my neighbor works at SSA and says they're completely overwhelmed with the WEP/GPO stuff. said its chaos there and everyone's working overtime. might want to wait a month before even trying tbh

One other important thing to note - make sure you're clear about the exact timing. The WEP/GPO repeal technically applies to benefits payable January 2025 onward, with retroactive payments to December 2023. Since your mother passed in December 2024, she would be eligible for the retroactive payments from December 2023 through December 2024 - exactly 13 months of restored benefits. Bring documentation of her government pension and her SS benefits to help them calculate the correct amount. The difference between what she received and what she should have received without GPO for those 13 months is what the estate is entitled to.

Curious why you're backing out? I'm trying to decide when to take my benefits too. Is 67 that much better than 65?

Just to clarify something I'm seeing in these comments - there's an important distinction between withdrawal (Form SSA-521) and suspension of benefits. Withdrawal means you're completely canceling your application/benefits and it's as if you never applied (but you must repay any benefits received if payments started). This can only be done once in your lifetime. Suspension means you've already reached full retirement age, started benefits, but want to temporarily stop receiving them to earn delayed retirement credits (8% per year until age 70). You can suspend and restart benefits multiple times after reaching FRA. In the original poster's case, since they haven't received payments and the application is still processing, they need the withdrawal form (SSA-521).

This whole SSA system is DESIGNED to be confusing!!! I bet they make it complicated on purpose so people don't get what they deserve. When my kids were eligible for benefits on my record, the SSA "forgot" to tell me about the family maximum for MONTHS and I had to fight to get backpay. And don't even get me started on how they handle the disabled adult child benefits - they made my nephew reapply THREE TIMES before they got it right!!!

To address your tax question: auxiliary benefits paid to dependents are potentially taxable to the dependents, not to you. But minor children and most disabled adult children rarely have enough other income to trigger taxation of Social Security benefits. Regarding the whole family applying: The family maximum will be the same regardless of who applies, but having different people apply changes how the money is distributed. Since SSI serves as a floor for your disabled daughter, having her receive benefits on your record typically works out better overall because it frees up SSI funds for others who need them. As for your wife waiting until the children age out: there's no penalty for her waiting since she's already at FRA. From a household income perspective, it might make sense for her to wait if the proportional reduction would give her very little now, but she could get the full 50% of your PIA after the children age out. If I were you, I'd have everyone apply now, then reassess when your minor children approach 18.

my cousin got ssdi and said it was lower then his retirement woulda been but then after a few years of cola increases it ended up higher then his original retirement estimate lol so maybe wait and see

Thanks everyone for the explanations. I think I understand better now why there's a difference. The calculation periods and freezing of earnings at disability onset makes sense. I'll probably still try to talk to someone at SSA to get clarity on my specific situation, but this helps me know what questions to ask.

To answer your follow-up question: Yes, the SSA will automatically calculate both your own benefit and any ex-spouse benefit you qualify for, then pay you whichever is higher. You don't need to apply separately. One more important point: If you're working while collecting these benefits before your FRA, be aware of the earnings limit ($22,320 in 2025). If you earn over that amount, your benefits will be reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit until you reach your FRA.

my neigbor tried getin her exs benefits and said they asked for his social security number... did u guys need to provide that?? my sister didnt mention that part

Yes, you can and should report your estimated earnings to Social Security when you apply for benefits. They will ask for this information during the application process. If your earnings change later in the year, you can update your estimate by calling SSA or visiting an office. Regarding your husband's potential consulting work - remember that for self-employment, SSA counts net earnings (after business expenses) and when the income is received, not when the work was performed. So if he does work in December but doesn't get paid until January 2026, that counts toward 2026's earnings test, not 2025. Based on everything discussed here, it sounds like your best approach is to: 1. Delay applying until March entitlement/April payment to avoid the January/February monthly earnings test issues 2. Report estimated earnings when you apply 3. Track any consulting income carefully 4. Remember your tax refund won't affect benefits at all

my cousin had to deal with an overpayment last year and SS was a NIGHTMARE about it. took like 5 months to fix!! def better to just wait til ur totally done working b4 applying

So confused about one thing - if I file early like at 63, does my benefit amount EVER increase back to what I would have gotten at FRA? Or is that reduction really permanent for my entire life? The SSA website isn't clear about this (or maybe I just don't understand their explanation).

About house repairs vs. waiting to file: Have you looked into a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to fund the repairs? Interest rates aren't great right now, but the long-term financial benefit of waiting until at least your FRA to claim Social Security could far outweigh the interest costs on a HELOC. Each year you delay claiming between your early retirement age (62) and age 70 results in approximately 8% higher benefits FOR LIFE. That's a guaranteed return you can't get anywhere else, especially with inflation protection through COLAs. If the house repairs are truly urgent and you have no other options, filing early might make sense, but I'd encourage exploring other financing options first to preserve your maximum Social Security benefit potential.

JUST BE PERSISTENT!!!! These SSA people will try to get you off the phone quick and sometimes give wrong info. Ask for a supervisor if you have to. I had to call like 5 times to get someone who actually knew what they were talking about for my disabled kid.

Thank you everyone for all your helpful responses! I feel much more confident now about how to approach this. I'm going to call back tomorrow and specifically request the childhood disability determination using the exact phrasing suggested. I'll also gather all her recent medical documentation to have ready. If I have trouble getting through, I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. I'll update once I get this sorted out!

my brother waited till 70 to maximize his ss and then died 8 months later. dont wait too long!!!!!

Just to clarify some points from the discussion: 1. Yes, you can file for retirement benefits AND continue working once you reach FRA (which you're very close to). There's no earnings limit penalty at that point. 2. The annual recomputation (ARF) happens automatically, usually in October of the following year, so 2025 earnings would likely be reflected around October 2026. 3. For most people with steady work histories, a few additional months of work has minimal impact on benefits because it's based on 35 years of indexed earnings. 4. If you do get an increase from your 2025 work, SSA will pay retroactively to when you first began receiving benefits. Given how close you are to FRA, I'd suggest filing for benefits soon and continuing to work as long as you want/need to. You'll get the best of both worlds.

maybe u can just not tell them about ur business?? my cousin has a small etsy shop and doesnt report it

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses. I think I've got a much clearer picture now. I'll start my business but keep it small - under 15 hours/month since it's skilled work, careful income tracking, and detailed hour logs. I'll also talk to a financial advisor about the best way to structure things. Really appreciate all the advice!