When i was getting close to FRA my neighbor told me to just quit working for a few months and then go back after I hit FRA. I thought that was ridiculous! I had a good job that I enjoyed. Glad I didn't listen to him lol

Based on what you've shared, starting your benefits in September 2025 when you reach FRA makes the most sense. The potential reduction for exceeding the earnings limit by a small amount for the pre-FRA months would be minimal compared to giving up four complete months of benefits by waiting until January 2026. Remember that at your FRA, you'll receive 100% of your primary insurance amount (PIA). If you delay past FRA, you earn delayed retirement credits of 8% per year (or 2/3% per month) up to age 70. But if you're continuing to work anyway, there's typically no financial advantage to delaying once you've reached FRA unless you're trying to maximize your benefit at age 70.

One aspect of break-even calculations that often gets overlooked is the opportunity cost of money. If you claim at 62 and invest some or all of those benefits (rather than spending them), the investment returns can significantly alter your break-even point. For example, if you claim at 62, receive $1,750/month, and can invest with a 5% annual return, your break-even age compared to waiting until 67 could extend several years beyond the basic calculation. This is especially relevant if you don't need the Social Security income for immediate living expenses. Also consider how your decision impacts Medicare premiums later (IRMAA surcharges can apply if your income is higher), potential tax implications, and impacts on spousal/survivor benefits if married. I recommend creating a spreadsheet or using detailed financial planning software rather than simple online calculators for this decision.

my mom claimed at 62 and totally regrets it now shes 81 and struggles every month cuz her check is so small...just sayin

To summarize what everyone has said: 1. Yes, an ex-spouse married 10+ years can file for benefits on your record (equals up to 50% of your FRA benefit amount) 2. The Government Pension Offset would reduce any spousal/ex-spousal benefit by 2/3 of his pension amount 3. He doesn't need your birthplace to apply - SSA has that information 4. There could be Medicare premium advantages even if his Social Security benefit is reduced to $0 by the GPO If you're uncomfortable, don't provide the information. He can work directly with SSA for any legitimate benefit application.

my husband had government pension (firefighter) and we went thru this whole mess last year. the GPO wiped out EVERYTHING he might have gotten from my record. total waste of time!!!! 😡

Quick update on what a "summary matrix" might be - after checking with a colleague who worked at SSA, they believe the representative might have been referring to a "Detailed Earnings Query" (DEQY) or "Summary Earnings Query" (SEQY), which are internal SSA documents that do sometimes carry a fee for copies (around $82 for a certified copy). However, these are earnings documents and completely unrelated to birth date corrections. For a simple DOB correction, you only need your birth certificate and ID. The representative was either confused or misinformed you.

Glad to hear you got better information! DOB corrections are actually pretty routine for SSA. Make sure to bring the original birth certificate (or certified copy with the raised seal) to your appointment. Once corrected, I recommend printing a copy of your Social Security Statement afterward to verify the change was properly made in the system.

Just adding - you should call your local SS office with this question. I heard they're actually less busy on Wednesdays and Thursdays in the afternoon! Don't rely entirely on advice from people here because everyone's situation is a little different and the rules change every year.

If you're close to the annual limit, you might want to ask your employer if you can postpone some income to January of next year. Some employers are willing to do this, especially with year-end bonuses or final December paychecks. This strategy helped me stay under the limit last year.

be carful about the GPO thing... it can really reduce ur benefits. my mom was a teacher in texas and lost almost ALL of her widow benefits bcuz of GPO. they took like 2/3 of it away!!! did anyone calculate how much ur actually gonna get after GPO reduction? might not be worth all this trouble honestly

DONT WAIT!!!! Contact your rep NOW! The backlog is getting WORSE not better. My mom waited 5 months for her widow benefits appointment and lost out on money because of it!!!

I STILL don't understand why this is so complicated!!!! WHY can't Social Security just have a calculator where I can put in "not working these years" and "working these years" and it tells me my benefit??? I spent HOURS trying to figure this out and gave up. The whole system feels designed to be confusing on purpose so we don't know what we're entitled to. SO FRUSTRATING!!!!

This thread is so timely for me! I'm building almost the exact same spreadsheet. One thing I've discovered in my research: make sure you're using the correct Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula. The current formula has been in place since 1979, but they've used different formulas in the past. Also, don't forget the earnings limit if you plan to claim before your FRA but continue working. In 2025, you lose $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above $22,750 (if you're under FRA for the full year). After FRA, there's no earnings limit, which makes your strategy of working between FRA and 70 particularly smart!

My neighbor just went through this exact situation last year! She said the hardest part was just getting all the paperwork straight. She had to make like 5 trips to the SS office because they kept asking for different documents every time. So frustrating!

One more important consideration: if you're planning to withdraw your application, calculate the break-even point before proceeding. At a high level, divide the total amount you're repaying by the monthly increase you'll receive by waiting. This will tell you approximately how many months it will take to recover the repaid amount. For example, if you repay $13,500 and your monthly benefit will increase by $400 by waiting until FRA, it would take about 34 months to break even. If you plan to live beyond that point, the withdrawal makes financial sense.

WAIT! Don't listen to people saying this is no big deal! My friend's husband had a similar issue (his birthday was off by 3 days) and they DENIED his benefits and said he committed FRAUD because he had been using the wrong date!!! He had to hire a lawyer to fix it and it took almost a year! BE CAREFUL!!!

just curious, if the birth certificate says the 9th but you've been celebrating on the 10th your whole life, which one do you consider your real birthday??? do you celebrate on the 9th now or still the 10th? 🎂

I went through almost the exact same situation last year. Your decision to take survivor benefits early while letting your own retirement benefit grow is smart - it's called a restricted application strategy, one of the few remaining after the 2015 rule changes. I can confirm that when I did this, it had absolutely no impact on my disabled daughter's benefits from her father's record.I did have trouble getting consistent answers from different SSA representatives though. One told me it would affect my daughter's benefits, another said it wouldn't. I finally got someone knowledgeable who explained that since these are separate entitlements, they don't affect each other.The most important thing: make sure you specifically tell them you want to file a \

Thank you for sharing your experience! That's exactly what I'm trying to do - the restricted application. It's so helpful to hear from someone who's been through this exact situation. I'll make sure to use that specific language when I talk to them.