To better understand your timeline, did you receive a notice about exceeding SGA before the payments stopped, or did you only find out when the payment didn't arrive? Also, did you submit your appeal within 10 days of receiving the notice? That can affect whether you receive continuation of benefits during the appeal versus having to wait for provisional payments.

Update: I finally got through to someone at SSA after being on hold for 2 hours. They said my provisional payments should start within the next 2-3 weeks and that my case has been assigned to an examiner for review. Feeling a bit relieved but still worried about making it until then. Thanks everyone for the advice and support!

My sister had this exact problem!!! She applied in November for January benefits and randomly got a letter in mid-December with all the details. Have you checked your actual mailbox? Sometimes they send paper mail and don't update the online system at all. So annoying how they can't get their systems working together in 2025!

Just to wrap this up with clear action items: 1. Your first payment will come in February for January benefits 2. With a birth date on the 17th, you'll be paid on the third Wednesday of February 3. The award letter should arrive 2-3 weeks before your first payment 4. If you need to know your exact amount before then, you'll need to speak with an SSA representative 5. Your benefit will be your PIA minus Medicare premium ($174.70 standard for 2025) minus tax withholding (percentage you selected on W-4V) If you don't receive an award letter by mid-January, I'd definitely recommend making more attempts to contact SSA directly.

Wait isn't there some kinda rule about collecting early if you take care of children?? My cousin did that but maybe that's different

One more technical detail - since your ex is 62 but still working, be aware that even if you become eligible for divorced spouse benefits at 62, the amount might be affected by the family maximum benefit (FMB) if your ex has other current dependents receiving benefits on his record (like a new spouse or minor children). This wouldn't reduce your benefit if he's not yet collecting, but it's something to be aware of for future planning.

my situation was totaly differnet they told me i couldnt get my husbands benefit even tho it was higher because of something called GPO and WEP because i had a pension from teaching!!!! so make sure you dont have any pensions that could affect things, the rules are not the same for everyone and its SO UNFAIR!!!!

why is everyone making this so complicated?? just take the higher benefit lol. thats what my mom did when my dad died, she just called them up and got his payment instead of hers. simple.

when my wife got disability for her back and diabetes she had to get statements from EVERY doctor and they all had to agree she couldnt work. make sure all his doctors are on the same page!!! also SSI and SSDI are different things. SSDI is based on his work credits and SSI is for people with no assets. he might qualify for both until SSDI kicks in since hes living with your mom and has no assets

You mentioned your brother's FMLA ends in March. He should immediately have a conversation with his HR department about accommodations under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) which might provide additional job protection beyond FMLA. Regarding getting representation: while you can start the application process yourself online at ssa.gov, having a disability attorney from the beginning often results in stronger initial applications. Most disability lawyers offer free consultations. Look for attorneys who specialize specifically in Social Security disability (not just general personal injury), preferably ones who are members of NOSSCR (National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives).

One final thought that might be relevant - if your sister was receiving disability benefits (SSDI) or was eligible for them, the rules would be slightly different. Disabled surviving divorced spouses can claim as early as age 50. Also, if she was within 3 months of 62, there's a possibility of retroactive benefits for up to 6 months (though not before age 60 for survivors).These are edge cases, but I mention them because sometimes these details matter in complex situations. The SSA doesn't always volunteer this information, which is why it's so important to speak with someone who knows all the nuances of the system.

Excellent point about disability. Also worth noting that if the sister was receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income), survivor benefits would have reduced or eliminated the SSI payment, but likely would have resulted in higher total income. These interactions between different benefit programs can be complex, which is another reason the SSA should be more proactive about informing potential beneficiaries.

Here's a key detail that often gets overlooked: The way the GPO is applied can sometimes seem like they're ignoring your spouse's work history, when that's not exactly what's happening. Your survivor benefit is first calculated based on your husband's full earning record (including all those manufacturing years). Then, that amount is reduced by 2/3 of your teacher's pension. If your pension is large enough, this can reduce your survivor benefit to zero, making it appear as if his work history wasn't counted at all. For example, if your calculated survivor benefit was $1,800/month based on his full history, but your teacher pension is $3,000/month, the GPO reduction would be $2,000 (2/3 of $3,000), reducing your survivor benefit to $0. This makes it seem like his work history didn't count, when it was actually used in the initial calculation.

I used to work for SSA, and I can tell you that mixed employment cases like yours are among the most complex. Here's what might have happened: 1. Your husband's Social Security benefit was calculated based on ALL his covered employment (manufacturing years) 2. If he had fewer than 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the WEP reduced his benefit 3. When you applied for survivor benefits, you received a percentage of his already-reduced benefit 4. The GPO then further reduced that amount based on 2/3 of your teacher's pension If the Social Security Fairness Act passes, both reductions would be eliminated, potentially increasing your benefit significantly. Until then, I strongly recommend requesting a detailed breakdown of your benefit calculation to ensure no errors were made. Sometimes earnings years are missing from the record or calculations are applied incorrectly.

wait so can u save any of the money for them? like for college??

my sister got in big trouble for using her kids benefits on a family vacation. they said since it wasn't JUST for the kid it wasn't allowed. be careful with stuff the whole family uses

i heard socal offices are super backed up right now because of all the boomers retiring. my dad had to wait 5 months for his application to process last year but that was for ssdi not retirement

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! Based on what I'm hearing, I'll plan to submit my application in June 2025 for my October start date (4 months ahead). I'll make sure I have all my documents ready and will do the application online. And I appreciate the tip about possibly starting in September instead of October - that makes a lot of sense. If I run into any issues with reaching a representative, I'll check out that Claimyr service. This has been incredibly helpful!

my aunt got survior benefets and she said you have to do it 6 months ahead but she might be wrong lol

Update: I finally got through to SSA this morning! I took the advice about calling right when they open (7 AM in my time zone) and only waited about 20 minutes. The representative confirmed I'm not too late for January benefits and helped me submit my application. She did transfer me to a specialist for my WEP/GPO questions, and I learned my survivor benefit will be reduced by about $570 due to my husband's government pension. Not great news, but at least I know what to expect now. Thank you all for your help and suggestions! What a relief to have this submitted finally.