As a newcomer to this community who's been dealing with survivor benefits for about 6 months now, I can't tell you how helpful this entire discussion has been! I work in landscaping and face the exact same seasonal income challenges that @Oliver Schulz described - making almost nothing during winter months but then having weeks where I pull in $800+ during peak growing season. I had no idea about the "work activity report" option or that SSA could document variable income patterns ahead of time. Like many of you, I've been stressed about those high-earning weeks potentially triggering benefit reductions even though my annual total will definitely stay under the $22,320 limit. The practical advice here is incredible - from the spreadsheet tracking system to actually getting through to SSA using services like Claimyr. I've been dreading that phone call for months, but seeing how well it worked out for others gives me the confidence to finally tackle it. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where we can share real experiences and solutions. Dealing with survivor benefits while grieving is hard enough without having to figure out these complex earnings rules alone. This thread is going to help so many people in similar situations!

As someone new to this community who's currently navigating survivor benefits with seasonal work income, I want to echo everyone's gratitude for such a thorough and helpful discussion. I work in seasonal tax preparation, so I have the opposite pattern from most of you - I make almost all my income during the few months of tax season (January through April), then have very little income the rest of the year. Reading about the "work activity report" option has been a game-changer for my understanding. I had been so worried that earning $3,000+ per month during tax season would automatically trigger benefit reductions, even though my annual total will be well under the $22,320 limit due to earning almost nothing from May through December. The advice about proactive communication with SSA and documenting the seasonal pattern ahead of time makes perfect sense. I'm definitely going to call them before next tax season starts to get this properly noted in my file. It's such a relief to know that the annual limit is what ultimately matters, not those temporarily high monthly earnings. Thank you @Oliver Schulz for sharing your successful experience with SSA, and to everyone else for the practical tips about tracking earnings and using services like Claimyr to actually get through to speak with someone. This thread should be required reading for anyone dealing with survivor benefits and variable income!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Peyton. I just went through a similar situation with my mother's widow's benefits application last year, so I wanted to share what we learned. The good news is that yes, you'll definitely receive the COLA increase starting with your first payment in January 2025! The COLA applies to all Social Security beneficiaries regardless of when they start receiving benefits. However, the $1,874 estimate they gave you likely does NOT include the 2025 COLA since it hasn't been announced yet (that typically happens in mid-October). So your actual monthly payment will probably be a bit higher than that estimate. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all the information. We noted the original estimate, then when the COLA was announced in October, we calculated what the new amount should be (you can find COLA calculators online). When her first payment came in January, we could easily verify that everything was calculated correctly. Also, don't hesitate to call SSA in November or December to get that updated estimate with the COLA included - it really does help with budgeting and peace of mind. The representatives are usually pretty good about walking you through how they arrived at the final number. You're asking all the right questions, and it shows you're being smart about planning ahead. Wishing you all the best during this difficult time.

I'm going through a similar situation with my father's survivor benefits right now, so I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences here. From what I've learned through my own research and talking to SSA, the COLA is indeed automatic for all beneficiaries starting in January, regardless of when you began receiving benefits. The tricky part is that estimates given before the October COLA announcement won't include it. One thing I discovered that might be helpful - you can actually check the SSA website around mid-October when they announce the COLA percentage. They usually put out a press release with the exact percentage increase, and then you can calculate roughly what your new amount should be by multiplying your current estimate by that percentage. Also, I've found that calling SSA first thing in the morning (around 8 AM) tends to have shorter wait times than calling later in the day. Might save you some frustration when you call for that updated estimate! Best of luck with everything, and I'm sorry for your loss. It's clear you're being very thoughtful about planning ahead, which will serve you well.

This has been such a helpful thread! I'm also born in 1958 and approaching my FRA, so I had the exact same confusion about partial months. What I'm taking away from everyone's experiences is that SSA actually makes this much simpler than their website suggests - once you hit your FRA date, that whole month counts for full benefits regardless of what day of the month it happens. The earnings test elimination at FRA is massive news for me! I've been stressing about how my planned part-time teaching might affect my benefits, but learning that I can earn unlimited amounts starting from my FRA month completely changes my retirement strategy. I really appreciate the warnings about being crystal clear when applying - definitely going to request written confirmation of my start date to avoid any costly mistakes. And the flexibility to delay month by month for delayed retirement credits (rather than being locked into starting right at FRA) takes so much pressure off the timing. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you called SSA to confirm details, did you find certain times of day or days of the week better for getting through? I want to have a direct conversation about my specific situation but have heard the wait times can be brutal. Thanks everyone for sharing your real-world experiences - this community wisdom is worth so much more than trying to navigate the SSA website alone!

What an incredibly helpful thread! I'm approaching my FRA in 2026 and had this exact same confusion about partial months. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been so much more valuable than trying to decipher the SSA website. The consistent message from everyone about the "whole month counts" rule is really reassuring - I was worried SSA would do some complicated daily proration, but it sounds like they keep it simple: reach FRA on any day of the month, and that entire month counts as your first full benefit month. The earnings test elimination at FRA is huge news for me too! I've been concerned about how my planned consulting work might impact my benefits, but knowing I can earn unlimited amounts starting from my FRA month completely changes my planning approach. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about being crystal clear when applying and getting written confirmation of the start date. The flexibility to delay month by month for delayed retirement credits is also great to know - takes the pressure off having everything perfectly aligned for the exact FRA month. One thing I wanted to ask - for those who delayed past FRA for the delayed retirement credits, how did you make that decision? Was it purely based on the financial math, or were there other factors that influenced your choice to wait versus starting right at FRA? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community knowledge is invaluable!

This thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm a self-employed contractor and had no idea this was such a widespread issue. Reading everyone's experiences has me worried about my own records now. Quick question for those who've been through this - is there any way to proactively check if your self-employment income is being properly recorded before it becomes a problem? Should I be reviewing my SSA earnings record annually? Also, @Isabel Vega mentioned getting IRS tax account transcripts as key documentation. For those who used this successfully, did you need transcripts for just the missing years or for additional years as well for comparison? I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and all the specific forms/procedures mentioned. Sounds like having Form SSA-7008, requesting a protective filing date, and getting a case number are the critical first steps. Thank you all for sharing such detailed information - this could save people months of frustration!

This entire thread has been a goldmine of information! I'm actually dealing with something similar - my self-employment income from 2020-2022 isn't showing up properly in my SSA records either. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that the key is being extremely organized and persistent. The advice about Form SSA-7008, getting IRS transcripts, requesting a protective filing date, and using both local office and national number approaches simultaneously seems like the winning strategy. What really struck me is how @Isabel Vega mentioned that most local offices don't actually process these corrections anymore - they just forward documents to processing centers. That explains why so many documents get "lost"! For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also suggest keeping a detailed log of every interaction - dates, times, names of representatives, what was discussed, and what documents were provided. It sounds like documentation is absolutely critical when dealing with SSA. One question for those who've successfully resolved this: How long did the entire process take from start to finish once you had all the right documentation and followed the proper procedures?

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My husband is 64 and still working, making about $85k, while I'm 61 and volunteer at our local animal shelter. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from meeting with a financial planner - they suggested we also consider our overall retirement savings and monthly expenses when deciding on the claiming strategy. If you have adequate retirement savings to cover your needs for a few more years, waiting until FRA or even later can significantly increase your lifetime benefits. Also, have you looked into whether your volunteer work might have given you any additional Social Security credits over the years? I discovered that some volunteer coordinator positions I held years ago actually did provide small amounts of taxable income that I had forgotten about, which slightly boosted my benefit calculation. The tax implications are definitely real with your husband's income level, but as others mentioned, you're still coming out ahead financially. We ran the numbers and even with 85% of my benefits being taxable, the monthly income would still be substantial enough to justify claiming. Good luck with your decision! It sounds like you're being very thoughtful about all the factors involved.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the "do over" rule that might be relevant to your situation. If you claim at 62 and later realize it wasn't the best decision, you have 12 months from your first benefit payment to withdraw your application and pay back all the benefits you received (without interest). This gives you a one-time chance to restart at a later age with a higher benefit. This might be worth considering given your uncertainty. You could claim at 62, see how the taxes actually affect your household budget with real numbers instead of estimates, and then decide within that first year whether to continue or withdraw and wait until your FRA. Also, since you're doing volunteer work managing a food pantry network, you might want to check if your organization offers any retirement planning resources or if there are any tax advantages related to your volunteer work that could offset some of the taxation on your Social Security benefits. Some volunteer-related expenses can be deducted if you itemize. The key is getting your actual benefit estimate from SSA and running the real numbers for your specific situation rather than relying on general rules of thumb.