compared to retail? My son is interested in both restaurant and retail positions, so I'm wondering if there are any differences to consider. After reading all these experiences, I feel much more confident about supporting his desire to work. Thank you for creating such a helpful, supportive community!

I'm 63 and went through almost this exact situation 8 months ago after my cardiac surgery. I was on employer-paid medical leave and decided to file for SS retirement benefits rather than go back to work. Here's what I learned: **Yes, you can receive both benefits simultaneously** - they're separate income sources and there's no automatic prohibition from SSA. **Key things to verify with your employer:** 1. How is your PML classified on your W-2? (wages vs. non-wages affects the earnings test) 2. Are there any company-specific policies about benefit coordination that could affect your PML if you start collecting SS? 3. What's the difference between being on leave "planning to return" vs. officially retiring? **My experience:** I successfully received both for 12 weeks. My PML counted as wages, so my SS was temporarily reduced by about $165/month due to the earnings test. Once my leave ended, full SS benefits resumed. The advice about getting written confirmation from HR is absolutely critical - I had everything documented which prevented confusion later when payroll had questions. One additional tip: when you call SSA to apply, be upfront about your ongoing PML payments. They'll want to know the amounts and duration for earnings test calculations. Given your health situation and being so close to FRA anyway, the financial security now might outweigh waiting for the slightly higher benefit later. Good luck with your recovery!

I'm 65 and went through this exact situation 6 months ago after my hip surgery! I was on paid medical leave for about 10 weeks and decided to file for SS retirement benefits halfway through my leave period. **The good news:** You absolutely CAN receive both your employer's PML and SS retirement benefits at the same time - they're treated as separate income sources by SSA. **What I learned the hard way:** 1. **Ask HR specifically how your PML is reported** - Mine was classified as wages on my W-2, which meant it triggered the earnings test and temporarily reduced my SS payments by about $140/month until my leave ended. 2. **Get EVERYTHING in writing** - I requested written confirmation from HR about: how PML is classified, whether starting SS affects my leave eligibility, and what happens if I officially retire vs. planning to return. 3. **Be prepared for paperwork coordination** - When I applied for SS, I had to report my ongoing PML income for their earnings calculations. **My timeline:** I collected both benefits for 5 weeks without any major issues. Once my PML ended, my full SS benefit amount kicked in. The 7.8% permanent reduction for filing 14 months early was something I wrestled with, but given my health concerns and wanting financial security during recovery, it felt like the right choice for my situation. The key is getting clear documentation upfront and being transparent with both your employer and SSA about your situation. Hope your recovery goes well!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if you're planning to apply online in March, make sure you have all your documents ready beforehand! You'll need your birth certificate, W-2 forms or self-employment tax returns for the previous year, military discharge papers if applicable, and bank account information for direct deposit. I'd also recommend creating your mySocialSecurity account NOW if you haven't already. It takes a few days to verify your identity, and you'll want to review your earnings history and benefit estimates before applying. Plus, once you're receiving benefits, you'll use this account to manage everything - tax documents, address changes, benefit verification letters, etc. The whole process was much smoother than I expected when I applied at 62, but having everything organized ahead of time definitely helped. And definitely agree with everyone about budgeting for that gap between your last paycheck and first SS payment!

The identity verification for mySocialSecurity usually takes 1-3 business days, but you can often access your earnings record immediately after creating the account - it's just some other features that might be delayed. I'd suggest setting it up ASAP just to be safe. As for the online application, it's actually quite user-friendly! The system saves your progress as you go, so you can take breaks and come back to it. There are also helpful explanations and examples for each section. The trickiest part is probably the section about your work history and when you plan to stop working, but just answer honestly about your situation. One tip: don't worry too much about making a "mistake" - you can always call SSA to clarify or correct things after you submit. The most important thing is getting that March application in so your June benefits start on time. The representatives are generally helpful when you need to make adjustments. And yes, definitely dig up those discharge papers now! Military service credits can add a nice boost to your benefit calculation, especially for service in the late 70s/early 80s.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really impressed by how helpful and knowledgeable everyone has been in this thread! I'm actually dealing with a very similar situation with my own parent, and reading through all these responses has answered questions I didn't even know I had. The clarification about FRA rules is particularly valuable - like many others here, I was under the impression that ANY work while receiving Social Security needed to be reported, regardless of age. Learning that there's no earnings limit after reaching Full Retirement Age is such a relief! I'm also grateful for all the practical tips about setting up the my Social Security account, especially the advice about mail verification for those who might struggle with the online identity questions. The insider perspective from the SSA employee was incredibly helpful too. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's so hard to find on official government websites. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and knowledge - it's going to make navigating this process so much easier for families like mine!

As someone who recently went through this exact process with my elderly father, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help! First, regarding the FRA question - at 66, your mom is definitely at her Full Retirement Age, so she doesn't need to report her new job earnings. But I'd still recommend setting up that my Social Security account because it's incredibly useful for so many other things. Here's what I learned from our experience: When you help her create the account, try to do it during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) when the SSA servers are less busy. We had several failed attempts during midday that I think were just due to heavy traffic on their system. Also, if you go the mail verification route that was mentioned earlier, make sure her mailing address is exactly correct in SSA's records first. My dad had an issue where his address was slightly different in their system (missing apartment number) and it delayed the verification letter. One last thing - even though she doesn't need to report wages, keeping a simple log of her work dates and earnings might be helpful for her own records, especially if she ever needs to reference them for tax purposes or if any questions come up later. Better safe than sorry! Hope this helps, and kudos to you for helping your mom navigate this confusing system!

Hi Sean! I'm new to this community but wanted to add my voice to what seems like a really supportive discussion. I'm facing a similar situation with my disabled daughter who receives DAC benefits - I'll be transitioning from SSDI to retirement in about 18 months and have been getting the same runaround from SSA that you described. What really strikes me about all the responses here is how consistent the actual experiences have been, even though SSA reps keep giving conflicting information. It seems like in practice, the DAC benefits really do stay at 50% of your PIA when you transition at FRA, and your PIA doesn't change during that conversion. I'm taking notes on all the great advice here - especially the tips about requesting written documentation, asking for a Claims Specialist, and bringing the original disability determination letter. The suggestion about asking them to show you the actual calculation on their computer screen is brilliant too. Thank you for posting this question and creating such a helpful discussion! I'm definitely going to follow your lead and come back to update the community when I go through my own transition. It's clear that we get much better information from each other's real experiences than from the inconsistent responses at SSA. Best of luck with your appointment next month!

Hi Sean! I'm new to this community but wanted to share my recent experience since it directly relates to your situation. My husband transitioned from SSDI to retirement benefits at his FRA last year, and our 31-year-old son with Down syndrome continues to receive DAC benefits. I was incredibly anxious about this transition after getting wildly different answers from SSA reps - one told me the benefits would decrease, another said they'd increase, and a third said they'd stay the same! The reality was that both benefits stayed exactly the same amount. Our son continues to receive 50% of my husband's PIA, which didn't change when he converted from disability to retirement at FRA. The SSA rep at our local office explained that the PIA calculation is the foundation for both SSDI and retirement benefits, so there's no recalculation of that base amount when you transition at full retirement age. One thing that really helped us was requesting a printout of both benefit records during our appointment, showing the current amounts and how they're calculated. We also made sure to get written confirmation that our son remained coded as a DAC beneficiary. I'd definitely recommend asking for these documents at your appointment next month - having that paper trail gave us tremendous peace of mind. The waiting and uncertainty was stressful, but the actual transition was completely seamless. You're asking all the right questions and seem well-prepared!