I took my SS at 62 and I'm kicking myself now at 68 because I could be getting so much more if I'd waited. If RRB might pay even more at 70, maybe consider waiting on both? Living on less for a few years might be worth thousands more for the rest of your life. Just my 2 cents from someone who jumped too early.

I'm in a similar situation but with fewer railroad years (12 years RRB, 20 years other employment). Reading through all these responses, it sounds like the strategy can work but really depends on your individual numbers. One thing I learned from my research is that you can actually use the RRB website calculator to get rough estimates before requesting the formal G-90. It's not as detailed but gives you a ballpark figure to work with. Also, I found out that if you have questions about the coordination between SS and RRB benefits, there's actually a specific department at RRB that handles dual benefit cases - they might be more knowledgeable than the general customer service reps. Have you considered consulting with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in government benefits? Might be worth the cost to get an objective analysis of your situation before making such a big decision. The difference between optimizing and not optimizing these benefits could be tens of thousands over your lifetime.

Thanks everyone for the explanations. I think I understand better now why there's a difference. The calculation periods and freezing of earnings at disability onset makes sense. I'll probably still try to talk to someone at SSA to get clarity on my specific situation, but this helps me know what questions to ask.

Just wanted to add that you can also request a detailed benefit calculation statement from SSA that breaks down exactly how they arrived at each number. It's called a "Benefit Explanation Letter" and while it can be technical, it shows the specific years and earnings amounts they used for each calculation. This might help you see exactly why there's a $200 difference between your SSDI and FRA estimates. You can request it through your my Social Security account online or by calling them directly.

Your brother's situation sounds like he didn't qualify for the monthly earnings test in his first year. To qualify for monthly tracking, you need to have what SSA calls a \

As someone who just went through this process myself, I can confirm that the Monthly Earnings Test is real and does apply in your first year of claiming benefits! I started my SS benefits in June 2024 at age 63, and SSA automatically applied the monthly test for the remainder of that year. Each month from June through December, they looked at whether I earned more than $1,730 (the 2024 monthly limit) in that specific month. I had a couple months where I went over due to consulting work, and I simply didn't receive benefits for those specific months - no penalty or payback required. Starting in 2025, I'm now subject to the regular annual calendar year test. The key is making sure you truly have what they call a "grace year" - meaning you've had a substantial reduction in work activity. I'd recommend calling SSA directly to confirm your situation qualifies, but don't let the conflicting information here discourage you from looking into it!

When I needed specific benefit information about survivor benefits last year, I tried for 3 weeks to get through to SSA on the phone with no luck. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent was able to calculate my potential survivor benefit in different scenarios, which really helped me make an informed decision.

I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult situation with your husband's illness. As someone who went through a similar experience with my late spouse, I want to share a few practical considerations that might help with your decision. Given your immediate financial need and depleted savings, option 1 (taking reduced benefits now) makes sense in your circumstances. You're right that having guaranteed income starting in January, plus Medicare in June, will provide crucial financial stability during this challenging time. One thing to keep in mind: when you do eventually apply for survivor benefits, you'll want to time it strategically. If your husband passes before you reach FRA (67), you could choose to delay applying for survivor benefits until your FRA to get the full $2,850 instead of a reduced amount. During that gap, you'd continue receiving your $1,650 retirement benefit. Also, don't underestimate the peace of mind that comes with having a steady income during a health crisis. The stress of financial uncertainty can be overwhelming when you're also dealing with caregiving responsibilities and medical decisions. Whatever you decide, make sure to keep detailed records of all your Social Security communications and decisions. The system can be confusing, but having documentation helps tremendously when you need to make changes later.

I went through something very similar a few years ago! You're absolutely right that both types of recalculations should happen - the earnings recomputation for your higher earning years AND the adjustment of reduction factor for the months you repaid. The frustrating part is that SSA's phone system seems to route these calls to general customer service reps who honestly don't understand the technical stuff. Here's what worked for me: I had to be very persistent and specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" or "Claims Specialist" who handles post-entitlement work adjustments. Don't let them transfer you to just anyone - insist on someone who specifically deals with ARF and earnings recomputations. Also, when you call, use the exact terminology: "I need an ARF recalculation due to work deductions" and "I need an earnings recomputation for post-entitlement earnings." This helps ensure you get routed to the right person. One more tip - if you can, try to get an in-person appointment at your local office. In my experience, the local office staff are generally more knowledgeable about these complex situations than the national call center. Good luck!

I work as a benefits counselor and see this exact situation frequently. You're absolutely correct that both recalculations should happen, but there's often a disconnect between what should happen automatically and what actually does. A few additional points that might help: 1. The ARF adjustment can actually be processed before you reach FRA, but the increased benefit amount won't start until you actually reach 67. So it's worth requesting now to get the paperwork started. 2. For the earnings recomputation, make sure you have copies of your Social Security Statement (ssa.gov/myaccount) from before your higher earning years. This will help you verify that the new earnings are actually being used in your calculation. 3. If you hit roadblocks, consider contacting your Congressional representative's office. They have caseworkers who specialize in Social Security issues and can often cut through the bureaucracy when citizens are getting incorrect information from SSA. 4. Document everything - dates of calls, names of representatives you spoke with, and what they told you. This becomes important if you need to escalate or file an appeal later. The fact that multiple reps seemed confused by your question is unfortunately typical, but don't let that discourage you from pursuing what you're entitled to. These recalculations can result in significant monthly increases that add up over time.