I'm so sorry to hear about this situation with your mother's benefits. This is unfortunately incredibly common - I work as a social worker with seniors and see families discover missed survivor benefits all the time, sometimes years after the fact. A few additional things to consider for your appointment preparation: 1. If your mother has any hearing difficulties or gets overwhelmed easily in official settings, mention this upfront as it could support the "good cause" argument for late filing. 2. Consider bringing a trusted family member or friend as a witness to the appointment - having someone else hear the same information can be helpful if you need to reference the conversation later. 3. Ask specifically about "deemed filing" - sometimes when someone applies for survivor benefits, SSA can treat it as if they applied for all benefits they might be eligible for, which could potentially help with timing. 4. If your father had any periods where he delayed filing for his own Social Security (past his full retirement age), this could actually increase the survivor benefit amount your mother is entitled to, so mention his filing history if you know it. The fact that you're being so proactive and thorough in preparing for this appointment gives me hope that you'll get a positive outcome. Your mother is lucky to have such a dedicated advocate. Wishing you both the best of luck on Tuesday!

I'm a retired SSA employee and wanted to add something that might help with your Tuesday appointment. When you establish that protective filing date tomorrow, ask the representative to make a notation in your mother's record about the specific circumstances - that she was never informed about survivor benefits and continued receiving only her own benefit for three years. Also, bring documentation of your mother's current monthly expenses if you have it (utility bills, medical costs, etc.). While not required, showing the financial hardship caused by the delayed benefits can sometimes help with good cause determinations. One thing many people don't know is that survivor benefits can sometimes be higher than 100% of the deceased spouse's benefit if the deceased spouse had delayed retirement credits. Since your father was working past full retirement age, this could mean your mother is entitled to even more than his $2,850 monthly amount. Don't get discouraged if the first person you speak with seems unsure about the good cause provisions - ask to speak with a claims specialist or supervisor. The rules around late filing exceptions can be complex, and not all front-line staff are familiar with every provision. Your thorough preparation and advocacy will make a huge difference. Good luck on Tuesday!

Welcome to the community! Great to see you got your application submitted successfully. You made the right choice requesting benefits to start in your FRA month. Just a heads up - after you submit your online application, you should receive a confirmation receipt number. Keep that handy in case you need to follow up on your application status. The processing time can vary, but most straightforward FRA applications are processed within a few weeks. You can check your application status online using your my Social Security account. Best of luck with your retirement!

As someone who just went through this process a few months ago, I can confirm what others have said - definitely start benefits in your FRA month! I was also confused initially because the SSA phone reps gave me conflicting information. One told me to wait until the following month, another said it didn't matter. Turns out the second rep was wrong - you absolutely want to claim for the month you reach FRA to avoid losing that month's benefit. The online application process is actually pretty straightforward once you get started. Just make sure you have all your documents ready (W-2s, tax returns, etc.) before you begin. Good luck with your retirement!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive thread! Reading through everyone's experiences has been so educational. I'm in a somewhat different situation - my disabled adult son is 29 and I'm a single parent approaching retirement age. While I don't have the CIC spousal benefit option like the original poster, the advice about DAC application timing and documentation requirements is invaluable for my situation too. The tips about gathering 25+ year old medical records early, creating timeline documents, and working with the same SSA office throughout the process are exactly what I needed to hear. I'm particularly interested in the family maximum benefit discussion since it would just be my retirement and my son's DAC benefits on my record. Does anyone know if the family maximum typically becomes an issue with just those two benefits, or is it mainly a concern when there are multiple family members drawing benefits? Also, for those who mentioned ABLE accounts - is there a good resource for learning more about how those work alongside DAC benefits? Thank you all for sharing such detailed, real-world guidance!

Welcome to everyone who's been sharing their experiences! As someone new to this community, I've learned so much from this thread. I'm in a similar situation with my 35-year-old disabled son and my husband who's 66. Reading through all the detailed advice about timing, documentation, and the strategic approach of husband filing first, then DAC application, then CIC benefits has been incredibly helpful. The real-world timelines (4-6 months for DAC approval) and practical tips like gathering 30+ year old medical records early are exactly what I needed to hear. I'm particularly grateful for the advice about bringing current caregiving documentation to establish CIC eligibility and working with the same SSA office throughout the process. One question I have is about the transition from CIC benefits to my own retirement benefits later - do I need to actively switch at some point, or does SSA automatically transition me to whichever benefit is higher when I reach full retirement age? Also, has anyone dealt with coordinating DAC benefits when the disabled adult child has guardianship arrangements? Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive resource for families navigating these complex benefit interactions!

As someone new to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly thorough and informative discussion! I'm 61 and was planning to start Social Security at 62, but I've been losing sleep over whether my husband's continued employment would hurt my benefits. Reading through all these responses - especially the real-world experiences and the confirmation from Freya who actually works at SSA - has been such a relief. I particularly appreciate how this thread addressed the common confusion between the earnings test and Social Security taxation. I definitely had these mixed up and was considering some pretty drastic measures like filing taxes separately or even delaying my retirement unnecessarily. The practical advice about keeping detailed earnings records and the option for voluntary withholding is also incredibly valuable. It's clear this community really looks out for each other and provides solid, accurate information. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - you've helped make a potentially stressful decision much clearer!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly comprehensive discussion! I'm 60 and have been agonizing over this exact question for months. My husband and I were even considering having him reduce his work hours when I start Social Security next year because I was so worried his income would push us over the earnings limit. Reading through all these responses - especially hearing from people who've actually been through this situation and getting confirmation from Freya who works at SSA - has completely put my mind at ease. The clarity around the earnings test applying only to individual earnings (not spouse income) is exactly what I needed to hear. I also really appreciate the practical tips about record-keeping and the explanation of how withheld benefits get credited back at full retirement age. That makes the whole system seem much more fair and reasonable. It's wonderful to find a community where people share such detailed, accurate information to help others navigate these important life decisions. Thank you all for your insights!

Same happened to my sister. She finally got a rep who knew what they were talking about and it turns out she was eligible for survivor benefits all along. They gave her 4 months of backpay. Always get a second opinion with Social Security!

This is such a great example of why it's so important to advocate for yourself with SSA! I'm a newcomer here but have been lurking and reading stories like this. It's really frustrating how inconsistent the information can be from different reps. Lauren, I'm so glad you got it sorted out! Your experience is going to help so many other people who might run into the same issue. The monthly earnings test rule seems to trip up a lot of SSA employees, which is crazy since it's such an important rule for people transitioning to retirement. For anyone else reading this thread - it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Don't accept the first answer if it doesn't seem right, 2) Ask for a Technical Expert or supervisor if needed, and 3) The monthly earnings test applies in your first year of retirement/semi-retirement regardless of what you earned earlier that year. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and advice!