Something important that nobody mentioned yet: as a self-employed person, Social Security also looks at your "hours worked" not just your income. If you spend "significant" time on your business (SSA considers 45+ hours/month significant), they might determine you're not entitled to benefits regardless of income level. This is separate from the earnings test. Many Etsy sellers don't realize this and get caught in overpayment situations. You should document your work hours carefully.

This is a common mistake I see people make - they don't realize that with self-employment what counts is what you TAKE HOME after business expenses. My sister-in-law was selling on Amazon and worried about going over the limit but after we sat down and calculated her actual NET income (after all the fees, supplies, shipping, etc) she was way under the limit. Just make sure you can document all your expenses if they ever ask!

My cousin went through this last year. She has been married 3 times and they ended up requesting her marriage certificate from her first marriage from 1982! Took her forever to track it down. Better to be honest upfront.

One additional note - when you list your marriages on the application, you'll need to provide information about how each marriage ended (divorce, annulment, death). For divorces, they'll want the date and place. Don't worry if you don't remember exact dates - estimating the month and year is usually sufficient, though having the divorce decrees on hand is ideal. If you're applying online, you can scan and upload any documents you have, or bring them to a local SSA office if you're applying in person.

smart move man better safe than sorry with these govt agencies

One additional tip: keep detailed records of your communication with SSA. Note the date and time of your call, the name of the representative you speak with, and request a confirmation number for the report. This documentation can be invaluable if there's ever a question about whether you properly reported your earnings change. If possible, follow up your phone call with a written statement through your my Social Security account or by mail (certified mail with return receipt).

I'm so confused about all this. Is WEP the same as GPO? My husband has a pension from his county job but I worked regular jobs all my life. Will my SS be reduced too? Sorry if this is a dumb question, just trying to figure this all out before we retire next year.

To answer your original question more specifically, here's how to see what your benefit would be without WEP: 1. Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office 2. Request a "Detailed Earnings Query" and a "WEP Computation" 3. The WEP Computation will show your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) both before and after the WEP reduction 4. Ask them to explain which years counted as "substantial earnings" toward reducing your WEP penalty With 22 years of substantial earnings in Social Security-covered employment, your WEP reduction should be 90% of the maximum reduction (which is $647 in 2025). So instead of losing $647, you would lose about $582 per month. However, if some of those 22 years didn't meet the substantial earnings threshold for their respective years, the calculation would be different.

One other important thing to consider - since you're taking widow benefits before your FRA, you're receiving a permanently reduced amount. Have you considered whether it might be better to: 1. Wait until FRA for unreduced widow benefits, or 2. Take your own retirement at 62 and switch to widow's at FRA, or 3. Take widow's now and switch to your own at 70 The best strategy depends on your relative benefit amounts. SSA won't automatically give you the highest combination over your lifetime - you have to figure this out yourself.

After reviewing your complete situation: 1. For the earnings test, you're on the right track using the monthly test in your first year 2. Your strategy of taking reduced widow benefits now and switching to your own at 70 is actually optimal given the benefit amounts you've shared 3. For those vacation payouts, request Form SSA-131 (Employer Report of Special Wage Payments) from your employer to document that those payments were for work performed before your benefits began Keep all documentation showing your retirement date and submit the SSA-131 as soon as possible to avoid any incorrect application of the earnings test.

To address your original question about inflation and potential future cuts to Social Security - this is actually a reason that taking benefits now might make sense. Your benefit amount, once started, is protected and will receive COLA adjustments. The talk about "cuts" generally refers to future changes to the program for people who haven't started benefits yet, not reductions to benefits already being paid. Regarding inflation - once you start receiving benefits, you'll get the annual COLA increases. For 2025, the COLA is projected to be around 2.5-3.0% (though this isn't finalized). The fact that you're already 69 means you've already captured most of the delayed retirement credits. The difference between filing at 69 vs 70 is much smaller than, say, 62 vs 70. So don't feel like you're making a huge financial mistake by not waiting that final year, especially given your health challenges.

I just wanted to post a final update - I was able to get an appointment at my local SS office (had to wait 3 weeks!) and went through all the numbers in detail. I decided to take the retroactive payment after all. The lump sum is exactly $15,392 and reduces my monthly payment by $92 compared to filing without retroactivity. I've already set up a separate savings account for about 30% of it for potential taxes next year (thanks for that advice!). The remaining money will go toward medical treatments and paying off debt. Even with the permanently reduced monthly amount, I feel good about this decision given my current health and financial needs. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences and advice!

Another important detail: if you're still working at age 60 and claim survivor benefits, be aware of the earnings limit. In 2025, if you earn above approximately $22,750 (the exact amount gets adjusted annually), your survivor benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. This earnings test applies until you reach your FRA.

widow benefits r so confusing i just turned 59 and trying to figure out what to do next year. good luck to you hope u figure it out

The submit button should appear after you've completed the "Review and Submit" section. Sometimes it's not obvious that you need to click through one more screen. Also, check if you have any sections marked as "incomplete" on your application status page. The SSA online system won't let you submit if even one question is unanswered or one document is missing. If all else fails, you can schedule an appointment at your local office or call the main number (though be prepared for a long wait). The good news is that as long as you've started your application, your filing date is protected even if there's a delay in actually submitting it.

did u ever get this fixed?? im having the same problem now lol

wait i'm confused now. are you still working at 70? cuz if you are that can mess up your benefits depending on how much you make

So sorry about your husband passing away so young. My sister has survivor benefits too and she said the SSA office people were really helpful explaining all her options when she turned 70. Hope everything works out for you!

my condolences to ur mom. i went thru something similar when my husband passed in 2020. I was already 79 at that time and had no problems getting survivors benefits. they actually automatically switched me over when they processed the death certificate. maybe there's something unusual about your mom's situation? did she get any kind of special civil service pension or railroad benefits? those can complicate things with the WEP/GPO rules. or maybe your stepdad had been married before and there's an ex-spouse claiming on his record?

Update: I want to thank everyone for the advice. We called SSA again this morning (took almost 2 hours to get through!) and spoke with a different agent who confirmed mom IS eligible for survivor benefits. They're processing the change now and said she'll receive her husband's higher benefit amount going forward plus 12 months retroactive benefits. The agent couldn't explain why she was given incorrect information before, but we're just relieved it's being fixed now. We're also scheduling an in-person appointment to make sure everything is processed correctly. Thanks again for all your help - this will make such a difference for her financially!