This entire thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you all for such thorough and thoughtful analysis! As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but never posted, this discussion really motivated me to jump in. I'm 55 and facing a very similar decision timeline, and what's been most valuable is seeing how everyone approached this systematically rather than just going with gut feelings. The spreadsheet modeling approach that @Amara mentioned seems particularly smart - breaking down all the variables into concrete numbers rather than trying to hold all these complex factors in your head. One thing I wanted to add based on my own research: if you do decide to pursue part-time work during those bridge years, it might be worth looking into whether any opportunities offer their own retirement benefits or health insurance. Even a small employer 401k match or health plan could help offset some of the costs and benefit reductions you're trying to navigate. Also, for anyone considering this path, I've found that many state universities and community colleges actively recruit experienced professionals for adjunct teaching or workforce development programs. The pay isn't huge, but it's often flexible, meaningful work that could provide enough earnings to help with your Social Security calculation while giving you that semi-retirement lifestyle. Best of luck to everyone working through these decisions - it's reassuring to know there's such a supportive community thinking through the same challenges!

As someone who's been following this discussion closely, I wanted to share a resource that might help with the modeling everyone's been talking about. The AARP Social Security Calculator (https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/benefits-calculator/) is actually pretty sophisticated and lets you input different scenarios including years with zero earnings. I used it when I was considering a similar early retirement decision, and it was really helpful for visualizing how different part-time income levels during those bridge years would affect my final benefit. You can model everything from complete work stoppage to various levels of part-time earnings and see the projected impact immediately. What I found particularly useful is that it shows not just the benefit at 62, but also what happens if you delay claiming to full retirement age or beyond. This really helped me understand the trade-offs everyone's been discussing about timing your actual claim versus when you stop working. The calculator won't replace getting exact numbers from SSA, but it's a great way to run quick "what-if" scenarios while you're waiting to get through to an agent. And it's free, which is always nice when you're trying to budget for retirement! Just thought this might be helpful for anyone who wants to start modeling their options while working through all the great strategies discussed in this thread.

I'm sorry for your loss, Avery. This is such a common confusion - I went through the same thing when my father passed. The key thing everyone has explained well is that adult children (over 18/19) only qualify for survivor benefits from parents if they became disabled before age 22. Your previous marriage and divorce have absolutely no impact on parent-to-child survivor benefits - that only matters for spousal survivor benefits. It's frustrating because it feels like all those years of contributions should benefit the family somehow, but Social Security is structured as insurance rather than inheritance. The silver lining is that this experience has motivated you to think more seriously about your own retirement planning, which is really important at 56.

I'm sorry for your loss, Avery. This thread has been really helpful in clarifying the confusion around survivor benefits. As someone who also lost a parent recently, I initially thought the same thing - that somehow my parent's decades of contributions would translate to benefits for me. What strikes me from reading everyone's responses is how the system really is designed around dependency rather than inheritance. It makes sense from a policy perspective, even if it feels harsh emotionally. The key takeaways seem to be: 1. Adult children only qualify if disabled before 22 (not your situation) 2. Marriage status is irrelevant for parent-to-child benefits 3. Age 60+ rules apply only to spousal survivor benefits, not parental ones 4. Benefits stop at death with no estate continuation I'd echo what others have said about using this as motivation for retirement planning. At 56, you still have time to build up your own Social Security credits and other retirement savings. Have you looked into whether you're on track for your own full retirement benefits when the time comes?

Thanks everyone for the advice! I went to my local office this morning with my filled-out W-4V form and ID. Took a number, waited about 30 minutes, and they accepted it no problem! The staff person said I should see the withholding start on my payment next month. She also gave me a receipt showing they received the form, which made me feel much better. For anyone else wondering, at least at my office (Tucson), no appointment was needed just to drop off a form.

That's awesome news! Thanks for following up with how it went - that's really helpful for others who might be in the same situation. The receipt is definitely key, and it sounds like your office was much more efficient than some of the horror stories people shared. Hopefully your withholding starts right on schedule next month!

That sounds like a solid plan! Since you're 59 now, you have a good opportunity to strategically think about this. One thing to consider is that if you're currently in your peak earning years, even without indexing, your age 60+ earnings might still be high enough to bump out some of those early career years from your top 35. You might want to pull your Social Security statement (available at ssa.gov/myaccount) to see your current earnings record and get a sense of which years might be your lowest. That way you can make a more informed decision about whether working those extra years will meaningfully increase your benefit calculation. Good luck with your planning!

Just wanted to add another perspective on this - I'm a retired HR benefits administrator and helped employees with Social Security questions for 30 years. The indexing system can seem complex, but it's actually quite fair when you understand it. One thing I always told people approaching 60 is to consider not just the raw numbers, but also quality of life. Yes, working past 60 might replace some lower-earning indexed years, but remember that delaying retirement also means fewer years to enjoy your benefits. Also worth noting - if you're still working and haven't filed for Social Security yet, each year you delay past your full retirement age (until age 70), you get delayed retirement credits that increase your benefit by about 8% per year. That's often a better return than trying to squeeze out a few more high-earning years to replace indexed ones. The key is running the actual numbers for your specific situation rather than making assumptions!

Diego, I've been in a similar situation with survivor benefits and 1099 work. One important thing nobody mentioned yet - make sure you understand that Social Security calculates your net self-employment earnings using Schedule SE, not just Schedule C profit. There's a formula that reduces your net earnings by 7.65% (half of the self-employment tax) before applying the earnings test. This actually works in your favor! Also, consider asking your potential client if they can structure payments to help you stay under the limit - maybe defer some income to January if you're getting close to $23,400 by December. I've found SSA is actually pretty reasonable to work with if you're proactive about reporting and asking questions upfront.

I'm also a widow receiving survivor benefits and considering 1099 work. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep detailed monthly records of your earnings throughout the year, not just annual totals. SSA can ask for month-by-month breakdowns if they review your case. I use a simple spreadsheet to track each payment, the date received, and running totals. Also, if you're doing healthcare contract work, make sure you understand whether you'll be truly independent or if the client might treat you like an employee (which could affect your 1099 status with the IRS). The last thing you want is tax complications on top of the SSA earnings limits. Good luck with your decision!