I know several people mentioned calling SSA is difficult, and it really is these days. When I was trying to sort out my own benefits (with a similar ex-spouse situation), I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that navigates the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to calculate exactly what my options were with specific numbers rather than generalities.

A couple more points that might help you: 1. Your alimony has zero impact on Social Security benefits - they're completely separate systems. 2. If your ex passes away before you (hopefully not!), the rules change completely. As a surviving divorced spouse, you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what he was receiving or eligible to receive. 3. Since you're planning to work until 70+, each additional year of higher earnings can potentially replace a lower-earning year in your benefit calculation. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). 4. When you eventually speak with SSA, ask them to calculate both your projected benefit at 70 based on your earnings AND what your ex-spouse benefit would be. That way you'll know exactly which will be higher. Hope this helps!

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! This community is amazing. So it sounds like I can expect my eventual benefit to be somewhat higher than what's currently showing on my Social Security statement, depending on what the COLA increases are over the next four years. That's good news for my retirement planning!

my brother told me that the cola increases are only for people already getting benefits and that the ssa uses some wierd formula for everyone else but sounds like he was wrong!!!!

op make sure you consider how working affects ur benefits if ur collecting before 70. at FRA you don't have the earnings limit anymore so you can work and collect full SS with no reduction. That might be more important than waiting for the 2024 earnings to show up. my cousins husband waited to file and regrets not claiming sooner

To summarize the key points for your decision: 1. Your 2024 earnings likely won't appear until May-June 2025 at the earliest 2. You can bring your W-2 or tax documents to an SSA appointment or discuss them on a phone call to get an updated calculation 3. Each month you delay past FRA gives you a permanent 2/3% increase (8% per year) 4. If you file now, SSA will automatically adjust your benefit amount when your 2024 earnings are processed 5. At FRA, you can work and earn unlimited income while collecting full benefits Hope this helps you make your decision!

my neighbor said he applied a week late and lost a whole months worth of benefits so be careful

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I'm going to apply in October 2025 (3 months before my FRA) and make sure I select January 2026 as my benefit start month. I'll also try that Claimyr service to speak with an agent and confirm everything is set up correctly. I feel much better knowing that the application date itself isn't what determines my benefit amount - it's the start date I select on the form. Really appreciate all your help!

I'd like to add one important clarification about the earnings limit: when SSA withholds benefits because you exceed the earnings limit, you're not permanently losing that money. They'll recalculate your benefit amount when you reach full retirement age to give you credit for those months when benefits were withheld. For example, if you claimed at 64 but had 8 months of benefits withheld due to excess earnings before reaching your FRA, when you hit FRA, they'll adjust your benefit amount as if you had claimed 8 months later than you actually did. This means your permanent benefit amount will be higher than if you hadn't had any benefits withheld. This is called the Adjustment of the Reduction Factor (ARF), and it's SSA's way of making sure you're not penalized twice for working - once by having benefits withheld and again by taking a permanently reduced benefit.

Will there be a problem if I estimate my earnings wrong? I'm in the same boat as you (self-employed) and started benefits early this year. My income is all over the place and I'm TERRIFIED I'll suddenly get a huge bill from Social Security saying I owe them thousands of dollars! Does anyone know how strict they are about this??

I didn't get mine either but then I realized I probably didn't get one because this was my first year on SS benefits (started collecting in September) and I didn't receive enough to need a 1099?? Do they only send them if you got over a certain amount? Anyone know?

just wanted to update - followed the advice and found my 1099 on mysocialsecurity right where you all said it would be!! printed it out for my accountant! thanks everyone!

I filed at 62 last year and was in a similar situation with my husband. After several calls to SSA where I either couldn't get through or got conflicting information, I finally just went to my local office in person. Took almost 3 hours of waiting but I got clear answers about my specific situation. If you can't get through on the phone, try going in person with all your documents and questions written down. They can run your actual numbers there.

One important correction to my earlier comment: The reduction for taking spousal benefits early is actually calculated differently than for your own retirement benefits. At age 62, the spousal benefit reduction is actually MORE than the reduction for your own benefit. For retirement benefits, filing at 62 results in approximately a 30% reduction. For spousal benefits, filing at 62 results in approximately a 35% reduction. So if your full spousal benefit would be 50% of your husband's PIA, at age 62 you'd get closer to 32.5% of his PIA. This is why getting precise calculations for your specific situation is so important. The difference could significantly impact your long-term planning.

Technically incorrect information being shared here. Royalties CAN be considered passive unearned income in some cases even if you created the work! It depends on if you're in the business of creating such works and if ongoing effort is required. You should DEFINITELY talk directly with SSA about your specific situation or consult with an accountant who specializes in royalty income. Don't just assume it counts toward the limit.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'll definitely call SSA to get an official ruling on my specific situation. Since this is my first book and I'm not established as a professional author (yet!), maybe there's a chance they'll view it differently. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and claim benefits as planned but set aside some money from each royalty payment just in case I need to repay anything. Seems like the safest approach until I know more about how well the book will sell. Thanks again for all the insights - this community is so helpful!

Just remembered something important - when I was dealing with this, I also had to fill out an SSA-131 form (Statement of Employer). My employer had to verify my reduced work schedule. Ask them if you need this form too if you're still working for the same employer but with reduced hours!

To definitively answer your question: The earnings test applies to the full calendar year, BUT the monthly earnings test for the first year of benefits allows you to receive benefits for any month you earn under the monthly limit ($1,860) and don't perform substantial services in self-employment. What this means in practice: If your monthly earnings from July-December stay under $1,860 per month, you should receive full survivor benefits for those months despite your higher earnings from January-June. Make sure to: 1. Provide a month-by-month breakdown of earnings 2. Specifically mention the "first year monthly earnings test" in your correspondence 3. Keep copies of all pay stubs and documentation 4. Follow up in January to ensure correct application of the rule And yes, you'll need to report earnings annually until you reach FRA, but the special monthly rule only applies to this first year.

my mom got this same email i think. she said something about a lawyer sending her ss statement. gonna call her today and make sure she didnt click anything thanks for posting this

To address your question about how they got your partial SSN - these scammers usually obtain personal information through data breaches that have happened over the years. Companies like Equifax, Target, and many others have had breaches where millions of Americans' data was exposed. The scammers use this partial information to make their phishing attempts more convincing. They might have your name, email, and last 4 digits of your SSN from one of these breaches. As for protecting yourself going forward: 1. The SSA will primarily contact you through postal mail for important matters 2. If you have a my Social Security account, they'll notify you to log in to view secure messages 3. They will NEVER attach documents to emails or ask you to download anything 4. They will NEVER threaten to suspend your SSN or benefits if you don't provide information immediately If you're ever in doubt about a communication claiming to be from SSA, call their official number directly (1-800-772-1213) rather than any number provided in a suspicious email or letter.