One thing to add that might help with your planning - you can actually see how your benefit estimate changes by using the retirement estimator on ssa.gov and plugging in different retirement ages. It will show you the projected benefit at 62, full retirement age (67), and 70. While it won't show you exactly which years are being used in the calculation, it does factor in the assumption that you'll keep earning at your current level until the retirement age you select. This can give you a clearer picture of how much those extra working years might benefit you financially.

Just wanted to add something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you had any years where you earned above the Social Security wage base (the maximum amount subject to SS taxes), those years might be more valuable than you think. For example, in 2023 the wage base was $160,200. If you earned more than that in any year, only the wage base amount counts for SS purposes, but it still gets the full inflation indexing when they calculate your benefit. So a year where you earned $160,200 in 2023 might actually be worth more in the calculation than a year where you earned $180,000 but the excess didn't count for SS. Just something to keep in mind when estimating which of your years will make the top 35!

I'm new to navigating SSI benefits and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My 23-year-old brother has autism and we've been struggling with similar issues. He's currently getting about $620/month instead of the full amount, and after reading all these responses, I realize we've probably been doing the household expense calculations all wrong. A couple of questions for those who've been through this process: 1. When calculating food expenses, do you include things like eating out occasionally or just groceries? 2. For utilities, what about subscription services like streaming that the whole family uses - can those be included? 3. How often does SSA typically review these arrangements once you get them set up properly? I'm going to start putting together a spreadsheet like several of you suggested, but want to make sure I'm including the right categories from the beginning. It's so overwhelming trying to figure out all these rules, but seeing that other families have successfully navigated this gives me hope we can get my brother the full benefits he's entitled to receive. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this community is amazing!

Just wanted to add something that helped us tremendously - when documenting your son's payments for household expenses, make sure the bank transfer descriptions are very specific. Instead of just "rent" or "household," we use descriptions like "1/3 household expenses per SSA guidelines" or "pro-rata share mortgage/utilities/food." Our caseworker mentioned this level of detail in the transaction descriptions made their review much smoother because it was immediately clear what the payments were for and that we understood the SSA requirements. It's a small thing, but every bit helps when dealing with their reviews! Also, if your son has a representative payee account, double-check with your bank about any restrictions on transfers between accounts. Some banks flag frequent transfers between payee accounts and personal accounts, so it's worth discussing the arrangement with them upfront to avoid any holds or questions later.

I'm new to this community and Social Security in general, but this thread has been incredibly educational! I'm still several years away from retirement, but seeing all the complexities around spousal benefits makes me realize I need to start planning much earlier than I thought. One question for those who've been through this - is there a good resource or guide that walks through all these scenarios before you actually need to apply? It seems like there are so many nuances (like the FRA vs age 70 calculation differences, IRMAA implications, etc.) that would be helpful to understand ahead of time rather than figuring it out during the application process. Also, for someone like Roger who did such a great job delaying until 70 for the maximum benefit - any tips on how you managed financially during those extra years between your full retirement age and 70? That's something I'm trying to plan for myself.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's also navigating Social Security planning, I wanted to chime in on the resources question. In addition to the SSA website and AARP resources mentioned, I've found the book "Social Security For Dummies" to be really helpful for understanding all these scenarios in plain language. It covers spousal benefits, survivor benefits, and timing strategies in detail. For the financial bridge between FRA and 70, one strategy I've seen recommended is the "Social Security bridge" approach - using other retirement savings (like 401k or IRA withdrawals) during those years to let your Social Security benefit grow by 8% per year. Some people also consider Roth IRA conversions during this period since they might be in a lower tax bracket before Social Security kicks in. The key is starting this planning early like you're doing! Most financial advisors recommend running scenarios starting at least 5-10 years before your FRA to see what works best for your specific situation. It's complicated stuff, but getting it right can make a huge difference in your total retirement income.

This has been such an enlightening discussion! I'm not in this exact situation yet, but as a federal employee who's been paying into Social Security for years, I'm bookmarking this entire thread for future reference. What strikes me most is how the system seems designed to create confusion - you'd think there would be clear, standardized training for SSA representatives on how federal retirement benefits interact with Social Security programs. Instead, we're seeing people get wildly different answers from the same agency. The practical advice here is gold: bring documentation, ask for experienced staff, get everything in writing, and don't take the first "no" as final. I'm particularly grateful to @AstroAlpha for the insider perspective - it really helps to know that the benefits CAN coexist and that the issue is mainly staff knowledge gaps rather than actual policy conflicts. For those going through this process, you're not just helping yourselves by being persistent - you're also potentially educating SSA staff for the next person who walks in with the same situation. Keep fighting for accurate information!

This thread has been absolutely incredible! As a FERS retiree who went through a similar situation about 3 years ago, I can confirm everything that's been shared here. The key really is persistence and documentation. I wanted to add one more tip that helped me immensely: when I went to my SSA appointment, I actually printed out the relevant sections from the OPM website that explain the FERS Special Retirement Supplement and brought those with me. Having the official government explanation of what the supplement IS (and importantly, what it ISN'T - i.e., not actual Social Security) really helped the representative understand why there was no conflict. Also, for those worried about the process - once everything was properly documented and set up, I've had zero issues with both payments coming through reliably each month. The systems really don't talk to each other, which can be frustrating during setup but actually works in your favor once everything is running smoothly. @Oliver Zimmermann - you're asking all the right questions and taking the right approach. Don't let the initial confusion discourage you - you ARE entitled to both benefits, and with proper documentation and persistence, you'll get it sorted out. Looking forward to hearing how your appointment goes!

Bottom line: Stay on SSDI until your Full Retirement Age (67). At that point, your SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits at the same amount. If you want to try working before then, use the work incentives designed for SSDI recipients (Trial Work Period, etc.) rather than switching to early retirement. The permanent reduction from taking early retirement almost never makes financial sense for someone already receiving SSDI.

Just wanted to add another important consideration - if you do decide to explore work options while on SSDI, make sure to keep detailed records of ALL your earnings and work activities. The SSA uses something called "countable income" which isn't always the same as what you actually receive. For example, if you're self-employed, they look at your net earnings from self-employment after business expenses. Also, some types of income don't count toward the SGA limit (like certain disability-related work expenses). I learned this the hard way when I had to provide documentation going back months during a review. Having everything organized from day one makes the process much smoother if you get questioned later.