Hey did you ever get this resolved? I'm in almost the EXACT same situation... on medicare thru my husband since 2017, state teacher pension, just applied for spousal benefits in February. Nobody at SS seems to understand how GPO works!

I'm dealing with a similar GPO situation and wanted to share what I learned from my experience. When you have a "suspended" status showing since 2018, that's typically just an administrative record created when you enrolled in Medicare through your spouse - it doesn't mean you were actually entitled to benefits then. From what I've gathered through my own research and calls to SSA, you're definitely limited to the 6-month retroactive payment from your January 2024 application date. The key is making sure they calculate your GPO reduction correctly (2/3 of your gross monthly pension) and that you explicitly request the maximum retroactive benefits allowed. One tip that helped me: when you call SSA, have your pension award letter ready and ask to speak with someone who specializes in GPO cases. The regular representatives often don't fully understand how GPO works with spousal benefits. Also, document everything - dates, names, what they told you - because you'll likely need to make multiple calls to get consistent information. Good luck with getting this sorted out! The whole process is frustrating but it sounds like you should be entitled to some benefits after the GPO reduction.

One thing I'd add is to check your Social Security Statement (available at ssa.gov/myaccount) to see what your current top 35 earning years look like. This can help you estimate how much impact your 2025 earnings might have on the recalculation. If your 2025 projected income would replace one of your lower earning years, you can get a rough idea of the potential benefit increase. The statement shows your earnings history year by year, so you can see if there are any particularly low years (maybe from early in your career or years with unemployment) that would be replaced. It's also worth noting that earnings are indexed for inflation in the benefit calculation, so a $30,000 year from 1995 might actually count as more than a $30,000 year from 2020 in the calculation. The online calculators on SSA's website can help you run different scenarios too.

This thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding the complexities of claiming early while continuing to work! I'm in a similar situation - turning 62 next year and considering my options. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the impact of claiming early on spousal benefits. If you're married, your spouse's potential spousal benefit is based on YOUR full retirement age benefit amount, not the reduced amount you'd get by claiming at 64. So claiming early doesn't just affect your own benefits - it could impact your spouse's options too. Also, if you're the higher earner, your claiming decision affects the survivor benefit your spouse would receive. Just another layer to consider when weighing the decision between claiming early versus waiting for FRA. The break-even analysis is important, but for married couples, you really need to look at the household's total lifetime benefits, not just your individual benefit stream.

Thanks everyone for all this helpful information. I've called SSA three times today and can't get through. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to get an appointment scheduled. I've gathered all the documents mentioned and ordered certified copies of my birth certificate and our divorce papers. I'll update once I get an appointment and go through the process in case it helps someone else.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Ella. Just wanted to add one more thing that might help - when you do get your appointment scheduled, ask if they can do it over the phone instead of requiring you to drive an hour each way. Since COVID, many SSA offices have been more flexible about phone appointments for survivor benefits, especially if you live far from an office. They may still require you to mail in your documents, but it could save you the trip. Also, if you have any questions about benefit amounts or timing, don't hesitate to ask during your appointment - the agents are usually very knowledgeable about survivor benefit strategies and can help you understand your options.

Based on what you've shared about your income ($65,000) and age (turning 60), here's my recommendation: 1. Since you're substantially over the earnings limit, most or all of your survivor benefits would be withheld until you reach FRA or reduce your work hours. 2. You might consider waiting to apply until either: - You're closer to retirement or reducing hours, OR - You reach FRA when the earnings test no longer applies 3. If you decide to apply anyway, January would be slightly better than December for tax purposes, but the earnings test impact would be far more significant than any tax difference. 4. Remember that the reduction for taking survivor benefits early is permanent, but if your own retirement benefit at 70 would be higher than your survivor benefit at FRA, there might still be a strategy in taking reduced survivor benefits for a period and then switching.

I'm so glad you found this thread before making your decision! I went through something similar when my spouse passed two years ago. The earnings test is definitely the biggest factor most people don't know about upfront. One thing that helped me was scheduling a consultation with SSA just to understand all my options without actually filing yet. They can run the numbers for you based on your specific situation - your current earnings, your deceased spouse's work record, and your own projected retirement benefit. Also consider that even though the reduction for taking survivor benefits early is permanent, if your own retirement benefit would be significantly higher, you could potentially use survivor benefits as a "bridge" later when you do reduce your work hours, then switch to your own record at 70 when it reaches maximum value. But with your income level, that strategy might not work until you're closer to retirement anyway. The grief support group you mentioned might have other members who've navigated this - it really helps to talk to people who've been through the whole process!

WATCH OUT for the 20% TAX withheld from your SS when you first start!!! I was SHOCKED when I got my first payment and it was WAY LOWER than expected!!! You have to specifically tell SSA you don't want taxes withheld when you apply!!! Call them ASAP to change this if you haven't applied yet!!

Just to summarize everything for others who might have similar questions: Your pension absolutely does NOT count toward the Social Security earnings limit - only wages and self-employment income count. At $16,000/year from part-time work, you're well under the 2025 limit of $22,680. However, do keep in mind a few things: 1) Your pension WILL count toward determining if your SS benefits are taxable (up to 85% can be taxed), 2) Check if WEP/GPO applies to your state pension as that could reduce your SS benefit amount, and 3) Consider the tax withholding options when you apply. Sounds like you're in good shape to start collecting in June!