To clarify the vacation pay question - yes, unused vacation payouts generally count for the earnings test in the month they're received, not earned. This is different from regular wages. If your final check includes substantial vacation payout and arrives in March, that portion could count against your March earnings limit. The distinction is: - Regular wages: Count when earned (February in your case) - Vacation/sick/bonus payouts: Count when received (March) If this is a concern, you might ask your employer if they can issue separate checks - one for final wages (can arrive in March) and another for vacation payout (ideally paid in February before benefits start).

One other thing nobody mentioned - if 2025 is your first year of retirement, you can use the monthly earnings test instead of the annual one. This means after you officially retire, you can make as much as you want for the remainder of the year before retirement, and then be limited to $1,860/month ($22,320 ÷ 12) for any month after retirement. This is a big advantage in the first year! After 2025, you'd be subject to the annual limit only.

My wife went thru this exact situation. Applied for disability at 63, took about 5 months to get approved (she has MS so pretty clear cut case). Main advantage was getting her income started again while preserving her full SS amount when she hit FRA. Just had her 66th birthday and the switch from SSDI to regular SS was automatic, same amount, no paperwork. Only hassle was all the medical documentation needed for initial application. Since you're financially ok might be worth the peace of mind to have your own income source again.

btw has anyone asked if ur even eligible for SSDI? you need to have worked enough in recent years to qualify - like 5 of last 10 yrs i think?

Thank you all for the extremely helpful responses! I've learned so much. Based on your advice, I'm going to: 1. Wait until I fully retire in 18 months before claiming any benefits to avoid the earnings test complications 2. Schedule an in-person appointment at my local SSA office to verify all this information 3. Get the details in writing about how survivor benefits would work in my specific situation It's such a relief to know the age gap won't reduce my survivor benefits. That was my biggest concern. And the warning about getting conflicting information from SSA reps is definitely noted - I'll make sure to document everything carefully.

just remebered something else - my neighbor said she had to provide marriage certificate when applying for survivor benifits. make sure u know where yours is! they are super strict about documentation

my neighbor worked for SSA for 30 years before retiring and she always told me they never actually skip payments unless theres a problem with eligibility. have you had any changes lately? new job? inheritance? moved? sometimes these trigger reviews and they hold payments

After reading through all your responses, I'm pretty sure this is a specific issue that needs direct SSA intervention. One possibility is that there was an unprocessed Change of Payment Address (even if you didn't change addresses), a bank account verification issue, or a routine eligibility review. These can sometimes result in a payment being held but not necessarily communicated clearly in your online account. Your March payment being scheduled suggests you're still eligible, which is good news. I would definitely prioritize speaking with an agent directly.

Theres a Facebook group called "Social Security Fairness" with over 100k members fighting for WEP/GPO repeal. They post regular updates about the legislation and have form letters you can send to your representatives. Might be worth joining if you want to stay updated or get involved in advocacy efforts.

my neighbor said her congresman told her the wep repeal might be included in end of year budget stuff. has anyone else heard this??

One more important point: Even if your benefits are completely suspended due to earnings, you're still ENTITLED to those benefits. This becomes important if something happens to change your situation. For example, if you stop working or reduce hours later (before FRA), you can notify SSA and your benefits would be reinstated based on the new earnings estimate. Also, keep in mind that only wages and self-employment income count toward the earnings test. Investment income, pension payments, government benefits, interest, and dividends don't count against you.

Im so CONFUSED by all this!!! Doesnt taking a job that pays more than the limit mean your NOT RETIRED?? Why should anyone get SS if there still working and making good money? The whole system makes no sense!

one more thing - when u do turn 62 make sure u check if its better to take ur own SS or the ex-spouse benefit. depends on ur work history. if u take it at 62 its reduced no matter what

Thank you all for this valuable information! I'm disappointed I might have missed out on some benefits when my daughter was younger, but at least I understand the rules better now. I'll definitely check on both my own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit when I turn 62 to see which is better. I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss everything properly. I feel less anxious now that I have more knowledge about how this all works.

I just remembered something else important - check if you qualify for the earnings test! If you're still working before FRA while collecting benefits, SSA withholds $1 for every $2 you earn above the annual limit (about $21,240 in 2023). But once you reach FRA, they recalculate and give you credit for those months they withheld benefits. So you might see an increase from that if you've had benefits withheld. This is different from the early filing reduction though.

My cousin said if u work for 10 more years after taking early SS they have to recalculate everything and give u the higher amount. Is that right???

u should definitely reapply anyway. my aunt got denied three times for disability but kept trying and finally got approved. sometimes u just get a different person reviewing ur case.

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. I'm going to make an appointment with my local Social Security office to review my specific situation. I'll also try that Claimyr service to speak with someone by phone before my appointment so I'm better prepared. It sounds like I might still get $0 due to GPO, but at least I'll know for sure and can check if they're calculating everything correctly. I'll update this thread after I speak with them in case it helps others in my situation!

My wife just reminded me they send a mailing when you turn 59 and 6 months with some kind of statement and info about signing up. So maybe just wait a bit and you'll get one automatically? Not sure if its the same statement your talking about though.

UPDATE: I successfully created my my Social Security account! It was actually pretty straightforward. I had to verify my identity through my cell phone and answer some questions about my credit history. The statement has EVERYTHING my accountant needed - all my earnings year by year, estimated benefits at different ages, and even a breakdown of SS and Medicare taxes I've paid. Thanks to everyone for the advice!