Regarding your question about employer health insurance contributions being counted as income: Unfortunately, if it's included in Box 1 of your W-2 as taxable wages, SSA will count it toward the earnings test. However, there might be a solution. You mentioned these are Marketplace plans - typically employer contributions to Marketplace plans shouldn't be included as taxable income if it's a qualified benefit under a Section 125 cafeteria plan. You may want to speak with your employer's HR department or a tax professional about whether your W-2 is being prepared correctly. If it's being reported incorrectly, getting this fixed could reduce your countable income by $7,500, which would save you about $3,750 in benefits that would otherwise be withheld due to the earnings test ($1 reduction for every $2 over the limit).

i saw someone else ask about the family max and the worker at ssa told them the max is different for survivors than for retirement! did u know that?? for survivors its like 180% of the basic benefit sometimes not the 150% they usually say

Update: I went to my local SSA office today and spoke with a claims representative. She said my divorce decree plus tax returns should be sufficient evidence, but she also gave me the SSA-754 form mentioned earlier to complete just to strengthen my case. She said as long as my divorce decree specifies the date and length of marriage (which it does), I should be fine. Thanks everyone for your help! Such a relief knowing I'm not the only one who's faced this issue.

That's great news! Make sure to keep copies of everything you submit, and get the name of any representatives you speak with. If you run into any issues, don't hesitate to ask to speak with a technical expert or supervisor who might be more familiar with the secondary evidence rules. Good luck with your application!

My neighbor who also gets survivors benefits told me they sometimes do these little adjustments at the beginning of the year or after tax season. Something about recalculations? But the fact that there's no explanation is typical government inefficiency if you ask me!! They expect us to document EVERYTHING but then send random money with zero explanation!

Just to add a bit more clarity - these small adjustment payments are fairly common with survivor benefits specifically. When a person passes away, sometimes there are wage reports or earnings updates that come in months or even a year later. When that happens, SSA automatically recalculates the benefit amount based on the updated earnings record. If the recalculation shows you were owed a small additional amount, they'll issue a one-time payment like you received. For amounts under a certain threshold (I believe it's around $120-150), they often don't generate a letter to save on administrative costs. You could request an official explanation called a "BPQY" (Benefits Planning Query) which would show the exact reason, but honestly for $100 it might not be worth the hassle.

@casual_commenter - Yes, Claimyr absolutely works. My call was connected to SSA in under 15 minutes after trying for days on my own. Saved my sanity during my disability application process.

@OP - Regarding your question about your Quebec marriage certificate being in French and English: The English portion should be sufficient for SSA purposes. However, if the certificate is predominantly in French with just some English elements, having a certified translation ready might save time. SSA may accept it as is, but they could request a translation if they have difficulty verifying details. Also, since your wife worked in a non-covered position (teacher's aide in a district not participating in Social Security), she may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) if she receives a pension from that employment. This could affect both her own benefits and any spousal benefits. Be sure to mention this when applying.

@user7 Yes, Claimyr worked for me after spending weeks trying to get through myself. It's not free, but considering I was spending hours redialing and waiting on hold, it was worth it for me. Managed to finally sort out my spousal benefit situation because of it.

UPDATE: I called this morning and used the terms you all suggested. Asked specifically about "excess spousal benefits" and "dual entitlement" while keeping my own record. The representative seemed to understand right away! She looked up my case and said there was confusion because I had checked the wrong box on a previous form which made it look like I wanted to switch to spousal benefits completely. She's sending me a new form to fill out, and she made notes in my file about what I'm actually requesting. I also asked to see the calculation once they do it to make sure everything is correct. Thank you all so much for the correct terminology! I feel much more confident now that they understand what I'm asking for.

My spouse started claiming at 63 while still working part-time, just like you. After two years of additional work, her monthly check increased by about $45/month. Not life-changing but definitely adds up over time!

careful with the earnings limit!!!!! my brother went over by like $3000 and they took back a bunch of his benefits. big mess to fix

My cousin filled out the form wrong n said yes when it wasnt her pension and they reduced her benefits by like $600/month!!! Took her 8 months to fix it and get backpay!! Be super careful how u answer!!

Update for 2025: Just to add some important context, the WEP and GPO rules haven't changed in the recent legislation. The question "are you collecting a pension based on your own employment?" specifically refers to YOUR employment where YOU didn't pay Social Security taxes. The key phrases are "your own employment" and work where "Social Security taxes were not taken out of your pay." Since your situation involves your ex-spouse's employment, not yours, you should answer "No" to this question.

To address some confusion in this thread: 1. You must complete Form SSA-521 for a withdrawal of application 2. You must repay ALL benefits received (including any Medicare premiums) 3. The withdrawal must be completed within 12 months of your entitlement date 4. You can only withdraw once in your lifetime 5. Email is not an official communication method for time-sensitive matters with SSA Once processed, it will be as if you never filed. Your future benefit amount will be calculated based on your age when you actually apply. This is different from "suspending" benefits, which is another option after you reach Full Retirement Age.

If you're still working, this is definitely the right move. Not only will your benefit amount increase by approximately 8% for each year you delay (between FRA and 70), but continuing to work might increase your Primary Insurance Amount by replacing lower-earning years in your calculation. Double benefit! Once you've handled the withdrawal paperwork, I'd recommend scheduling a benefits planning session with SSA when you're about 6 months from your actual retirement date. They can help you coordinate everything properly.

Just wanted to follow up that after someone above asked - yes that Claimyr service I mentioned really does work. I was skeptical too, but after spending literally 6+ hours trying to reach someone about my father's death benefits, I was desperate. Got connected in about 8 minutes. The agent said they're seeing huge call volumes right now, which explains why it's so hard to get through the normal way.

After you become the representative payee, make sure you keep good records of how you spend the benefit money. The SSA requires an annual accounting, and they can audit you. Open a separate bank account for the benefit money if possible - it makes tracking much easier. The money should be used for your niece's food, housing, clothes, education, medical needs, and recreation. Also, when your niece turns 17, start planning for the benefit end date. Many families don't prepare for this cut-off and it can cause financial strain.

One more important point about your Roth conversion strategy: remember that the SECURE 2.0 Act changed some RMD rules, which might affect your long-term planning. Starting in 2024, RMDs now begin at age 73 (up from 72), and in 2033, they'll start at age 75. This gives you more flexibility for Roth conversions before mandatory withdrawals kick in from your traditional accounts.

just to clarify I said 2023/2024 earlier but I mean't 2022/2023... I have covid brain fog today lol