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Jus wanted to say im sorry about ur husband and hope he recovers. My aunt was in same boat but she didnt know about the 12 month withdrawal thing until it was too late... definatly get on this quick b4 u miss the window. The differance in benifits adds up to alot of $$$ over time.
One more thing - if you withdraw his application make SURE you understand you have to repay ALL the money he already got from SS!!! They won't process the withdrawal until every penny is paid back. If he got a big retroactive payment this could be thousands you need to have ready!
This is an important point. The withdrawal requires repaying all benefits received, but in this case it sounds like the husband only received one month's payment so far. That would be the $2,700 that would need to be repaid. Given that the potential increase to survivor benefits would be about $432 per month ($3,132 - $2,700), the break-even point would be reached in about 6-7 months of receiving the higher survivor benefit. After that point, it becomes financially advantageous.
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Thanks everyone for the really helpful information! Now I understand - no earnings limit AT ALL starting in December when I hit 67. That's a relief since I was thinking of picking up some extra holiday shifts that would have put me over what I thought was the limit. I'll definitely report my earnings properly just to be safe. One last question - does anyone know if bonuses count toward the earnings limit? My company sometimes gives holiday bonuses in December.
Yes, bonuses count toward the earnings limit, but only if you receive them before reaching your FRA. If your bonus is paid in December after your birthday, it won't count toward the limit since you'll have reached your FRA. However, if it's paid before your birthday in December, it would count toward your pre-FRA earnings. The timing of when you actually receive the payment is what matters, not when you earned it. This is one of those details that can trip people up with Social Security rules.
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the whole wep/gpo thing makes me so mad!! why should we be penalized just becuz we worked for the government?? regular people don't have their ss reduced! there's actually a bill in congress to reform this but it never goes anywhere.
The rationale behind WEP is that the Social Security benefit formula is weighted to give lower-income workers a higher percentage return on their contributions. Government employees with pensions from non-covered work appear to be 'low-income' in Social Security's system (since those earnings don't show up), and would receive this advantageous weighting without WEP. It's actually attempting to ensure equal treatment, though many argue it's implemented unfairly. The Social Security Fairness Act to repeal WEP/GPO has been introduced multiple times but hasn't passed.
After reading through all the responses, I think your best strategy is: 1. Confirm your FERS service was fully covered employment (it almost certainly was) 2. Calculate your WEP-reduced benefit using the SSA's online calculators 3. Calculate 50% of your wife's PIA (which she can find on her Social Security statement) 4. Compare these amounts to see if spousal benefits would be higher 5. If spousal benefits are higher, consider when your wife should file Since you're already past FRA, you'll get the full spousal benefit (if eligible). Your wife's decision to file at FRA vs. age 70 should be based on your joint life expectancy and financial needs. If she delays until 70, her benefit increases by 8% per year, which also increases potential spousal benefits for you.
This is excellent advice. I'll sit down with my wife this weekend and look at both our Social Security statements to do these calculations. She's leaning toward waiting until 70 now, especially if that means my spousal benefits would be higher too. I appreciate everyone's insights on this complicated topic!
Social Security benefit name confusion - DAC vs SSDI for disabled adult child on father's retirement
My daughter (31) has been on SSI since she was diagnosed with severe autism at age 3. Last month, my husband filed for his retirement benefits and we were told our daughter could now receive benefits on his record instead of SSI. The monthly payment is about $1,750 which is significantly higher than her SSI was.Here's where I'm confused - when I called SSA to ask a question about her Medicare coverage, the rep called it 'SSDI' but the letter we received says 'Child's Benefits' and mentioned something about 'DAC' (disabled adult child). Are these the same thing? What's the correct name for what she's getting? I want to make sure I'm using the right terms when dealing with Social Security in the future. Also, does this type of benefit have different rules than regular disability?
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Thank you everyone for all these helpful answers! I feel much better now understanding that DAC is the correct term, not SSDI. I've made notes about the marriage rules, asset limits, and Medicare/Medicaid coordination. One last question - does anyone know if we need to inform her day program about this change? She attends a vocational program funded partly through Medicaid. I'm worried this benefit change might affect her eligibility for state services she receives.
Yes, you should definitely inform the day program about the change from SSI to DAC benefits. Some Medicaid-funded programs have different eligibility rules for SSI recipients vs other benefit types. The good news is that most states have provisions to continue Medicaid eligibility for people who were on SSI and switched to DAC (sometimes called the
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My friend just went through this! Her letter showed one amount but her payment had the delayed credits added. Their system is weird. But if you're super worried, why not just go to the local office? Thats what I always do - I NEVER trust the phone people!
Thank you all for the helpful responses! I feel a lot better knowing this seems to be a common experience. I'm going to wait for my first payment in October to see if the delayed retirement credits are included automatically. If not, I'll either visit my local office or try that phone service someone mentioned. It's frustrating that the SSA systems don't show a more complete picture online, but at least I know what to expect now. I'll update this thread after I get my first payment so others with the same question can see how it turned out.
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One additional point I should have mentioned: Since you'll reach your FRA on 1/1/2026, which is less than a year away, you might consider requesting a temporary lower repayment amount until then. Once you reach FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, and you might have more income flexibility to handle a higher repayment amount. This could be a compromise position if they resist returning to the $145 amount.
That's a really smart approach! I hadn't thought about proposing a temporary reduction. Since it's only about 11 months until my FRA, they might be more willing to work with me on a short-term basis. Thank you for this suggestion!
wait i just realized something - if ur ex passed away recently shouldn't you be getting more money not less? my aunt got survivor benefits and it was way more than her own SS check
This is a good point, but it depends on several factors. Since the original poster is taking survivor benefits before FRA, they'll be reduced. At their current age, they'd receive approximately 79-82% of the deceased ex-spouse's full benefit. Also, if their own retirement benefit is higher than the reduced survivor benefit, they won't see an increase. Additionally, if they were receiving retirement benefits early and switch to reduced survivor benefits, there's a separate calculation called the RIB-LIM that might further affect the amount. This is definitely something they should clarify with SSA.
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One other thing to consider - the Social Security Administration recalculates your benefit automatically each year you work, even after you've started receiving benefits. So if you did decide to work part-time during retirement (before or after your FRA), those earnings could still potentially increase your benefit if they're higher than some of your previous 35 years. This is especially relevant for people like you who have gaps or lower-earning years in their history. It's not an all-or-nothing decision.
wait this is real??? i thought once u start getting benefits they never change the amount except for COLA
That's really good to know! So I could potentially retire now, take some part-time consulting work that I actually enjoy, and still improve my benefit. That gives me more options to consider. Thank you!
Since no one's mentioned it yet, there's also an actual formula you can use to get a rough idea. Your Social Security benefit is based on your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME). If you have several zero years in your 35-year calculation: 1. Every $1,200 in additional annual earnings translates to about $1 more per month in benefits for the rest of your life So if you're earning $72,000 per year as you mentioned, and replacing zeros, that's potentially adding about $60 monthly to your benefit for each year worked ($72,000 ÷ $1,200 = $60). Over a 20-year retirement, that's about $28,800 in additional benefits for each extra year you work (not counting cost of living adjustments). This is simplified, but gives you a ballpark figure to compare against your work satisfaction and other factors.
Thank you for breaking it down like this! That makes it much clearer. So working those 2 additional years could potentially add around $120 to my monthly benefit, which is more significant than I thought. That definitely factors into my decision.
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Thank you all for the clarification. I guess my HR person who said I could opt out was misinformed. I'll plan on continuing to pay FICA taxes, but it's good to know these additional years of higher earnings will likely increase my benefit when I do claim at 70. I appreciate everyone's input!
You're making a smart choice by working longer and delaying benefits until 70. My monthly check is about 45% higher than if I had claimed at my FRA. Between the delayed retirement credits and replacing some lower-earning years, it made a substantial difference. Just make sure you're earmarking some of your current income for short-term needs since your Social Security won't start for another 3 years.
hey does anyone know if theres a maximum amount of FICA tax you have to pay each year? i thought i heard theres a cap or something
Yes, there is a cap on the Social Security portion of FICA taxes. For 2025, you only pay Social Security tax on the first $168,600 of earnings. After you hit that cap, you stop paying the 6.2% Social Security portion, but you continue paying the 1.45% Medicare portion on all earnings with no limit. Additionally, there's an extra 0.9% Medicare tax on earnings above $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married filing jointly.
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my neighbor had to deal with this last year too he just had to pay back the amount that was over he said it wasn't that big a deal they didn't charge interest or anything
That's a good point about no interest being charged! But if someone's on a fixed income, even without interest, having to repay thousands of dollars can be extremely difficult. Better to avoid the overpayment altogether by reporting changes early.
The annual earnings test can be tricky to navigate. For anyone approaching the limit, it's important to understand that SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 earned above the annual limit if you're under FRA. Once you reach your FRA, the earnings test no longer applies, and you can earn as much as you want without reduction. If you're reaching FRA during 2025, a different limit applies only for the months before you reach FRA. Always best to report changes promptly to avoid complications.
This is really helpful, thank you! I'll still be under FRA for a couple more years, so I definitely need to keep track of this. I'm going to call them this week to report my estimated earnings.
Sophia Russo
my cousin tried to do something like this and social security took back money later saying he owed them!!! be really careful with all this!!
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Evelyn Xu
One last thing to consider - have you calculated whether taking benefits before your FRA makes financial sense? You'll be getting a permanently reduced benefit amount by claiming early. If you have sufficient savings, it might be better to wait until FRA to avoid both the earnings test issues and the permanent reduction.
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Mason Kaczka
•That's a good point. My FRA is 67, so I'd be claiming 3 years early. I've been debating this for a while. My health isn't great (heart issues), so I'm leaning toward taking it earlier rather than waiting. Family history isn't promising for longevity either. But I do have decent savings, so I could wait if the math really favored it.
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Grace Lee
•With health concerns, taking it earlier often makes sense. My financial advisor showed me that the break-even point is typically around age 80-82. If you don't expect to reach that age due to health issues, claiming earlier is usually the better financial choice. Just make sure you understand that at 64, you'll get approximately 20% less than your full benefit amount permanently.
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