One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is timing considerations. Since you received the QDRO distribution last month and are already collecting early retirement benefits, you might want to keep detailed records of exactly when you received the funds and how much. Even though it likely won't affect your SS benefits directly, having clear documentation will be helpful for your tax preparer and in case SSA ever has questions about your income reporting. Also, since you mentioned medical expenses, remember that if you're itemizing deductions, medical expenses over 7.5% of your adjusted gross income may be deductible. The QDRO distribution will increase your AGI, but it might also help you reach that threshold for medical expense deductions if your medical costs are substantial.

As someone new to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this discussion has been! I'm not dealing with a QDRO situation myself, but I learned so much about how different types of income affect Social Security benefits. The distinction between the earnings test (wages only) and taxable income calculations (includes pensions) is something I never understood before. @Amara Okafor - it sounds like you got some really solid advice here. The summary from Dylan Cooper seems spot-on, and Ava Rodriguez's point about keeping detailed records is smart. I hope your medical situation improves and that you're able to manage everything smoothly with both Social Security and your taxes. One quick question for the group - does anyone know if there are any good resources or guides specifically about navigating Social Security rules during major life changes like divorce or health issues? This seems like such a complex area where small mistakes could be costly.

I'm new to this community and dealing with a similar situation with my disabled adult child. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational - thank you to everyone who shared their expertise and experiences! One thing I wanted to add that I learned from our disability attorney is the importance of understanding the "substantial gainful activity" (SGA) rules in relation to Adult Disabled Child benefits. Even though your daughter is already receiving SSDI, it's worth knowing that if she's ever able to do any work in the future, there are specific earnings thresholds that could affect her eligibility for survivor benefits differently than they affect her current SSDI. Also, I'd suggest looking into your state's Assistive Technology program if you haven't already. Many states have low-interest loan programs or grants for adaptive equipment and home modifications that can help with independence and quality of life. These programs are designed to work alongside Social Security benefits without affecting eligibility. The comprehensive planning you're doing now is exactly what every family with a disabled adult child should be doing. Your daughter is fortunate to have someone thinking so thoroughly about her long-term security. The strategies discussed in this thread - getting benefit estimates, coordinating claiming strategies with your ex-husband, consulting with specialized attorneys - will make such a difference in her future financial stability.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share something that might help with your situation. One aspect that hasn't been mentioned yet is the importance of keeping detailed records of all communications with SSA about your daughter's case. I learned this the hard way when helping my disabled sister navigate similar issues. Create a simple log with dates, representative names (if they provide them), and exactly what information was given. This becomes crucial if you ever need to appeal a decision or if there are discrepancies in how benefits are calculated later. SSA representatives are supposed to make notes in the system, but having your own records ensures nothing gets lost. Also, when you do get those Form SSA-7004 benefit estimates that others mentioned, make sure to request them for multiple scenarios - not just current projected benefits, but also what the survivor benefits would look like if either parent delays to age 70. This will give you the clearest picture for making those strategic timing decisions with your ex-husband. Your daughter is so fortunate to have someone doing this level of advance planning. The work you're putting in now to understand all these complex rules and coordinate strategies will provide her with financial security for decades to come. The fact that you're thinking through scenarios while both parents are still healthy puts her in the best possible position.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clears up a lot of my confusion. It sounds like I should expect my 2024 earnings to be reflected in SSA's systems by mid-2025, and since I'm planning to wait until 2026 to apply for benefits, those earnings will definitely be included in my initial benefit calculation. That's a relief since 2023 was such a low year for me during medical leave.

I went through something similar a few years back when I had a career gap. One thing to keep in mind is that Social Security also indexes your earnings for inflation when calculating benefits, so your older earnings get adjusted upward. This means that even though your 2024 earnings will be higher in raw dollars, the indexed value of your previous good earning years might still be competitive depending on how long ago they were. You can get a rough estimate by looking at the wage indexing factors on SSA's website - they publish these annually. It might help you better understand whether your 2024 return to work will significantly boost your eventual benefit or just marginally improve it.

As a new member of this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed experiences about these Social Security scams! I just received one yesterday claiming my "direct deposit information was outdated" and needed to be updated immediately or my next payment would be delayed. The email looked very official with SSA branding, but fortunately I remembered reading warnings about never clicking email links for government services. What made me extra suspicious was that they somehow knew I receive direct deposit (which many of us do), but they were asking me to "confirm" my banking details - information the real SSA already has on file! This thread has been incredibly educational about all the different variations these scammers use. I'm definitely going to share this with my neighbors and anyone else who might be vulnerable. The common theme seems to be creating urgency and fear while asking us to provide information the government already possesses. When in doubt, always go directly to ssa.gov or visit your local office in person!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed warnings and experiences everyone has shared! I received a suspicious email just this morning claiming to be from Social Security saying there was an "urgent review" of my account due to "unusual activity" and I needed to click their link to "secure my benefits immediately." The email had the SSA logo and looked fairly official, but several things made me suspicious: it came from an address ending in .net instead of .gov, it used a generic greeting instead of my name, and most importantly - it arrived at 3 AM! After reading this entire thread, I can see how these scammers use multiple psychological tactics: fear (benefits at risk), urgency (immediate action required), and official appearance (logos and formatting). What really helps me is the simple test several people mentioned: "Why would SSA need me to verify information they already have?" I'm bookmarking ssa.gov right now and will only access my account through the official website. Thanks to everyone for creating such an educational discussion - I'm definitely sharing this with my family and friends who might be targeted by these increasingly sophisticated scams!

One thing I'd add is to check your Social Security Statement (available at ssa.gov/myaccount) to see what your current top 35 earning years look like. This can help you estimate how much impact your 2025 earnings might have on the recalculation. If your 2025 projected income would replace one of your lower earning years, you can get a rough idea of the potential benefit increase. The statement shows your earnings history year by year, so you can see if there are any particularly low years (maybe from early in your career or years with unemployment) that would be replaced. It's also worth noting that earnings are indexed for inflation in the benefit calculation, so a $30,000 year from 1995 might actually count as more than a $30,000 year from 2020 in the calculation. The online calculators on SSA's website can help you run different scenarios too.

This has been such an informative thread! As someone approaching a similar decision, I wanted to share a resource that might help with the planning process. The SSA has a "Retirement Estimator" tool on their website that lets you input different claiming ages and earnings scenarios to see how they affect your benefits. You can model claiming at 64 vs waiting until FRA, and even factor in continued earnings. It's been really helpful for me to visualize the trade-offs between getting benefits earlier (but reduced) versus waiting for the full amount. The tool also shows you the break-even point - basically how long you'd need to live to make waiting worthwhile financially. Of course, everyone's situation is different and there are factors beyond just the math (like needing the income now, health considerations, etc.), but it's nice to have the numbers to work with when making such an important decision.