My wife had same experience after I... wait sorry, I meant my friend's wife had this same issue after he passed. She was 63 making about $90k and couldn't get any of his benefits until she retired. She was pretty upset about it too. When she finally retired at 66 (her FRA), she started getting the widow benefit which was higher than her own retirement would have been. The SSA actually did explain it well to her but she had to visit the office in person to get all the details.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses. I'll definitely try to get a more detailed calculation from SSA about my specific case. From what I'm understanding, I probably won't be eligible for any widow's benefits until I reach my FRA due to my current earnings, but I need to confirm the exact numbers. I'll look into getting an appointment with my local office or using that Claimyr service to avoid the endless phone waits. I'll update here if I find out anything useful that might help others in the same situation!

One small but important correction to what's been shared: while the inheritance itself won't affect your regular Social Security retirement benefits, if any of the inherited assets are from a retirement account (like an IRA or 401k), you may be required to take Required Minimum Distributions, which would count as income. This income could potentially make more of your Social Security benefits taxable. Additionally, if you're inheriting investments that pay dividends or interest, that income could also impact the taxation of your benefits. But to be crystal clear: the actual Social Security benefit amount will not change based on inheritance. Only the potential taxation of those benefits might be affected.

Thank you all so much for the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more confident about my upcoming appointment now. I've made notes about: - Regular SS retirement benefits won't be reduced by inheritance - Potential tax implications from investment income - Checking on the Required Minimum Distributions from the inherited IRA - Considering long-term Medicaid planning I really appreciate everyone taking time to help explain this!

The monthly earnings test is so frustrating! My mom went through this exact situation last year with her survivor benefits. One thing no one has mentioned yet - if you're close to your Full Retirement Age, the earnings limits are different. If you'll reach FRA in 2025, the monthly limit is much higher (around $6,000/month for 2024). Also, be aware that they sometimes apply different rules depending on whether you're self-employed or a regular employee. Are you a W-2 employee at your sister's shop or considered self-employed? This can affect how they count your earnings. As others mentioned, definitely request that those 4 withheld months be applied to any overpayment. This is your right but sometimes gets overlooked unless you specifically ask for it.

I want to add one more important point that hasn't been mentioned yet: Since you're planning to fully retire in 2025, you should submit a new estimate of zero earnings for 2025 as soon as possible. This will prevent SSA from withholding any benefits next year. Also, make sure you understand the difference between the Annual Earnings Test and the Monthly Earnings Test: - Monthly Test: Only applies in your first year receiving benefits. Any month you earn over the limit ($2,270 for 2024), you don't receive benefits for that month. - Annual Test: Applies every year until you reach Full Retirement Age. For every $2 you earn above the annual limit ($23,040 for 2024), SSA withholds $1 in benefits. The good news is that these withheld benefits aren't lost forever. Once you reach FRA, SSA recalculates your benefit amount to give credit for months benefits were withheld.

Is anyone else dealing with MS and working? I'm trying to decide if I should keep pushing through or apply for SSDI too. My symptoms are getting worse but I'm scared to leave my job...

Update: I'm halfway through filling out these forms and they're so detailed! The migraine questionnaire asks about aura symptoms, frequency, duration, and triggers. I'm being super detailed as everyone suggested. One thing I'm confused about - on the Adult Function Report, do I describe what I CAN do or what I CANNOT do? Some days I can do basic chores but other days I can barely get out of bed.

Hi I had something similar happen to me! I got disabled in 2018 but didn't apply til 2021 because I was trying to keep working part time and didn't know I could get SSDI while doing that under SGA limits. When I finally did apply they would only backpay me for 12 months before my application date even though I had medical proof going back 3 years. It's really frustrating but that seems to be how it works for everyone.

Just to add one more important point: If you're currently disabled but your insured status has expired (meaning you no longer have enough recent work credits for SSDI), you might still qualify for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) if your income and resources are below the threshold. SSI is need-based rather than work-credit based. However, SSI has no retroactive payments before the application date at all. And the resource limits are quite strict - generally $2,000 for individuals ($3,000 for couples) in countable resources. If you decide to apply for either program, be prepared with: 1. Detailed medical records from 5 years ago to establish your onset date 2. A list of all doctors, hospitals, and treatments 3. Information about any work attempts since your condition began 4. How your condition limits your ability to work Good luck with your situation!

One thing nobody's mentioned - the form W-4V for withholding is super simple. Just one page, check a box for the percentage you want withheld, sign it and send it in. You can even download it from ssa.gov and mail it to your local office. I was overthinking it before I actually saw the form.

Thank you all for the helpful explanations! I think I understand now - I need to file Form W-4V if I want any taxes withheld, and the withholding would be calculated on my full benefit amount. The standard deduction just affects how much I'll actually owe when I file my taxes. I'll probably go with 10% withholding to start and adjust later if needed. This forum has been so much more helpful than my advisor who left me confused!

I just remmbered you might still want to check if either of you qualifies for spousal benefits if one of you had much higher earnings. Sometimes its better to take 50% of your spouses benefit than your own. But you cant get both your own and spousal - they give you whichever is higher.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! Just to summarize what I've learned: 1) We will each get our full benefits based on our own work records, 2) There's no family maximum that applies to our situation, 3) We might want to consider staggered filing with my husband claiming now and me waiting, 4) We should double-check our benefit estimates with SSA directly. This has been incredibly helpful as we plan for retirement!

The SSA can be TERRIBLE about this stuff! My mom has dementia but not "bad enough" according to them initially. We had to get multiple doctor letters and it took MONTHS before they approved a payee. Meanwhile she lost almost $5000 to scammers!! Ask for a supervisor if they give you any runaround.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I've made notes on everything and will be contacting her doctor tomorrow for that documentation. I'll try to schedule an appointment with SSA using the Claimyr service since it sounds like getting through is the first big hurdle. I'm relieved to hear this is possible without full guardianship. I think my aunt will agree once I explain everything carefully - she was actually in tears last week after realizing she'd been scammed, so I think she knows she needs help even if it's hard to admit. I'll update once we get through the process in case it helps others in the same situation.

The key factor in your situation is whether your Nebraska teaching position was covered by Social Security. Based on my understanding, Nebraska school employees ARE covered by Social Security (unlike some states like Texas or California). This means: 1. You won't face GPO for your RRB spousal benefits, but there may still be a separate offset under RRB rules 2. Your own Social Security may be reduced by WEP, but possibly not as severely as in non-covered states 3. You can receive all three benefits, but with potential reductions I recommend: - Contact your Nebraska NPERS office first for clarification on your specific coverage - Then request a benefit estimate from RRB for your spousal benefit - Finally, contact SSA for a WEP-adjusted estimate of your own benefits Timing of when you claim each benefit matters significantly in maximizing your total retirement income. Consider having a financial advisor familiar with government pensions review your options once you have all the estimates.

dont forget about the earnings test too if u work after claiming any benefits before ur full retirement age!!

One strategy to consider: If your financial situation allows, you could file at 62 but then suspend your benefits when you reach your Full Retirement Age. This would allow your benefit amount to grow through delayed retirement credits until age 70. Meanwhile, during the suspension period, your wife couldn't receive spousal benefits, but this approach could maximize her survivor benefits if you pass away first (which statistically is more likely). The math can get complicated, but generally speaking, if you have reason to believe one of you will live well into your 80s or beyond, maximizing the higher earner's benefit often makes financial sense for the couple's total lifetime benefits.

To clarify about file and suspend: The "file and suspend" strategy that allowed spouses to claim on a suspended record was eliminated in 2016. However, you can still file for benefits and then later request to suspend them to earn delayed retirement credits. The difference is that NO ONE can receive benefits on your record while your benefits are suspended. Regarding the original question - one more consideration is that if your wife works until her own Full Retirement Age, she can choose to take either her own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit, whichever is higher. If she files before her FRA, she doesn't get this choice - she's deemed to have filed for both and gets essentially the higher amount.