I experienced the exact same issue when I suspended my benefits at 65 last year! It's incredibly frustrating that SSA's system can't handle this common scenario better. Here's what I learned from going through this process: The calculator disappearing is permanent once you've filed - even if you suspend. I ended up calling SSA (took 3 attempts and finally got through using the early morning suggestion someone mentioned). They were able to provide me with updated benefit projections over the phone, including the delayed retirement credits I'd earn after my FRA. One thing that helped me was keeping a spreadsheet with my own calculations. Since you're 64 now and suspending before FRA, you won't earn DRCs until after you reach your full retirement age. But if you're planning to work until 67-68 anyway, the suspension definitely makes sense to avoid the earnings test hassle. Pro tip: when you do call SSA, ask them to mail you a benefit verification letter with your current benefit amount, plus ask for verbal projections at different claiming ages. Take detailed notes during the call since getting through again can be such a pain. The representatives I spoke with were actually quite helpful once I finally reached them.

I had this exact same issue happen to me when I suspended my benefits at 63 after landing a high-paying contract job! The disappearing calculator is definitely one of the most frustrating "features" of the SSA system. What worked for me was creating my own tracking system while waiting to get through to SSA. Here's what I did: I took screenshots of my last benefit statement before applying (wish I'd thought of this earlier like some mentioned), then used the general SSA retirement estimator with my earnings history to get rough projections. For the delayed retirement credit calculations, I used the 2/3 of 1% per month formula that others mentioned - so 8% per year after your FRA. The key thing to remember in your situation is that since you're suspending at 64 (before FRA), you're mainly avoiding the earnings test complications rather than earning growth credits. But it's still the right move if you're earning well above the limit! I finally got through to SSA using the 8am calling strategy - they sent me a benefit verification letter showing my current monthly amount and gave me verbal projections for different claiming ages. The whole process took about 3 weeks but was worth it for the peace of mind. Hang in there!

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a very similar situation as a retired firefighter. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the difference between WEP and GPO or how the survivor benefits work differently. My wife worked in the private sector her whole career and has been collecting SS for two years now. I'm 63 with a firefighter pension but only about 20 quarters of SS-covered work from before I joined the department. Sounds like I'm probably in the same boat as most of you with the GPO reduction wiping out any spousal benefits. But the advice about applying anyway for the official determination and keeping survivor benefits in mind for the future is really valuable. Also appreciate the tip about Claimyr - I've been trying to get through to SS for months with no luck. It's frustrating that after decades of public service, these rules seem to penalize us for having dedicated our careers to serving our communities, but at least now I understand what I'm dealing with. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

New to this community but not new to these frustrating rules unfortunately. I'm a retired state corrections officer dealing with the same GPO situation. What really gets me is how little information is readily available about these rules when you're planning for retirement. My pension counselor never mentioned GPO when I retired three years ago - I only found out when I tried to apply for spousal benefits last month. Like others have mentioned, the SSA website and their benefit calculators don't account for these reductions, so you think you're going to get something and then... nothing. I've been married 35 years and my husband paid into Social Security his entire career, but because I have a state pension from non-covered employment, I get zilch. The 2/3 reduction formula is brutal. My pension is $2,800/month so they'd subtract about $1,867 from any spousal benefit. Even if I was entitled to the maximum 50% spousal benefit, it would have to be pretty substantial to survive that reduction. I agree with everyone saying to apply anyway for the official determination - I'm planning to do that when I hit my FRA next year just to have it on record. And thanks for all the information about survivor benefits potentially being different. That gives me some hope for the future, even though this immediate situation is disappointing.

I'm 66 and 4 months old, so I just passed my FRA a few months ago. This discussion has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about this January adjustment timing for DRCs earned in the current filing year. My question is about the math - if I file in August 2025, I'll have earned about 7 months of DRCs in 2025 before filing. When SSA does the January 2026 adjustment, do they calculate the retroactive payment based on the exact number of months I received the lower benefit, or is there some other formula they use? I'm trying to figure out if there's any financial advantage to filing earlier in the year versus later in the year (aside from just getting payments sooner). Also, does anyone know if there's a deadline for when you have to file in a given year to receive the January adjustment, or does it apply regardless of when in the year you file? Thanks for all the detailed experiences everyone has shared - this is exactly what I needed to understand before making my filing decision!

I'm 68 and filed for my Social Security benefits last September after reading horror stories online about long wait times and processing delays. I wanted to share my actual experience to help others who might be in a similar situation. When I filed in September 2024, my initial benefit included all the DRCs I had earned through December 2023, but not the DRCs from January-August 2024. Just as others described here, SSA automatically adjusted my payment in January 2025 and paid me the retroactive difference as a lump sum. The whole process was actually smoother than I expected - no phone calls or follow-up required on my part. The January payment was about $1,200 higher than my regular monthly amount to cover the 8 months of missed DRCs. One tip I'd add: I kept detailed screenshots of my benefit estimates before filing, which helped me verify that the January adjustment was calculated correctly. For anyone on the fence about filing mid-year versus waiting until January, I'm glad I filed when I did - those extra months of payments (even at the temporarily lower amount) added up to more total money received than if I had waited until January to start benefits.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your MySocialSecurity account will automatically update your benefit estimates each year based on your most recent earnings. So if you're still working and earning income, you'll see those estimates gradually increase over the next 18 months as your 2024 and 2025 earnings get factored in. I found it helpful to screenshot my estimates periodically so I could track how they changed as I got closer to retirement. Also, don't forget that if you have a spouse, you'll want to coordinate your claiming strategies since spousal benefits can sometimes provide additional income - especially if there's a big difference in your work histories or benefit amounts. Good luck with your planning!

One thing that might help with your planning is to understand that Social Security benefits are also subject to federal income tax if your combined income (Social Security + other retirement income + half of your Social Security benefits) exceeds certain thresholds. For individuals, that's $25,000, and for married filing jointly, it's $32,000. Up to 85% of your benefits could be taxable depending on your total retirement income. This is something the estimates don't show you - they're gross amounts, not what you'll actually receive after taxes. So when you're doing your retirement budget, make sure to factor in potential taxes on your Social Security benefits, especially if you have other sources of retirement income like 401(k) withdrawals or pension payments. A tax professional who specializes in retirement planning can help you estimate this more precisely.

As someone who just went through the FRA application process myself, I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help based on what I learned: First, definitely create your my Social Security account well before you plan to apply - not just to see your FRA date, but also to familiarize yourself with the interface. When you do apply online, the system will ask you to specify your "month of entitlement" (when you want benefits to begin), and you'll want to select the month your FRA falls in, even though you won't receive payment until the following month. Second, keep documentation of when you submit your application. I took screenshots of my confirmation pages because I'm paranoid about these things, and it gave me peace of mind to have proof of when I applied and what I requested. Third, once you're approved, you'll receive a letter from SSA confirming your benefit amount and payment schedule. This usually comes a few weeks before your first payment, so don't panic if you don't hear anything immediately after applying. One last thing - if you're still working when you reach FRA, make sure you understand how the earnings test works (spoiler: there isn't one at FRA, but it's good to know). The SSA website has a retirement earnings test calculator that can help if you're in this situation. Hope this helps ease some of the anxiety around the process! This community has been such a great resource for navigating all these Social Security questions.

I'm approaching my FRA in about 8 months and this entire thread has been incredibly enlightening! I've been stressing about the exact timing for weeks, constantly second-guessing myself about when to apply and when benefits would actually start. Reading through everyone's real experiences has made this so much clearer than any of the official SSA materials I've been trying to decipher. The distinction between "month of entitlement" vs "payment month" that several people explained really clicked for me - I was getting confused by all the references to benefits being "paid for the previous month" on the SSA website. A couple of quick questions for the group: - For those who applied online, did you run into any technical issues with the application system, or was it pretty straightforward? - Did anyone here have to provide additional documentation during the process, or did most applications go through with just the basic information? I'm planning to follow the advice about applying 3-4 months ahead and setting up my Social Security account soon. This community has been such a lifesaver for understanding how this all actually works in practice. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly!