Update: I finally got through to someone at SSA this morning after trying for two days. They confirmed they sent the 1099-SSA in January but it may have been lost in the mail. They're sending a replacement that should arrive within 10 business days. The representative mentioned they've had numerous calls about missing 1099s this year. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions!

@Paolo Ricci Generally, if someone only received Social Security benefits and their total income was below the filing threshold, you typically don't need to file a tax return for them. For 2024, if they were single and under 65 at death, the threshold is $13,850. However, there are some exceptions - like if they had taxes withheld or are due a refund. You might want to consult with a tax professional or check IRS Publication 559 (Survivors, Executors, and Administrators) to be sure, especially since estate situations can have special considerations.

One additional point I think is worth mentioning: Even though your early filing won't affect your survivor benefits in this particular case (since your husband's benefit is higher than your FRA amount), there is a general benefit to having the higher-earning spouse delay claiming as long as possible (even past FRA to age 70) if longevity is expected. This maximizes the survivor benefit for whichever spouse lives longer. However, since your husband already claimed at his FRA and not at 70, this particular strategy isn't relevant to your current situation. Just wanted to mention it for others reading who might still be planning their claiming strategy as a couple.

I'm new to this community and found this discussion really helpful as I'm facing similar decisions. Just wanted to add that for anyone in a similar situation, it might also be worth considering the tax implications of claiming early vs. waiting. If you're both receiving benefits simultaneously, you could end up in a higher tax bracket on your combined Social Security income plus any other retirement income. But if the survivor benefit strategy works out as described here (getting the higher amount), the tax situation might actually improve for the surviving spouse since they'd be filing as single with potentially lower overall income. Just another angle to consider when making these timing decisions!

After reading through this thread, I'd suggest two actions: First, download your complete earnings history and verify all recent years are correct. Second, try using the more detailed calculator on the SSA website called the "Retirement Estimator" rather than just the quick estimate on your account page. It asks more questions and tends to be more accurate. If you still see the significant drop, then it would be worth contacting SSA directly. The $122 monthly difference is substantial enough (about 7-10% for most retirees) that it warrants investigation.

I'm new to this community but facing a similar situation. My estimate dropped by $89/month last week and I'm 18 months from retirement. Reading through these responses, it seems like this is unfortunately more common than it should be. What I found helpful was creating a spreadsheet to track my monthly estimates so I can identify patterns. I've also started taking screenshots of my benefit estimates each month as documentation. The suggestion about checking the detailed Retirement Estimator is great - I just tried it and got a different result than the quick estimate on my main account page. It's frustrating that something so important for retirement planning can be this unreliable, but at least knowing it's a widespread issue helps with the anxiety.

I went through this same situation a few years ago! One thing that really helped me was logging into my Social Security account and looking under the "Review your full Social Security Statement" section. Even though you're already collecting benefits, your historical statements from previous years should still be available there, and those would show your estimated benefit at FRA before you actually started collecting. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to SSA by phone, try calling first thing in the morning (like 8 AM) or late in the afternoon. I found the wait times were much shorter then. When you do get through, make sure to ask for your "Primary Insurance Amount" or "PIA" - that's the magic phrase that gets them to give you exactly what you need for spousal benefit calculations. Good luck with everything! The system is definitely confusing but once you get that PIA number, the rest of the math is pretty straightforward.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed advice shared here! I'm in a similar situation trying to understand spousal benefits and this thread has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - I recently discovered that if you're having trouble finding your PIA online or getting through to SSA by phone, you can also request your "Social Security Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement" by creating an account at ssa.gov and filling out Form SSA-7004. This form specifically asks for your complete earnings history and benefit calculations, including your PIA. It takes a few weeks to receive by mail, but it's an official document that shows exactly what you need. I found this option when I was struggling with the online portal and kept getting busy signals when calling. Also, for anyone whose spouse might be affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO) that was mentioned earlier - definitely ask SSA to explain how that would impact the spousal benefit calculation. I learned the hard way that having a teacher's pension can significantly reduce spousal Social Security benefits, and it's better to know about this ahead of time for planning purposes. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex systems!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to gather all my documentation (marriage and divorce certificates for both marriages) and try to speak with someone at SSA who can look at all three potential benefit amounts. I appreciate the tip about Claimyr since I've been struggling to get through on the phone. It sounds like I need to wait until my Full Retirement Age to get the maximum ex-spouse benefit, and there's no advantage to waiting beyond that point if I'm claiming on an ex's record. I'm relieved to know I don't need to contact either ex-husband about this process!

I work at a local Social Security field office and wanted to clarify a few things I'm seeing in the responses. You're absolutely right that you can only receive ONE benefit at a time - whichever is highest among your own retirement benefit or 50% of either ex-spouse's full retirement age benefit. One thing to add: when you apply, SSA will automatically calculate all your eligible benefits and pay you the highest one. You don't need to guess which ex-spouse has the higher benefit - we'll figure that out for you when you file. Also, regarding documentation, you'll need certified copies of both marriage certificates AND divorce decrees. Make sure the divorce papers clearly show the marriage lasted 10+ years. Sometimes there are delays between separation and final decree that can affect the 10-year requirement. Pro tip: If you're planning to file in the next year, start gathering those documents now. County clerks can be slow, especially for older records. And yes, you're correct that your ex-spouses don't need to be notified or involved in this process at all.