what happens if ex husband dies? do u get survivors benefits or stay with the 50%?

As someone who works at a local SSA office, I can confirm most of the advice here is spot-on! Just want to add a few practical tips for your appointment next week: 1) Bring your divorce decree and marriage certificate if you have them - it speeds up the process significantly 2) Be very specific about wanting to file a "restricted application for auxiliary benefits only" - use those exact words 3) Ask them to put a note in your file about switching to your own benefit at age 70, so there's no confusion later Also, don't be surprised if the first representative you speak with isn't familiar with restricted applications - it's becoming less common as fewer people are eligible. If they seem confused, politely ask to speak with a supervisor or someone more experienced with these types of claims. The strategy you're using is perfectly legitimate and one of the smartest moves you can make given your situation. You'll essentially get 3 years of "free" money while your own benefit continues to grow with delayed retirement credits!

btw when u actually apply for SS make sure to check ur estimated benefit on the mySocialSecurity website bc sometimes they mess up the calculations.

Just want to add another perspective here - I'm a retired federal employee and went through something similar when I withdrew from my TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) for home improvements. The SSA treats TSP withdrawals exactly the same as IRA/401k withdrawals - no impact on Social Security benefits at all. What really helped me was getting everything in writing from SSA. When I had questions, I submitted them through the secure messaging on the mySocialSecurity website rather than calling. That way I had documentation of their responses. Might be worth doing if you want extra peace of mind about your situation. Sounds like you made a smart financial decision for your home purchase - don't let the worry overshadow that accomplishment!

Just make sure ur reporting ur earnings correctly throughout the year. SSA does these 'reconciliations' where they check what u told them against ur actual earnings. I had a friend who got hit with a huge overpayment notice because he didn't report some income and went over the limit. What a mess!!!! Better to tell them about any changes in ur income right away.

I just want to add a word of caution here - while the advice about 401k contributions reducing your countable earnings for the Social Security earnings test is correct, make sure you understand the timing implications. Since you're doing 1099 consulting work, you'll likely need to make quarterly estimated tax payments AND quarterly retirement contributions to stay consistent throughout the year. Don't wait until December to dump $4,000 into a Solo 401k - spread it out so your net earnings stay below the limit each quarter. Also, remember that with self-employment income, you can deduct half of your self-employment tax as well, which further reduces your countable earnings. I'd strongly recommend working with both a tax professional and calling SSA (or using that Claimyr service someone mentioned) to verify your specific situation before you start drawing benefits.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned so much: - It's 35 highest years, not 6 (big relief!) - I need to pay 15.3% self-employment tax and should make quarterly payments - At my FRA (67), there's no earnings limit - I might want to look into waiting until 70 to maximize benefits - I should open a Solo 401(k) or SEP IRA to reduce my overall tax burden I've created my SSA.gov account and am shocked to see my earnings record going back to my first job! I think I'll try that Claimyr service to ask specific questions about my situation. And definitely hiring an accountant before my first quarterly tax payment is due. Thanks again everyone - this has been incredibly helpful for a newbie like me!

Welcome to the self-employment world! I made the same transition 3 years ago and can share a few practical tips that helped me: 1) Open a separate business checking account immediately if you haven't already. This makes tracking income/expenses for Schedule SE much easier. 2) Set aside 25-30% of each payment you receive for taxes (not just the 15.3% SE tax, but also income tax). I use a high-yield savings account for this. 3) Consider paying quarterly estimated taxes to avoid a big surprise bill. The IRS has a safe harbor rule - if you pay 100% of last year's tax liability through estimated payments, you won't owe penalties even if you owe more at filing. 4) Keep detailed records of ALL business expenses - home office, internet, phone, equipment, etc. These reduce your net self-employment income, which reduces both your SE tax AND your income tax. One thing I wish I'd known earlier: you can actually contribute more to retirement accounts as self-employed than you could as a W-2 employee, which helps offset that higher tax burden. The Solo 401(k) limits for 2024 are $69,000 total ($76,500 if you're 50+). Good luck with the transition!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating situation right now! Been trying to get my Social Security retirement benefits processed through the Manila FBU for almost 2 months at age 68, and it's been an absolute nightmare. The phone system is completely broken - I've called during their supposed "office hours" at least 15 times and never once reached a human being. This thread is pure gold! I'm taking screenshots of every strategy mentioned here. The combination of @Jamal Wilson's urgent email format, @Ayla Kumar's congressional inquiry approach, @Mei Chen's ACS contact method, @Michael Green's VPN tip for MySocialSecurity setup, @Alexis Renard's fax number, and @GalaxyGlider's main SSA customer service backup plan gives me so much hope. I'm particularly worried because I'm already well past my FRA and feel like I'm losing money every day this drags on. But reading that multiple people here eventually succeeded with full retroactive payments is incredibly reassuring. One additional tip I discovered: If you have any military connections (active duty, veterans, or DoD civilian employees), they sometimes have access to expedited federal benefits processing channels through their personnel offices. My brother-in-law is retired Navy and is looking into this angle for me. Planning to implement the complete multi-channel strategy starting tomorrow: urgent weekly emails to FBU.Manila@ssa.gov with proper formatting, congressional inquiry through my former district in Texas, MySocialSecurity account setup using VPN, fax backup to 632-301-2017, calls to main SSA line, and maybe even a respectful Facebook post if needed. It's absolutely ridiculous that American citizens need a comprehensive battle plan just to access benefits we've paid into for decades! But thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this thread has become the definitive survival guide for Manila FBU hell. Will definitely update with results!

I'm going through this exact same frustrating experience right now! Been trying to get my retirement benefits processed through Manila for about 8 weeks at age 65, and it's been absolutely maddening. The phone system is completely broken - I've called during their "office hours" countless times and never once reached a human. This thread is incredible - it's like finding the ultimate survival guide for Manila FBU hell! I'm taking screenshots of every strategy mentioned: the urgent email formats, congressional inquiry approach, ACS contact method, VPN tips for MySocialSecurity, the fax number, main SSA backup calls, military connections, and expat Facebook group networks. I'm particularly anxious because I feel like I'm losing potential benefits every month this drags on, but reading about everyone's eventual success with retroactive payments gives me hope. One additional resource I found: The SSA's Office of the Inspector General has a hotline (1-800-269-0271) specifically for reporting problems with SSA services. While it won't directly process your application, filing a complaint there about the Manila FBU's non-responsive phone system and email delays creates an official record of these systemic issues. Planning to implement the full multi-channel strategy starting Monday: urgent weekly emails to FBU.Manila@ssa.gov with proper formatting, congressional inquiry through my former district, MySocialSecurity account setup with VPN, fax backup, calls to main SSA line, and OIG complaint. It's ridiculous that we need military-level planning just to access benefits we've earned, but this community is amazing for helping each other navigate this bureaucratic nightmare. Will definitely update with results - hopefully we can add another success story to help future expats!