I just went through this exact process about 6 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. After a week of failed attempts calling both the local office and 800 number, I ended up using a three-pronged approach: 1) Used the Claimyr service (definitely worth the fee - got through in under 2 hours vs days of frustration), 2) Submitted the online contact form on ssa.gov as backup, and 3) Had my spouse call from a different phone simultaneously to increase our odds. The Claimyr service is what ultimately got us the appointment. For your Medicare situation specifically, bring documentation of your current employer coverage including the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) document - the SSA rep will need this to coordinate your transition properly. Also ask your HR department for a letter stating your coverage end date and whether it meets Medicare's "creditable coverage" standards. This documentation becomes crucial if you ever need to change Medicare plans later without penalties. One heads up - when they do call you back to schedule, have your calendar ready because they often have very limited appointment slots and may only offer you 1-2 options. I almost missed getting scheduled because I wasn't prepared with my availability when they called. Good luck!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago - the phone system is absolutely brutal right now! What finally worked for me was calling the national 800 number (1-800-772-1213) at exactly 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. I had to call back-to-back about 15 times before getting through to the hold queue, then waited about 90 minutes, but I finally got a human who scheduled my appointment. For your Medicare situation with the small employer, definitely bring a letter from your HR department confirming your current coverage details and end date. The SSA rep will need this to properly coordinate when Medicare becomes primary. Also, stop contributing to your HSA immediately once you enroll in any part of Medicare - even backdated enrollment can cause tax issues with HSA contributions. One tip that helped me: I found my local office's direct number on the SSA office locator website and called that simultaneously while my partner called the 800 number. We got through on the local line after about 45 minutes. Sometimes the local offices have slightly less call volume than the national number, depending on your area. Don't give up - your enrollment window is too important to miss!

I went through this exact situation about 3 years ago! You're getting good advice here - you definitely can't collect both benefits at full value simultaneously, but you do have strategic options. What really helped me was creating a spreadsheet comparing the lifetime totals for different scenarios. I calculated taking survivor benefits at FRA vs taking them early, and taking my own retirement at 62, FRA, and 70. The breakeven analysis showed me exactly when each strategy would pay off based on my life expectancy. Also, don't forget to factor in cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) - they apply to whichever benefit you're receiving. One tip: when you call SSA, ask them to mail you a written benefit estimate rather than just getting verbal numbers. Having it in writing helped me feel more confident about my decision and gave me something to reference later.

I'm sorry for your loss, Lourdes. I went through a similar situation when I became a widow 5 years ago at age 58. The key thing to understand is that you're essentially dealing with two separate benefit streams that you can strategically time, but you can only receive one at full value at any given time. Since your husband had higher earnings, here's what I'd recommend: Get exact benefit calculations from SSA showing 1) your survivor benefit at FRA (unreduced), 2) your own retirement benefit at 62 (reduced), at FRA, and at 70 (maximum). If your survivor benefit is significantly higher than what your own retirement would ever be, you might take your reduced retirement at 62 and switch to the full survivor benefit at your FRA. But if your own benefit at 70 would exceed the survivor benefit, do the opposite. I used the SSA's online benefit calculators first to get rough estimates, then called for precise numbers. Also consider your health and family longevity - if you expect to live well into your 80s or 90s, maximizing the higher of the two benefits by delaying it usually pays off. The decision is permanent once made, so take your time with the math!

Just to add another perspective - I work for a nonprofit that helps seniors navigate Social Security issues, and we see this situation fairly often. You're absolutely on the right track planning ahead. One thing I'd emphasize is that when you do apply for survivor benefits (if needed), make sure to ask the SSA representative to calculate both scenarios - continuing your current benefit versus switching to the survivor benefit. Sometimes there are nuances in the calculations that aren't immediately obvious. Also, if you're working or plan to work in the future, be aware that earnings limits may apply to survivor benefits before your FRA, just like they do for retirement benefits. The good news is that your 29-year marriage gives you a very strong eligibility foundation, and the fact that you're thinking about this proactively will serve you well.

I'm really glad you're planning ahead for this - it shows great financial responsibility. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to periodically check with SSA about your ex-husband's benefit amount, especially if he's still working. His benefit could increase over time with additional earnings, which would potentially increase your future survivor benefit too. Also, if you have children from the marriage who might still be eligible for benefits (under 18, disabled, or full-time students under 19), they could potentially receive survivor benefits as well, though this wouldn't reduce your benefit amount. The survivor benefit landscape can be complex, but you're asking all the right questions and gathering good information from everyone here.

btw u should apply like 3 months before u want benefits to start cuz processing takes forever these days!!!

One additional consideration: If you're planning to work while receiving benefits and you haven't reached your Full Retirement Age, be aware of the earnings limit ($21,240 in 2025). If you earn over that amount, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $2 you earn above the limit. This might influence your decision about when to start benefits if you're continuing to work.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through the estate planning process with a disabled family member. You might also want to consider talking to your bank about setting up a "convenience account" - it's different from a joint account because the person you designate can access funds to help manage your affairs, but they don't have ownership rights to the money. This could give your son access in an emergency without the potential complications of joint ownership. Also, when you're researching ABLE accounts, check if your state has one or if you need to use another state's program. Some states have better investment options or lower fees than others, and you're usually allowed to use any state's ABLE program regardless of where you live. The POD designation is definitely a solid choice though - it keeps things simple and avoids any potential benefit complications!

Another option worth considering is a revocable living trust with your son as the successor trustee (with a backup trustee if needed due to his intellectual disability). This keeps the assets out of probate like you want, but doesn't create the joint ownership issues that could complicate benefits. I went through something similar with my disabled nephew. We ended up doing a combination approach - POD designations for smaller accounts that he could handle, and a special needs trust for larger assets that required more oversight. The key was working with an attorney who specializes in disability planning to make sure everything was set up correctly. One thing to double-check: even though DAC doesn't have asset limits, if your son ever needed to apply for Medicaid waiver services or other state benefits in the future, those programs often DO have asset limits. So keeping things structured properly now could save headaches later.