Since you'll be 65 in April 2025, your Full Retirement Age is actually 67 (for people born in 1960 or later). Keep in mind that claiming at 65 means you'll get approximately 86.7% of your full benefit amount. Also remember that the annual earnings limit for 2025 will likely be around $23,000 if you're under FRA the entire year. Since you'll only have $15,000 in wages that count toward this limit, you should be fine even without considering the pension (which, as others have correctly noted, doesn't count toward the earnings test).

I just wanted to add that you might want to consider timing your retirement strategically around the earnings test. Since you're retiring in March and only working part of the year, SSA uses a monthly earnings test for the first year you retire (if it's more favorable). For 2025, this would be around $1,920 per month. Since you'll be done working by March, any months where you earn under this amount won't count against you - even if your annual total exceeds the yearly limit. This could potentially give you even more flexibility with your early retirement timing!

As someone who just joined this community, I have to say this thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm 64 and approaching my FRA of 66 and 6 months, and I was completely overwhelmed trying to understand the Social Security rules about working while collecting benefits. The SSA website made it so confusing with all the technical language. What's been amazing is reading all these real-world experiences from people who are actually living this situation successfully. The key insight that really clicked for me is understanding there are essentially two phases - before FRA where earnings limits apply, and after FRA where there are NO limits whatsoever. Seeing people like Connor, Yara, Danielle, and others share their actual experiences of working while collecting full benefits after reaching their FRA gives me complete confidence. I'm planning to continue my part-time real estate work that brings in about $42,000 annually, and now I know that once I hit my exact FRA date, I can earn that amount (or even more) without losing a single penny of my Social Security benefits. Thank you everyone for being so generous with sharing your personal experiences - it's exactly what newcomers like me need to make informed decisions about our retirement planning!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly informative thread! I'm 63 and planning to file at my FRA of 66 and 10 months while continuing my freelance writing business that brings in about $38,000 annually. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has completely eliminated my anxiety about working after filing for benefits. What really resonates with me is how consistent everyone's experience has been - once you reach your exact FRA, there truly are NO earnings limits whatsoever. The distinction between the "before FRA" phase (with earnings restrictions) and the "after FRA" phase (complete freedom to earn any amount) is so much clearer now thanks to all of you sharing your personal stories. Seeing people successfully work in various capacities - from consulting to teaching to accounting - while receiving their full Social Security benefits gives me complete confidence in my retirement planning. The peace of mind this provides is invaluable, especially since the SSA website can be so overwhelming with all its technical language. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - it's exactly what someone new to Social Security planning needs to make informed decisions!

I'm new to this community and wanted to add my experience from recently going through a similar process with my grandson. One thing that really helped me was creating a "custody timeline" document that clearly showed the emergency nature of the placement - dates of when problems started with the parents, when custody became necessary, court dates, when the children moved in, etc. The SSA representative said this timeline helped them understand why the normal one-year support requirement shouldn't apply in our case. It painted a clear picture that this wasn't a planned arrangement but an emergency response to protect the children. Also, I found that contacting my state senator's office was incredibly helpful when I got stuck in bureaucratic loops. They have caseworkers specifically for constituent services who know how to navigate federal agencies. They can't change the rules, but they were able to get me an expedited appointment and made sure my application was being processed properly. Diego, your situation with the difficult family circumstances sounds like it would definitely qualify for emergency exceptions. Keep pushing - these kids are lucky to have you fighting for them, and based on everyone's experiences here, persistence really does pay off! The system is frustrating but there are ways through it.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share some encouragement and a resource that helped me when I was in a similar situation with my grandniece last year. Reading through all these responses brings back memories of how overwhelming and frustrating the SSA process can be, but also how much community support and knowledge can make a difference. One thing I discovered that hasn't been mentioned yet is that some Area Agencies on Aging have "benefits counselors" who specialize in helping people navigate SSA, Medicare, and other federal programs. They're often more accessible than Legal Aid (which can have waiting lists) and they know the local SSA offices really well. The counselor I worked with even knew which SSA representatives were most knowledgeable about kinship cases. Diego, your situation with taking emergency custody due to difficult family circumstances sounds very similar to mine. The key documentation that helped me get approved despite not meeting the full one-year support requirement was showing that the custody change was sudden and necessary for the children's welfare. Court records, any documentation about the parents' circumstances that led to the custody change, and evidence that you immediately began providing full support will all be important. Also, don't forget to apply for school lunch programs right away if you haven't already - it's usually a quick approval and can help with immediate expenses while you're waiting for other benefits. Every little bit helps when you're suddenly supporting two additional children on a fixed income. This community has shared such valuable advice - from the practical calling strategies to the comprehensive documentation tips. Your grandchildren are fortunate to have someone willing to navigate this complex system for them. Keep fighting, and please keep us updated on your progress!

I'm in a similar situation and went through this research last year. One thing that helped me was using the SSA's online calculators to model different scenarios. You can estimate your benefits at different claiming ages on ssa.gov, which gives you a baseline to compare against the ex-spouse benefit once you get that information from SSA. Also, don't overlook the impact of Medicare timing if you're considering working past 65. If you delay Social Security until 70 but need Medicare at 65, you'll need to enroll in Medicare Part A (which is free) but can delay Part B if you have qualifying employer coverage. This gets complicated fast, so factor healthcare costs into your decision timeline. The "break-even" analysis is crucial here - calculate at what age the higher lifetime benefit from waiting until 70 would outweigh the years of missed payments from claiming earlier. For many people, it's somewhere in their early 80s, but everyone's situation is different.

One more thing to consider - if your ex-spouse is currently receiving SSDI, you might want to confirm his exact birth date and when his benefits will convert to retirement benefits. The timing could affect your planning since you mentioned he's 5 years older. Also, keep in mind that if he files for early retirement benefits before his FRA (which he can't do while on SSDI, but just for future reference), it could potentially reduce the spousal benefit calculation. Since his SSDI will convert automatically at his FRA without reduction, this shouldn't be an issue in your case, but it's worth understanding how these interactions work when you speak with SSA about your benefit estimates.

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now with my grandfather after his recent fall. This thread has been a lifesaver - I was getting so many conflicting answers from different government offices that I was starting to think I was going crazy! Just to add another data point: I'm in the middle of both processes and can confirm they are 100% separate. Got my rep payee approval from SSA last week, but Medicare had no record of it when I called yesterday. The customer service rep actually laughed (kindly) when I asked if the rep payee status automatically carried over to Medicare - apparently this is a super common misconception. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet - if your loved one has both Medicare AND Medicaid, there might be additional state-level authorizations needed too. My grandfather's Medicaid managed care plan required yet another set of forms. It's like a bureaucratic obstacle course, but at least knowing what to expect helps you prepare for it. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and tips here. It's so much more helpful than the generic government websites!

I'm just starting to research this for my elderly mother who recently had a stroke. Reading through all these experiences has been both helpful and overwhelming - it's clear that navigating these separate systems is going to be more complicated than I initially thought! One question I haven't seen addressed: if someone already has power of attorney for healthcare and finances, does that help streamline either the Social Security rep payee process or the Medicare authorization? Or are these government processes completely separate from POA documents too? Also, for those who mentioned using Claimyr to reach Medicare representatives faster - did you find their service worth the cost given how difficult it apparently is to get through to Medicare directly? I'm trying to weigh whether it's worth paying for that service or just dealing with the long hold times. Thanks to everyone who's shared their real-world experiences here. This thread is going to save me so much time and frustration as I work through this process with my mom.