Just to summarize for you (and anyone else with the same question): 1. For someone born in August 1958, FRA is 66 years and 8 months 2. This puts your FRA in April 2025 3. Your first benefit payment would be received in May 2025 (for April) 4. Apply 3-4 months before April 2025 (so December 2024 or January 2025) 5. Check your earnings record now to ensure it's accurate 6. Sign up for a my Social Security account at ssa.gov if you haven't already Following these steps should ensure a smooth transition to receiving your benefits at FRA.

I'm also approaching retirement and found this thread super helpful! One thing I'd add is that you can actually estimate your monthly benefit amount using the SSA's online calculator before you apply. It's really useful for financial planning. Also, if you're married, don't forget to consider spousal benefits and survivor benefits in your decision - sometimes it makes sense for one spouse to file earlier than the other depending on your respective benefit amounts. The timing decisions can get complex when you factor in both spouses' benefits!

Welcome to the community! I see you're getting great advice here. Just wanted to add one small but important detail - when you're filling out the online application and it asks for your "desired benefit start date," make sure you actually select the specific month (January 2025) from the dropdown rather than just typing it in a text field. I've seen people run into issues where they thought they requested backdating but the system didn't process it correctly because they missed that dropdown selection. Also, after you submit, you should get a confirmation screen that shows your requested start date - screenshot that for your records in case you need to reference it later when following up. The SSA customer service line can be brutal to get through, but if you do need to call, try calling right at 8 AM when they open - that's usually your best shot at getting through without a massive wait time.

One thing I learned when I applied for my benefits is that the online application will actually show you a benefit estimate based on your selected start date, which can help you make that decision between backdating for a lump sum vs. keeping the higher monthly amount from delayed retirement credits. Also, if you run into any technical issues with the online application (it happens more often than it should), don't panic - you can save your progress and come back to it later. The system will hold your partially completed application for up to 30 days. One last tip: if you have any pension income from a government job where you didn't pay Social Security taxes, make sure to have those details ready as it could affect your benefit calculation due to WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision). Better to have that information upfront than deal with surprises later!

As someone who just joined this community after struggling with Login.gov issues myself, I can't express how valuable this thread has been! I've been locked out of my Social Security account for over two weeks due to this exact QR code authentication problem and was genuinely considering deleting my entire account just to regain access. Reading through all the detailed solutions and success stories here has given me real hope that I can resolve this without losing years of benefit history. The step-by-step guidance about going directly to Login.gov for account recovery (rather than through SSA) seems to be the key that so many people have found success with. I'm especially grateful for that senior support line number (1-844-875-6446) that Connor shared - it's incredible how that kind of crucial information isn't prominently displayed on official government websites! I'm planning to start with the direct Login.gov recovery process first thing in the morning, and if that doesn't work, I'll definitely use the senior support line. Thank you to Marina for asking the question that clearly so many of us needed answered, and thanks to everyone who shared their real-world solutions. This community support is exactly what people need when dealing with these confusing government authentication systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful thread! I've been dealing with this exact Login.gov QR code issue for the past three weeks and was getting to the point where I thought I'd have to give up on online access entirely. Reading through all the detailed solutions and success stories here has been such a relief - it's clear this authentication problem is affecting way more people than the government websites suggest. I'm particularly grateful for Marina's detailed account of using the direct Login.gov recovery process and for Connor sharing that senior support line (1-844-875-6446). It's honestly frustrating that we have to rely on community forums to find these essential resources instead of having them clearly available through official channels, but I'm so thankful this supportive community exists! I'm planning to try the direct recovery method first, and knowing that so many people have successfully resolved this without losing their account history gives me real confidence. I'll definitely come back to share my results - this thread is clearly helping dozens of people navigate these confusing authentication systems, and every success story adds to the collective knowledge. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and solutions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm absolutely blown away by the depth and quality of this discussion! I'm currently 58 and was widowed 18 months ago after a 32-year marriage. Like virtually everyone else who's shared their story here, I had completely misunderstood the Social Security survivor benefit rules around remarriage. I genuinely believed that remarrying before 60 would permanently eliminate my eligibility for my late husband's benefits, which has been weighing heavily on my mind as I've started to consider the possibility of finding companionship again. Reading through all these personal experiences and expert explanations has been incredibly eye-opening - the distinction between temporary suspension and permanent loss is absolutely crucial information that seems to be poorly communicated everywhere else. What really strikes me is how this single thread has probably changed the life trajectories of dozens of people who were making major decisions based on incomplete information. The combination of technical expertise, real-world experiences, and genuine community support here is remarkable. I'm particularly grateful to members like Alice Pierce, Elin Robinson, and Lim Wong who've shared both their knowledge and personal experiences. This discussion should honestly be turned into an official resource guide - it's more comprehensive and useful than anything I've found on the SSA website. Thank you all for creating such an invaluable resource and supportive community!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my sincere gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! I'm currently 54 and was widowed just four months ago after a 19-year marriage. I've been completely overwhelmed trying to understand my Social Security options while still processing my grief, and honestly had resigned myself to the idea that if I ever wanted to remarry someday, I'd have to wait until 60 or permanently lose my late husband's benefits. This entire thread has been absolutely life-changing for me - learning that remarriage before 60 only temporarily suspends benefits rather than eliminating them forever completely transforms how I can think about my future. What really amazes me is how this discussion has uncovered what seems to be a massive communication gap in how SSA explains these rules. The fact that so many intelligent, resourceful people were all operating under the same fundamental misunderstanding shows this isn't just confusion on our part - it's a real problem with how this crucial information is presented. The personal stories shared here, especially from people who've actually navigated these exact situations like Lim Wong and Beth Ford, are invaluable in ways that official government materials simply cannot be. At 54, I now know I have nearly six years to make informed decisions about my future, and understanding that I have real options rather than an all-or-nothing choice gives me so much hope during what's been an incredibly difficult time. This community has created something truly special here - thank you all for your wisdom, support, and willingness to share your experiences!

I'm a newcomer to this community but work as a benefits counselor, and I wanted to add a few important points that might help your family's planning: 1. The Social Security Fairness Act's phase-out schedule is tied to when benefits are FIRST claimed, not when someone becomes eligible. This means if your brother-in-law waits until his full retirement age (or even delays to 70), he could see substantially more benefit from the reduced penalties. 2. For Texas teachers specifically, there's a little-known provision where if he takes that private sector job and contributes to SS for at least 5 years with substantial earnings, it can help establish a stronger "bent point" calculation for his eventual Social Security benefit, even beyond just reducing the WEP penalty. 3. Your sister should also check if she has any gaps in her SS earnings record. Sometimes people assume their record is complete, but there might be years where earnings weren't properly credited. She can review this in her SSA account and request corrections if needed. The fact that they're planning ahead is huge - most people don't realize how much these timing decisions matter until it's too late to optimize them. The new law really does benefit people who are still years away from claiming, so they're in a much better position than folks who are already retired.

As a newcomer here, I wanted to share my experience navigating similar waters. My husband is a federal employee with CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System) which has similar WEP/GPO issues to teacher pensions. One resource that really helped us was the Government Pension Offset Calculator on the AARP website - it's much more user-friendly than the SSA tools and specifically designed for situations like yours. It helped us model different scenarios for when to claim benefits under the new law. Also, since your brother-in-law is considering private sector work after teaching, he should know that even part-time work that meets the substantial earnings threshold counts toward reducing WEP penalties. It doesn't have to be full-time employment. Some retirees do consulting or seasonal work to build up those qualifying years. The peace of mind knowing your sister's own benefits are safe is everything! My biggest regret is that we spent years worrying about something (my own SS being reduced) that was never actually at risk. Focus your energy on optimizing his post-teaching work strategy instead.