one more thing they might ask about ur sons condition and if he can work at all cuz they always ask me that at every meeting

They didn't interrogate my sister too intensely. Basic questions like: - Does she understand what a representative payee does? - Is she comfortable with you managing her money? - Does she want you to be her payee? It was pretty straightforward. The SSA representative was more focused on making sure she wasn't being coerced. Since you have guardianship papers, they'll understand there's already been a legal determination about decision-making capacity. Oh, and they'll also ask you questions about how you'll use the money for his benefit and keep track of expenses. They might ask for annual accounting of how the SSI funds were spent, so start keeping good records now.

To summarize the correct information: 1. Your retirement benefits are completely unaffected by your wife's business income or continued work activity. 2. If your wife later claims benefits (either her own or spousal) before reaching her Full Retirement Age while still working, the earnings test may apply to HER benefits: - In 2025, earnings over $21,240 would reduce her benefits by $1 for every $2 earned - This reduction stops once she reaches her FRA - Any benefits withheld aren't truly lost - they're added back once she reaches FRA 3. The optimal strategy for many self-employed spouses is to continue working and delay claiming any benefits until their FRA, at which point they can earn unlimited income without benefit reduction. 4. When she eventually does claim, she'll receive the higher of either her own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit (up to 50% of your PIA if she waits until her FRA).

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing that my wife can keep her business going without affecting my benefits. We'll probably have her wait until FRA to claim anything since the business is doing well. One more question - if she does wait until FRA to claim spousal benefits, will they look at all her earnings up until that point to calculate her own benefit? Or do they just use earnings up to 62 or something?

my neighbor said they sending them late this year cuz of the cola increase? had to recalculate everything or something

I had this problem every year until I finally created my MySocialSecurity account online. Now I just download the PDF version and give it to my tax preparer. Much easier than waiting for the mail! The SSA customer service rep told me they mail them out in batches throughout January, and some don't go out until early February. But the online version is available by January 31st for everyone.

UPDATE: I finally got through to someone at my local office! They confirmed they received my paperwork a week ago but haven't uploaded it to their system yet. The representative said they're dealing with staffing shortages and everything is delayed. So my papers aren't lost, just sitting in a pile waiting to be processed. She said to expect at least 3-4 more weeks before the online status changes. Thanks everyone for your help!

@profile3 I was on hold for almost 2 hours before I got through! And that was after trying three different times over two days when I just got busy signals. It's ridiculous how hard it is to reach them. I might try that service next time if I need to call again. Two hours is a lot of my day to waste on hold.

The problem is that NOBODY at SSA gives the same answer twice!!! I talked to THREE different representatives last year about this exact issue and got completely different answers each time!! One said I needed to report monthly, another said quarterly, and the third said only if I exceeded the annual limit! The whole system is designed to confuse us!

wait so if im understanding right as long as ur making less than the yearly limit ur totally fine? im making like 15k a year after retirement and havent reported anything

THE SSA DELIBERATELY MAKES THIS CONFUSING!!!!! They don't want people to understand how the system works because then more people would maximize their benefits!!!! They've been doing this for decades, making the calculations unnecessarily complex so regular people can't figure out the best strategies!!!!

One more thing worth mentioning - if you're married or divorced after a long marriage, make sure you're looking at spousal benefit options too. Sometimes that can provide a higher benefit amount depending on your spouse's earnings record. The calculations get more complex, but it's definitely worth exploring all your options.

also forgot to mention u should look into the ticket to work program if u decide to go back to work later. its designed to help ppl transition off benefits without losing everything at once

when they do the review they'll look at whether ur still meeting the listing requirements for cancer. my moms friend had leukemia and even tho she was in remission they continued her benefits for like 2 yrs because of the after effects of chemo and stuff

Has anyone tried growing lavender? I heard it's really profitable and easy to grow!

To answer your follow-up question about reporting: You should report changes to SSA when they happen, not just at tax time. You can report changes in work activity or earnings by calling SSA directly, visiting your local office, or in some cases through your my Social Security account online. Given that you're close to your FRA (66 and 4 months), it's worth noting that in the year you reach FRA, the rules become more lenient. For 2025, in the months before you reach FRA during your FRA year, the exempt amount increases to $59,520, and SSA only deducts $1 for every $3 you earn above the limit. Once you reach your FRA in August 2026, the earnings test no longer applies, and you can earn any amount without affecting your benefits.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'm feeling much better about going back to work now. Just to summarize what I've learned: 1. Since I'll hit my FRA next month, I only need to worry about the earnings limit for a very short time 2. Any new earnings that are higher than my previous 35 years could increase my benefit 3. The SSA will automatically recalculate my benefit (usually the following year) 4. If I have benefits withheld due to earnings, they'll adjust my benefit when I reach FRA to account for this This is all really good news. I was worried that claiming early would permanently lock me into a lower benefit, but it sounds like returning to work could actually help increase it. I appreciate all your insights!

Does anyone know if the benefit increase happens RIGHT AWAY after they do the recalculation?? Or is there another waiting period? With Social Security there's ALWAYS some complication they don't tell you about until afterwards!!!

Wait I'm confused - I thought the new WEP/GPO bill didn't pass?? Did I miss something? Last I heard they were still debating it??

Thank you all for the helpful information! This community has explained things better than hours of reading confusing government websites. I'm cautiously optimistic about the legislation but will wait to see the final details before getting too excited. I'll gather our records as suggested and be prepared to speak with SSA once the changes are official. And I'll definitely check out Claimyr when it's time to call - sounds much better than spending days on hold!