I'm new to this community but going through a very similar situation right now. My fiancé and I are planning to get married in a few months, and I was considering adopting his 6-year-old daughter who receives survivor benefits. After reading through all these responses, I'm honestly shocked that this rule exists and that SSA doesn't make it more widely known. The financial impact is staggering when you actually calculate it out over the remaining years until 18. For us, we're looking at potentially losing around $95,000 in total benefits. That's literally a full college education at many schools. What I'm struggling with is the emotional side of this. I really want to make our family "official" through adoption, but I also can't ignore the financial reality. It feels like the system is forcing blended families to choose between legal recognition and financial security for their children. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about consulting with attorneys who specialize in both family law and Social Security benefits. The legal guardianship option sounds like it might be the best compromise - giving me the parental rights I need while preserving her benefits. Has anyone found resources or advocacy groups working to change this rule? It seems like there are so many blended families affected by this, and the current law doesn't reflect how modern families actually work.

I'm a social worker who has helped many families navigate this exact situation, and I want to add some practical advice about the legal guardianship route that several people have mentioned. Legal guardianship can indeed provide most of the parental rights you're looking for - medical decisions, school enrollment, emergency authorization, etc. However, the process and requirements vary significantly by state. In some states, it's a relatively straightforward court filing, while others require more extensive documentation and hearings. One thing to keep in mind is that guardianship typically requires periodic court reviews (often annually or every few years), unlike adoption which is permanent. This means some ongoing legal costs and paperwork, but it's usually minimal compared to the benefits you're preserving. I'd also suggest looking into whether your state offers "educational guardianship" or "limited guardianship" options that might be even simpler to obtain while still giving you the authority you need for day-to-day parenting decisions. The most important thing is that you're thinking this through carefully before proceeding. I've seen too many families discover this rule after the fact and face devastating financial consequences. Your stepdaughter is lucky to have someone who cares enough about her future to research all the options first.

One other benefit to consider: if you work after starting Social Security benefits and pay FICA taxes, the SSA will automatically recalculate your benefit amount annually. If your current earnings are higher than one of the 35 years used to calculate your initial benefit, your benefit amount could actually INCREASE. So working could potentially give you a permanent raise in your Social Security payment!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year. I reached my FRA at 66 and 8 months, then went back to work full-time making about $55,000. My Social Security benefits continued without any reduction whatsoever. The only surprise was that my tax bill was higher at the end of the year since more of my SS became taxable, but that's just regular income tax - not a penalty or reduction in benefits. Also, make sure to factor in that you'll be paying FICA taxes again on your wages, but as others mentioned, this could actually boost your future SS payments if your current salary is higher than some of your lower earning years from the past. Definitely take the job if you need the income - the earnings test really does disappear completely once you hit FRA!

I think there's something about having to pay more taxes if your income is too high with social security? My neighbor said something about 85% of his benefits being taxed when he kept working.

Just want to add my experience here - I'm 67 and started working part-time at a local library about 6 months ago. Like everyone said, there's no earnings limit once you hit FRA, which is such a relief! One thing I wish I'd known earlier is to set aside some money for taxes. Even though my part-time job is only bringing in about $8,000 a year, when combined with my pension and Social Security, I ended up owing more in taxes than expected. My tax preparer suggested having them withhold extra federal tax from my paychecks to avoid a surprise bill next April. Also, working part-time has been amazing for my mental health - gives me purpose and I've made some great friends. Don't let the tax implications scare you away from working if that's what you want to do. Just plan for it!

This is such valuable information for families dealing with SSDI dependent benefits! I'm relatively new to understanding how Social Security works, but I've been helping my elderly father navigate some benefit questions recently. One thing I want to emphasize from reading through all these responses is how important it is to get everything in writing from SSA. When I was helping my dad, we had three different phone representatives give us three different answers to the same question. It wasn't until we got the official documentation that we knew what was actually correct. For your neighbor, in addition to all the great suggestions here about getting the BOAN report and visiting the local office, I'd recommend she ask for any benefit changes or calculations to be sent to her in writing. That way she has official documentation of exactly when the twins' benefits will end and what the new payment amounts will be. Also, has she looked into whether there are any local organizations that help families navigate Social Security benefits? Sometimes community centers, disability advocacy groups, or even libraries have volunteers who are familiar with the system and can help interpret the documentation once she gets it from SSA.

I'm new to this community but have been following this discussion closely as my sister is in a similar situation with SSDI benefits and aging-out children. The information everyone has shared here is incredibly helpful! One additional resource I wanted to mention is the Red Book that Social Security publishes - it's a comprehensive guide to work incentives and benefit programs. You can find it online at ssa.gov or request a printed copy. Chapter 2 specifically covers family benefits and the family maximum calculations that everyone has been discussing. Also, your neighbor might want to start documenting everything now - dates of phone calls to SSA, names of representatives she speaks with, reference numbers for any cases or inquiries. This creates a paper trail that can be really helpful if there are any discrepancies later. The financial planning aspect that others mentioned is so important. When my sister's oldest aged out last year, the income drop was exactly as significant as everyone here described. She found it helpful to practice living on the reduced budget for a few months before the change actually happened, just to identify what adjustments she'd need to make. Thank you all for sharing such detailed and practical advice - this thread should be required reading for anyone navigating SSDI family benefits!

I just went through this exact same process last year at age 70! Like you, I was completely confused about where to put the retroactive benefits request in the online application. The SSA website really doesn't make this clear at all. I also ended up putting my request in the comments section and was worried they'd overlook it. But it worked out perfectly - they processed my retroactive benefits without any issues. The comments section is genuinely the right place for this request, even though it feels wrong when you're doing it. Since you already got confirmation from an SSA agent that your application looks good, you're definitely on the right track. One thing I learned after the fact - you might want to ask about getting the full 6 months of retroactive benefits (back to April 2024) instead of just October and November. At 70, your benefits are already maximized, so there's no penalty for claiming the full retroactive period you're entitled to. I wish I had known this when I first applied! The retroactive payment came as a separate lump sum about 3 weeks after my regular monthly benefits started. Keep that confirmation email handy and don't hesitate to call in a few weeks to double-check everything was processed correctly. You handled this perfectly!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here but this thread has been incredibly reassuring. I'm 71 and just started the online application process yesterday, but got stuck at the exact same point you did - couldn't figure out where to request retroactive benefits! After reading all these responses, I'm going to go back and put my retroactive request in the comments section like you did. It's amazing how many people have had this same experience with the confusing online application. The fact that an SSA agent already confirmed your application looks good is such great news. I'm also planning to request the full 6 months of retroactive benefits that several people mentioned - that's advice I definitely wouldn't have known without reading this discussion. Thanks for asking this question and to everyone who shared their experiences. This is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes navigating Social Security so much easier!