As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share some additional considerations that might be helpful during this transition. My disabled adult daughter went through a similar change last year when my spouse started collecting Social Security. One thing I learned that hasn't been mentioned yet is the importance of understanding how the DAC benefit calculation works. Unlike SSDI which is based on your own work history, DAC benefits are calculated as a percentage of the parent's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This means the benefit amount can sometimes be higher than what someone received in combined SSI+SSDI, but it also means it's tied to the parent's earnings record. Also, regarding work incentives, while your son loses access to SSI work incentives like PASS plans, he may still be eligible for SSDI work incentives such as the Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility if he increases his work hours. The income thresholds are different, but these can still provide important protections for people who want to work more. I'd strongly recommend getting a consultation with a SOAR-certified benefits counselor (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery) if one is available in your area. They specialize in these complex benefit transitions and often know about resources that general SSA staff might not mention. The healthcare coverage gap is definitely the biggest challenge, but as others have mentioned, there are often state-specific solutions that aren't immediately obvious. Don't give up if the first few people you talk to don't have answers - keep advocating and asking to speak with supervisors or specialists.

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share some perspective from someone who recently navigated a very similar transition with my 26-year-old disabled son. Reading through all these experiences brings back memories of how overwhelming this process felt initially, but also how much clearer things became with proper research and advocacy. One aspect I haven't seen fully addressed is the importance of understanding your appeal rights throughout this entire process. When my son's SSI was terminated due to the DAC transition, we received multiple notices from different agencies (SSA, Medicaid, food assistance programs) - and not all of them were processed correctly. Having appeal rights for each program meant we could challenge incorrect terminations while continuing to receive benefits during the appeal process. I'd also suggest creating a timeline of when different changes take effect. In our case, the SSI termination was immediate when the DAC benefits started, but Medicaid had a different end date, and Medicare eligibility had its own 24-month countdown. Understanding these different timelines helped us plan better for coverage gaps and financial changes. Regarding the special needs trust and ABLE account question - we kept both and I'm so glad we did. Even beyond potential future benefit needs, the ABLE account has been incredibly useful for managing disability-related expenses with tax advantages, and the trust provides flexibility for larger purchases and long-term planning. The learning curve is steep, but you're asking all the right questions and this community is an amazing resource. Don't hesitate to keep advocating and asking for second opinions when something doesn't sound right - you know your son's needs better than anyone!

One thing I want to add that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure to ask about the appeals process when you're at the SSA office. Even though the SSA-44 form should handle your situation, I've heard of cases where the initial decision wasn't what people expected, and there's a specific timeframe for appealing IRMAA determinations if needed. Also, keep detailed records of all your communications with Social Security about this. I learned this the hard way with a different SSA issue - having documentation of who you spoke with, when, and what was discussed can be really valuable if there are any complications later. The IRMAA system can be complex, and sometimes different SSA representatives give slightly different guidance, so having your own paper trail helps ensure consistency. Good luck with your filing - it sounds like you're well-prepared with all the great advice from this thread!

I'm new to Medicare and IRMAA but following this thread closely since I'll be 65 next year. One question I haven't seen addressed - if someone files the SSA-44 form and gets their IRMAA reduced for 2024, does that affect their Medicare premiums for 2025 as well? Or do they automatically go back to using the 2-year-old tax return data (which would be 2023) for determining 2025 premiums? I'm trying to understand if this is a one-time fix or if there are ongoing implications. Also, for those who have been through this process, how long did it typically take from submitting the form to seeing the premium change reflected in your Medicare billing? Thanks for all the helpful information everyone has shared!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation turning 62 soon and was getting the same runaround from SSA reps. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I found out that some local Area Agencies on Aging offer free Social Security counseling services through their SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) programs. These counselors are trained specifically on Social Security rules and can help you understand your options without the frustration of calling SSA directly. My counselor was able to walk me through the calculations and even helped me prepare all the right questions to ask when I did finally meet with SSA. She explained that the key thing to remember is that divorced spouse benefits are based on your ex's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - what he'd get at his full retirement age - not his delayed retirement amount at 70. Also, for anyone dealing with health issues like the original poster, the counselor mentioned that while your conditions might not qualify for disability, they could still factor into your decision about when to claim. Sometimes the "break-even" analysis changes when you consider potential health impacts on longevity. These SHIP counselors are volunteers but they really know their stuff and there's no wait time like with SSA phone calls. Just search for "[your state] SHIP program" to find local resources.

Reading through everyone's experiences here really validates how confusing this whole process is! I'm also approaching 62 and dealing with the same frustrating inconsistencies from SSA reps. One resource I haven't seen mentioned yet is the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) - they have some really clear explanations of how divorced spouse benefits work, including examples with actual numbers. Their website has a section specifically on divorced spouse benefits that helped me understand the difference between PIA calculations and delayed retirement credits. Also, for anyone wondering about the application timing, I learned that you can apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to start, not just 3 months. This extra month can be helpful if you're dealing with documentation issues or want to make sure everything is processed smoothly. The advice about SHIP counselors is excellent - I used one in my area and she was incredibly knowledgeable. She also mentioned that if you're still getting conflicting information from SSA after meeting with them in person, you can request to speak with a Technical Expert. These are SSA employees who specialize in complex benefit calculations and can provide more detailed explanations than regular customer service representatives. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with this complicated system!

I'm new to this community and want to add my voice to everyone's reassuring messages! I had the exact same panic about Login.gov after seeing those scary headlines claiming benefits would stop without it. After weeks of struggling with identity verification (my passport kept getting rejected and verification texts weren't coming through), I was losing sleep thinking I might lose my Social Security payments. Finally spoke with an SSA representative who confirmed what everyone here is saying - Login.gov is ONLY for online account access, not for actual benefit eligibility or payments. What worked for me was using my local senior center's computer during their tech help hours - the staff there are used to helping people with these government websites. Turns out my home Wi-Fi was too slow for the photo verification system. But the key point is that throughout all my technical struggles, my monthly payments never stopped coming. The representative explained that benefits are guaranteed by federal law based on your work history - website access has nothing to do with payment eligibility. These misleading headlines have caused so much unnecessary stress for seniors! Your monthly checks will keep coming regardless of whether you ever get the online portal working. Focus on your peace of mind first, troubleshoot the website second if you want online access for convenience. Thanks to this community for all the helpful tips and reassurance!

I'm new to this community and wanted to share my experience as well! I went through this exact same panic just last month after reading those terrifying headlines about Login.gov being "mandatory" for Social Security benefits. Like so many others here, I struggled endlessly with the identity verification - my driver's license kept getting rejected and I never received verification codes. I was genuinely scared I'd lose my disability benefits over a website glitch! After reading this entire discussion, I feel so much better. It's incredibly reassuring to see so many people confirm with SSA representatives that Login.gov is ONLY for online account access, not for actual benefit payments. The fact that everyone's monthly payments continued throughout their technical struggles really drives this point home. I'm definitely going to try some of the great troubleshooting tips mentioned here - using a different device, trying during off-peak hours, checking with my phone carrier about blocked texts, and maybe visiting my local library for their faster internet connection. But most importantly, I can finally stop losing sleep over potentially losing my benefits! It's clear that these misleading media headlines have caused unnecessary panic for so many of us. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and creating such a supportive community for navigating these confusing government systems. Your stories have been incredibly helpful for a newcomer like me who was genuinely terrified about this whole situation!

I'm in a similar boat - planning to start benefits in a few months while continuing to work part-time. This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I'm still wondering about though - if I'm self-employed doing consulting work, how exactly do they calculate my monthly earnings? Is it based on when I invoice clients or when I actually receive payment? And do business expenses get deducted from the earnings they count toward the limit? I've heard self-employment income can be trickier to track for the earnings test.

I wanted to add something that might be helpful for anyone dealing with this situation - keep really good records of your monthly earnings while you're subject to the earnings limit! I learned this the hard way when SSA asked me to provide documentation of my part-time work income for their annual reconciliation. Having detailed pay stubs and records made the whole process much smoother. Also, if your income varies month to month like mine did, consider setting aside some of your Social Security payments in a separate account just in case there's an overpayment situation that needs to be resolved later. It's rare, but it can happen if your actual earnings end up being different from what you initially estimated. The peace of mind is worth it, and you can always use that money later once you reach FRA and don't have to worry about the earnings limit anymore.