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Just be careful about one other thing - if you have any vacation pay, sick leave payout, or bonuses paid after you stop working, those still count as earnings in the month you receive them! My husband got a lump sum payout of unused vacation in July after retiring in June and it pushed him over the monthly limit for July, so no benefits that month. Plan accordingly and maybe ask your employer if they can pay out any final amounts before you retire.
YES THIS! My brother almost got caught by this too! His company was gonna pay out his vacation in August but he asked them to pay it in June before he started getting SS. Smart thinking!!
One last important point about the earnings test: Once you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), the earnings test no longer applies. So this is only a temporary concern until you reach your FRA, at which point you can earn unlimited income without any reduction in benefits. And any benefits withheld due to the earnings test before FRA will result in a small permanent increase to your monthly benefit once you reach FRA.
That's great to know! My FRA is 67, so I still have a few years to go, but it's good to know there's a silver lining if I do lose some benefits to the earnings test.
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my uncle had everything process automatic 2 but then got letter 4 months later saying they overpaid him $3200!!! make sure u save some money just in case they come back later and say oops we made mistake
Oh no, that's concerning. I'll definitely keep that in mind and be careful about spending. Did your uncle have to pay it all back at once?
ya he did but i think u can set up payment plan if that happens 2 u. just saying be careful cuz SS makes mistakes sometimes
Just to provide a complete answer: The SSA automatically processes survivor benefits in situations where: 1. Both spouses were receiving benefits 2. The marriage is properly documented in SSA records 3. The death is reported through official channels (funeral homes, vital records) The process includes: - Payment of the one-time $255 death benefit - Adjustment to the higher of the two benefit amounts You should verify that your new monthly amount equals what your wife was receiving. If her benefit was higher than yours, you'll now receive that amount instead of your own benefit. The only reason you might need to contact SSA is if: - Your new benefit amount seems incorrect - You have eligible dependents who might qualify for survivor benefits - You need to update other information (banking, address, etc.) Otherwise, the automatic processing you experienced is working as designed and is becoming more common as SSA improves their systems.
Thank you for the detailed explanation. This is exactly what happened in my case - both conditions you mentioned were met, and the new amount does match what my wife was receiving. It's reassuring to know the system is working as designed.
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My friend waited until 70 to claim and said that was better than taking it at FRA even if you're still working. Is that true? I'm confused about all the different ages now.
The question about claiming at 70 vs. FRA is separate from the earnings limit question. Delaying from FRA (67) to 70 increases your benefit amount by 8% per year - so you'd get 24% more monthly if you wait until 70. Whether that's "better" depends on your personal situation, health, and financial needs. But regarding earnings: there's no limit after FRA regardless of whether you claim at 67 or 70. You can work and earn any amount without SS reductions once you reach FRA, no matter when you actually start your benefits.
I want to thank everyone for all this helpful information! I was really confused and worried about this, but now I understand that: 1. After reaching my FRA at 67, there is NO earnings limit whatsoever 2. I can take that promotion without any reduction to my SS benefits 3. The only consideration is that more income might mean more of my SS is taxable 4. I might even see my benefits increase slightly if my new earnings are higher This is a huge relief and helps me plan better. I think I'll go ahead with claiming at FRA and taking the promotion if offered!
Sounds like a great plan! And yes, you've summed it up perfectly. The earnings test disappears completely once you reach FRA. Best of luck with the promotion!
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Has anyone used one of those Social Security calculators online? I tried three different ones and got completely different answers!!! I don't know which one to trust!!!
The most accurate calculator is the one on the official SSA website (ssa.gov), but even that one has limitations. For a complete analysis of your specific situation, including the earnings test and taxation impacts, you might want to consult with a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning and Social Security claiming strategies. Many offer free initial consultations.
Thank you all for the incredibly helpful advice! After considering everything (especially the taxes, longevity in my family, and the permanent reduction), I'm leaning toward waiting until January to file as someone suggested. That gives me time to build up a bit more savings and reduces the total impact of claiming early. I'm going to try reaching out to SSA again for specific calculations based on my work record. The Claimyr service someone mentioned sounds worth trying after my frustrating attempts to get through. I'll also talk to a financial advisor about the tax implications and how this might affect my long-term financial picture. It's clearly more complex than I initially thought, and I want to make the best decision possible. Really appreciate all the insights from people who have been through this already!
Sounds like a solid plan! When I used Claimyr to reach SSA, I had specific questions ready about my earnings record and how the earnings test would apply in my case. The agent was able to calculate exactly what my benefit would be with the early claiming reduction and give me projections for different retirement dates. Definitely worth having all your questions organized before you call.
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my advisor told me something totally different! he said I should definitely wait until my husband claims at 70 because I'd get a bigger spousal benefit! now I'm wondering what else he got wrong...
Your advisor unfortunately gave you incorrect information about Social Security rules, which happens quite frequently even with otherwise good financial advisors. Social Security has very specific and sometimes counterintuitive rules. This is why it's always good to verify directly with SSA or check the specific rules on ssa.gov when making these important decisions. Consider asking your advisor where they got their information, as this is a fundamental misunderstanding of how spousal benefits work.
Here's another important factor to consider in your planning: If you claim your own benefits early (say at 62) and they're smaller than your potential spousal benefit, when your husband files at 70, you'll get a combination of benefits that equals the higher spousal amount. But since you claimed early, your spousal benefit will be permanently reduced based on YOUR age when you started receiving any benefits. So claiming early on your own record can permanently reduce your spousal benefits too.
I didn't realize that! So I need to consider not just his filing strategy but also how my own filing age affects the eventual spousal benefit. This is getting complicated, but I appreciate everyone's help. Seems like I should probably talk directly with SSA before making any decisions.
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I was in a similar situation! Worked retail for 10 yrs then got my engineering degree at 32 and started making real money. waited till 68 to file and YES those higher earning years definitely pushed out my early low-earning years. My benefit ended up being about $600/mo more than what the SSA calculator estimated when I was 62! Don't forget delayed retirement credits too - each year after FRA adds 8% to your benefit up to age 70.
This is misleading. The 8% per year delayed retirement credits and replacing low-earning years are two SEPARATE factors affecting your benefit. The increase you saw was from BOTH factors combined, not just from replacing early years. Important to understand they're different calculations.
Thank you all for the helpful replies! This is exactly the information I needed. I'm definitely going to check my earnings record carefully and may try to speak with an agent to get more personalized projections. It sounds like working longer will help my benefit in multiple ways - both by possibly replacing some low-earning years AND through the delayed retirement credits. I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this!
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When I got on disability, my lawyer told me to report EVERYTHING no matter what!! He said even if you think it doesn't count, tell them anyway because they'll find out eventually through tax records and then you'll be in big trouble! Better safe than sorry!!!!!!
Thank you everyone for the advice! I'm going to gather all my documentation showing when the work was actually performed and report these commissions right away. I'll make it clear that I haven't done any work since becoming disabled. It sounds like as long as I'm transparent and can prove when I earned the income, it shouldn't affect my benefits. I'm still nervous about dealing with SSA given all the horror stories, but at least I feel more prepared now.
That's the right approach. Document everything, be proactive, and keep copies of all your communication with SSA. I'd also recommend keeping a log of who you speak with (names and ID numbers if possible) and what they tell you. This will be invaluable if there's any confusion later.
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Just to offer another perspective - the SSA is COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED with applications right now specifically because of the Fairness Act changes. Thousands of government pensioners who previously wouldn't qualify for spousal benefits are now applying all at once. I work with several retired teachers who've been dealing with this exact situation. The system wasn't prepared for this volume of GPO-affected applications requiring manual review. The most efficient approach is to: 1. Wait 4 weeks from your original application date 2. If you haven't heard anything, try to speak with someone (good luck with that) 3. If you can't get through by phone, schedule an in-person appointment 4. Bring ALL documentation showing your pension amount, when it started, and proof of your marriage The specialists who handle these calculations are backlogged about 10-12 weeks right now, so patience is unfortunately necessary.
Thank you for explaining that. I had no idea they were so backlogged with these applications. That makes me feel a little better that it's not just my application getting lost. I'll try to be patient, but it's so frustrating not knowing if they're even processing it correctly.
My wife just went through this! Retired nurse with state pension applying for spousal on my record. Got the EXACT same email as you - the "not enough credits" one with no mention of spousal benefits. She panicked and reapplied which was a HUGE mistake!!! Basically reset the clock after already waiting 6 weeks. If I could offer one piece of advice: DO NOT REAPPLY! What worked for us was going to the local office in person. They confirmed her original application was being processed correctly despite the misleading email. Took another 5 weeks after that visit but she finally got approved last month.
That's really helpful to know. Was her benefit reduced a lot because of her pension? I'm trying to estimate what I might actually receive with the new rules.
Her pension is $3,100/month and she's getting about $490/month in spousal benefits. Under the old rules she would've gotten nothing, so we're actually thrilled! The calculation is complicated - depends on how much your pension is.
Will WEP/GPO repeal let my non-SS teacher sister-in-law claim 50% of husband's Social Security benefit?
Confused about WEP/GPO rules with this potential repeal talk going around. My sister-in-law never paid into Social Security (worked as a public school teacher for 32 years). Her financial advisor apparently told her that with the changes being discussed, she'll be able to claim 50% of her husband's Social Security even though she has no SS credits herself. Her husband is taking early retirement at 64 after being laid off from his job.I thought you had to qualify for SS benefits on your own record first, then possibly get topped up to 50% if your spouse's record was higher? My husband qualifies under both systems so he'll get some kind of top-up benefit, but I'm pretty sure my SIL's situation is different.Am I misunderstanding something about WEP/GPO repeal, or is her financial advisor giving her incorrect information? I don't want them making retirement decisions based on bad advice, but I'm not confident enough to correct them.
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My neighbor was in this exact situation (teacher married to private sector worker) and was told by their financial guy the repeal was
Ravi Patel
my nephew works for SS and says always wait till ur actual FRA month to file unless u really need the money now. something about actuarial calculations favoring the later date even if by just a month or 2.
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Natasha Petrova
•Your nephew is right about the actuarial calculations. Each month of retroactive benefits reduces the monthly amount by approximately 0.5%. While this sounds small, over a 20+ year retirement, that can add up to thousands of dollars. The break-even point (where waiting for the higher amount pays off) is typically around 10-12 years for most people.
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Emma Davis
To add some specific numbers to this discussion: If your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) at 67 is $3,000 for example, taking benefits 2 months early (November instead of January) would reduce it by about 1% to approximately $2,970 per month. That's $30 less every month for life. However, he would receive two extra payments of $2,970 (about $5,940 total). The break-even point would be around 198 months (16.5 years). If he lives longer than that, waiting until January would provide more lifetime benefits. Also remember that any future COLAs will be calculated on the lower base amount if he takes retroactive benefits. As others have suggested, getting the exact calculations from SSA for your specific situation is the best approach.
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Oliver Becker
•Thank you so much for doing that math! That really puts it in perspective. Since his family tends to be pretty long-lived (his parents both made it to their mid-90s), it probably makes more sense to wait for the January start date. I appreciate everyone's help with this decision!
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