I work as a benefits counselor and see this situation frequently. The key issue is likely in how they're applying the deeming formula with your ineligible child. Here's what should happen: Your $1,640 SSDI gets the $20 general income exclusion, making it $1,620. Then they subtract the ineligible child allocation of $471, leaving $1,149 as deemed income to your wife. Her SSI should be $943 (individual rate) minus this $1,149, which would indeed zero out her benefits. However, if you're in a state with an SSI supplement, the calculation might be different. Also double-check that they're not mistakenly using the couple rate ($1,415) instead of the individual rate for her potential payment. The fact that your math shows she should get $200 suggests there might be an error in their calculation or they have incorrect household information on file.

I've been through a similar situation when my spouse started receiving SSDI. One thing that really helped us was requesting what's called a "manual computation" from SSA - basically asking them to recalculate everything step by step while you're there or on the phone. Sometimes their automated systems don't properly account for all the exclusions and allocations, especially the ineligible child piece. Also, make sure they know your exact living situation. If you rent vs own your home, or if there have been any changes in your household composition since your wife first applied for SSI, that could affect the calculation. The representative I worked with found that they had outdated information about our rent amount, which was throwing off the entire computation. Don't give up - even if the math works out that she's technically ineligible now, there might be other factors or exclusions that should apply to your situation. Michigan does have some state supplemental payments in certain circumstances, so definitely mention that when you call.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ethan. I went through this exact same situation when my stepfather passed in January of last year. What ultimately worked for me was calling the SSA 800 number very early in the morning (around 7:30 AM EST when they first open) - the wait times were much shorter then, usually 15-20 minutes instead of the hour+ waits later in the day. When I finally got through, they were able to process my request over the phone since I had his SSN, death certificate number, and could verify other details about him. They mailed the replacement 1099 and I received it about 10 days later. The key is calling right when they open - I had to try a few mornings but it was so much better than the afternoon nightmare waits. Also, make sure you have all his information ready (full name, SSN, date of death, your relationship to him) because they'll verify everything before processing the request. Hang in there - dealing with all this paperwork while grieving is incredibly stressful.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Ethan. I went through something similar when my father passed away last spring. What worked for me was actually going to the SSA office in person with an appointment - I was able to get one online pretty easily. I brought his death certificate, my executor paperwork, and a copy of his ID, and they were able to print out his SSA-1099 right there on the spot. It took about 45 minutes total including wait time, but it was so much better than the phone runaround. The staff there seemed much more helpful in person than over the phone. I'd definitely recommend trying that route if you have a local office nearby. Also, don't stress too much about the timing - even if you have to file an extension, you're dealing with a lot right now and the IRS understands that estate situations can be complicated. Wishing you the best getting this resolved.

To clarify a bit more about the RIB-LIM (Retirement Insurance Benefit Limit) that I mentioned earlier: If your husband would have received reduced benefits due to claiming before his FRA, there's a special provision that limits your survivor benefit to the larger of: 1. The reduced benefit amount he would have received 2. 82.5% of his Primary Insurance Amount (his unreduced benefit at FRA) This 82.5% figure might explain the 21% difference you're seeing (it's relatively close to a 17.5% reduction). When you speak with SSA, specifically ask if the RIB-LIM provision is being applied to your estimate. This isn't something widely understood outside of SSA technicians who work with these calculations daily.

I went through something similar when I was trying to understand my potential survivor benefits. One thing that really helped me was getting a copy of my husband's complete earnings record from SSA (Form SSA-7050-F4). When I compared that to what they were using in their calculations, I found they had missed some of his military service credits from the 1980s that should have been included. Also, make sure they're using the correct "date of death" assumption in their projections. I noticed SSA was calculating my survivor benefits assuming my husband would pass away this year, but his statement projections assumed he'd work until age 67. That difference in assumed work years can significantly impact the final benefit amount. The other thing to double-check is whether you have any of your own Social Security benefits that might be affecting the calculation. Sometimes they'll show you a "net" amount after considering spousal benefit coordination rather than the raw survivor benefit amount.

As a federal employee who recently navigated this same decision, I wanted to share a few additional considerations that might be helpful. Since you mentioned working 35+ years, you should also think about whether those years included any government service where you paid into a pension system instead of Social Security - this could trigger the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO) rules that might reduce your benefits. Also, one strategy worth considering: since your husband is 59 and still working, you might want to model what happens if you claim your benefits now at 63, but then he retires early (say at 62) and claims his benefits early too. Sometimes couples find that having both people claim early works better financially than having one person wait, especially when you factor in the years of additional income you'd receive. The other thing I'd suggest is running the numbers on what your break-even age would be - at what age would waiting until 67 finally "pay off" compared to claiming at 63. Given that your husband will have income to support you both, you have more flexibility in this decision than someone who desperately needs the income right away. Just make sure you're making the choice based on your complete financial picture, not just the monthly benefit amount!

I wanted to chime in as someone who works in retirement planning - this thread has covered the key points really well! Just to summarize the main takeaways for Andre: 1) Your husband's income will NOT affect your SS earnings test or benefit amount, 2) It WILL likely make 85% of your benefits taxable since your combined income will exceed $44,000, and 3) You'll need to plan for the tax impact through withholding or quarterly payments. One small addition - since you stopped working last year, make sure you understand how that will affect your benefit calculation. SS uses your highest 35 years of earnings, so if you had any very low or zero earning years early in your career, that recent year of zero earnings might actually help your calculation by dropping out an even lower year. You can see this on your ssa.gov statement. Also, given all the great advice here about Roth conversions and coordinated claiming strategies, you might want to consider getting a comprehensive Social Security analysis done before you decide. The $200-300 cost for a professional analysis could potentially save you thousands over your lifetime if there's a better strategy you haven't considered. Best of luck with your decision!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some additional resources that might help with your mom's situation. After reading through this thread and seeing all the great advice about tax refund exclusions and burial funds, I wanted to mention that many states also have SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselors who can help navigate Medicare/Medicaid issues for free. Also, if your mom qualifies for the burial fund exclusion and tax refund exclusion as discussed, make sure to ask SSA to document both exclusions in writing in her file. This can prevent similar issues if she receives tax refunds or other one-time payments in the future. One thing I learned from helping my neighbor with a similar SSI resource issue is that SSA sometimes makes calculation errors, especially when multiple exclusions apply. Don't hesitate to ask them to walk through their math step-by-step to make sure they're applying all the exclusions correctly. The combination of the tax refund exclusion ($1,420) and potential burial fund designation ($1,200) should definitely get her well under the $2,000 limit. Good luck at the SSA office tomorrow - it sounds like you're going in well-prepared with all the documentation and knowledge from this helpful community!

Welcome to the community! I'm new here too but have been reading through all the helpful advice in this thread. Your situation with your mom's SSI Medicaid termination notice sounds really stressful, but it's encouraging to see so many people who have successfully navigated similar resource limit issues. Based on everything shared here, it sounds like you have a really strong case with the tax refund exclusion and burial fund designation. The math works out well in your favor too - if you can get $1,420 excluded for the tax refund and $1,200 for the burial fund, that leaves only $630 in countable resources, which is well under the $2,000 limit. I don't have personal experience with this specific situation, but I wanted to add that when dealing with any government benefits office, it can really help to stay calm and organized even when you're feeling panicked inside. Having all your documentation ready and being able to clearly explain the exclusions you're requesting will make the process smoother. Best of luck at the SSA office tomorrow! This community has shown me there are so many knowledgeable people who have been through these challenges and come out successfully on the other side. Please do update us on how it goes - I'm sure your experience will help other families facing similar situations in the future.