has she checked out the state medicaid? my sister got on that while waiting for disability and it covered all her heart meds and doctor visits. the income limits are pretty low but if shes not working much might qualify???

To address your question about whether she should have avoided applying for retirement: Unfortunately, that's a complicated cost-benefit analysis everyone in this situation needs to make individually. Pros of taking early retirement during SSDI appeal: - Immediate income - Possible Medicare eligibility after 24 months Cons: - Permanently reduced benefits if SSDI claim ultimately fails - Slightly complicates the disability case There's no clear right answer. About 45% of SSDI claims are approved at the ALJ hearing level, but that means many are still denied. The backlog for hearings is currently 12-18 months in most areas. If her condition is deteriorating without proper medical care, getting treatment through work insurance might actually strengthen her case by documenting her conditions better. Just make sure she doesn't push herself to the point of serious harm trying to maintain a job she truly cannot do.

On a related note - does anyone know if there's a spot on the application to explain special circumstances? My husband had a complicated divorce situation with his ex (they were separated for 3 years before legally divorcing) and I'm worried about how to explain that if it comes up.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! We'll go ahead and answer truthfully about the prior marriage and just provide the basic information. Good to know that the system will recognize it's less than 10 years and probably not request documentation. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

tell them your overseas +++ they HATE surprises lol

Just following up - did you manage to get through to the FBU Manila before your trip? Any updates on the document list situation?

Make sure you're reporting your earnings to SSA quarterly if you're close to the limit. Don't wait for them to figure it out later through tax records. Much easier to prevent an overpayment than to deal with paying one back!

To clarify what others have said about the monthly test for 2024: 1. Only earnings in months when you RECEIVE benefits count 2. The monthly limit is $1,860 for 2024 3. Each month stands alone (no averaging) 4. Starting in 2025, they'll switch to the annual test 5. The annual limit for 2025 will likely be around $23,000-23,500 depending on the COLA Keep track of your earnings carefully, especially if you have variable income from month to month in your part-time work.

One additional piece of advice: If you haven't already, consider getting representation for your SSDI case. Success rates are significantly higher with representation, especially at the hearing level (if your reconsideration is denied). Most disability attorneys work on contingency, meaning they only get paid if you win, and their fee is capped at 25% of backpay or $7,200, whichever is less.

anyone else notice how the ssa website says one thing but then the people on the phone tell you something totally different?? its so confusing trying to figure out whats actually true

not to make things more complicated but you should also look into FBAR requirements if your getting money from overseas. if you have foreign bank accounts over $10k you gotta file extra forms with treasury dept. my friend got big fines for not knowing about this with his rental in spain

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! To summarize what I've learned: 1) My rental income (both US and Portugal) won't reduce my Social Security benefits 2) Since I'll be at FRA (67), the earnings test won't apply to me anyway 3) I need to watch out for the taxation thresholds since rental income could make more of my SS benefits taxable 4) I should look into the tax treaty between US and Portugal 5) I need to be aware of FBAR requirements for the foreign account This is such a relief! I'll talk to my tax advisor about the taxation issues, but I'm glad my actual benefit amount won't be reduced. Thanks again to everyone who responded!

One important thing to remember: Social Security benefits are paid the month after they're due. So your April benefit will be paid in May, May's benefit in June, etc. This catches a lot of new retirees by surprise with their budget planning. And as others mentioned, your payment date is determined by your birth date: - Born 1st-10th: Paid on second Wednesday - Born 11th-20th: Paid on third Wednesday - Born 21st-31st: Paid on fourth Wednesday If you applied for benefits prior to May 1997, you get paid on the 3rd of each month instead.

my husband died last year and Im still fighting with them to get my survivors benefits! they keep saying im missing paperwork but wont tell me what! this retirement stuff seems so much easier than what im going through!!! consider yourself lucky!!!

DONT TRUST WHAT PEOPLE SAY HERE!!! Every case is different! My sister-in-law was separated from her husband for 3 years (but still married) when he died and they DENIED her survivors benefits saying they were "estranged" and she couldn't prove financial dependence or something!!! She had to hire a lawyer to fight it!!! The rules are COMPLICATED!!

To add some clarity here - the living arrangement question serves several purposes: 1) It helps SSA determine if there might be multiple potential claimants, 2) It identifies if there might be issues with the validity of the marriage, and 3) It helps with determining household expenses for certain calculations. As long as you were legally married and there's no question about the validity of the marriage, separation without a legal separation agreement should not impact eligibility for survivor benefits. The key facts from your situation: legally married, no divorce filed, no legal separation agreement. These are what matter for your survivor benefits eligibility. Your strategy of waiting until FRA for survivors while letting your own benefit grow is generally sound, but you might want to run calculations for different scenarios once you get accurate benefit amounts.

Has anyone tried to get the quarters they need by working part-time after retirement? I heard you can earn 4 quarters per year, and I think the amount needed per quarter in 2025 is around $1,690 in earnings. So theoretically, couldn't the original poster work part-time for 5 years to get the additional 19 quarters needed to reach 40? Then they'd qualify for their own benefit, which wouldn't be subject to GPO (though might be affected by WEP).

I called SSA this morning after several attempts and got through using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. The agent confirmed what you all said - with my CalPERS pension, I'll get $0 in spousal benefits because of the GPO. I was hoping there might be some loophole or exception, but apparently not. I appreciate everyone's help explaining this. At least now I understand the rules better and can stop wondering if I'm missing out on benefits I deserve. My husband and I will just need to budget accordingly with what we have.

my wife started ss in april last year and it was fine but our neighbor did may and they messed up his payments for 3 months so maybe its just luck lol

One more consideration - if you're still planning to work part-time after starting benefits, the earnings limit works on a monthly basis in your first year of retirement. This is called the "Monthly Earnings Test" or "Monthly Grace Year Rule." The monthly limit is the annual limit divided by 12. So if the 2025 limit is $22,320, the monthly limit would be $1,860. In any month you earn over that amount, you wouldn't receive benefits for that month. Starting in 2026, SSA would switch to looking at your annual earnings regardless of which months you earned the money.