As someone who's been lurking in this community for a while but just created an account, I have to say this thread has been incredibly enlightening! My partner and I are about 5 years away from facing this exact decision, and reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more valuable than the generic advice you find elsewhere. What really stands out to me is how this isn't just a Social Security optimization problem - it's really about coordinating multiple complex retirement planning pieces. The discussions about earnings tests, tax implications, RMDs, Medicare timing, and even long-term care considerations show just how interconnected everything is. I'm particularly struck by the breakeven analyses people have shared. The math showing that the lower earner only needs to live past 78 for early claiming to make sense, combined with the survivor benefit protection from having the higher earner delay, makes a compelling case for this strategy when there's a significant income gap. For those who've implemented the "lower earner claims early, higher earner delays" approach - have you found any unexpected benefits or challenges that weren't obvious during the planning phase? And for anyone still in the decision-making process, what's been your biggest source of reliable, personalized guidance beyond online calculators? Thanks to everyone who's shared their knowledge here - this kind of peer-to-peer learning is invaluable when navigating such consequential financial decisions!

As someone who's been working with Social Security optimization for couples, I wanted to add a perspective that might help tie together many of the excellent points raised in this thread. The strategy you're considering (husband claims at 62, you delay to 70) is indeed mathematically sound for most couples with significant income gaps. But I'd encourage you to think about it as creating a "retirement income bridge" rather than just optimizing Social Security benefits. Here's what I mean: His early benefit provides immediate cash flow that allows you to delay claiming (and potentially delay tapping retirement accounts), while your delayed benefit maximizes the household's long-term income security through the survivor benefit. This creates flexibility during what's often a challenging transition period between full-time work and full retirement. A few practical considerations I'd add: 1. **Timing coordination**: If you're planning to retire before claiming at 70, make sure you have health insurance coverage sorted out for the gap years. 2. **Annual strategy reviews**: Social Security rules can change, and your personal circumstances might evolve. Plan to reassess this strategy annually. 3. **Document everything**: Keep records of your decision-making process and the assumptions you used. This helps if you need to adjust course later. The fact that you're thinking through all these variables now puts you ahead of many couples who make these decisions without considering the broader implications. The strategy you're leaning toward provides both immediate income and long-term security - which is often the best of both worlds.

I'm going through the exact same situation with my daughter who turns 18 on June 11th and graduates June 9th! After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm now completely convinced to fill out those SSA-1372 forms we received. Like so many others here, I had no idea about that "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule - the fact that benefits would stop in May for a June birthday without these forms is shocking! That could mean losing 2-3 months of payments right when graduation expenses are highest. I'm planning to follow all the excellent advice shared here: go directly to our school's registrar office (not the main office), bring my daughter's Social Security card and birth certificate for verification, make copies of everything for our records, and send it back via certified mail with return receipt. One additional tip I wanted to share - I called SSA's customer service line yesterday using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier, and the agent confirmed that as long as the forms are submitted and processed before her 18th birthday, she'll receive benefits through June since she was enrolled as a student when the month started. This gave me extra peace of mind about the timeline. Thank you to everyone in this thread for sharing your experiences! You've transformed what felt like an impossible bureaucratic maze into a clear action plan. It's incredible how many families face this exact timing challenge every graduation season - this community has been absolutely invaluable!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation with my son who turns 18 on June 14th and graduates June 12th! After reading through all these incredibly detailed experiences, I'm now fully convinced that I need to fill out those SSA-1372 forms immediately. The "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule that everyone has mentioned is absolutely shocking - I had no idea that without these student forms, benefits would stop in May for a June birthday! That could mean losing out on May AND June payments, which is a significant amount of money right during graduation season when expenses are already so high. I'm going to follow the proven strategy that so many people have successfully used: contact our school's registrar office directly (skipping the main office runaround), bring my son's Social Security card and birth certificate for verification, make copies of everything for our records, and send it all back via certified mail with return receipt for that important paper trail. It's honestly incredible how many families are dealing with this exact timing scenario! Before finding this thread, I was completely lost about whether these forms even applied to our situation. Now I have a clear action plan thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences. One quick question - did anyone else feel overwhelmed by how poorly the SSA explains this whole process? The forms themselves don't make it clear at all how critical the timing is or what happens if you don't submit them. Thank goodness for communities like this where people can share real experiences and help each other navigate these confusing government systems!

Welcome to the community, Andre! Your experience as a librarian approaching FRA next year sounds very similar to what many of us have navigated. This thread has been such an incredible resource - I'm also new here and can't believe how much clarity everyone has provided! Like you, I was finding contradictory information everywhere and getting increasingly anxious about the rules. The consistent message from all the members who are actually living this reality is so reassuring: absolutely NO earnings limit after FRA that would affect your Social Security benefits. It's amazing how many of us have been unnecessarily limiting our work hours out of fear! I've been doing the same thing with my part-time work. Reading about people like James (3 years of successful experience), Ravi, Fatima, and others who've been working while collecting full benefits really gives me confidence about my own plans. Your library job sounds like it would be a perfect complement to Social Security benefits - the flexibility to take on extra shifts when you want them without worrying about hitting some earnings threshold will be such a relief! Thanks for sharing your situation and adding to this amazing discussion.

As someone who's 62 and just starting to plan for my FRA in a few years, this entire thread has been absolutely incredible! I can't believe how much valuable information everyone has shared from their real-world experiences. Like so many others here, I've been completely confused by all the conflicting information online about Social Security earnings limits. I work part-time as a medical transcriptionist and have been worried sick about whether I'd be able to continue working after claiming benefits. Reading through all of your consistent experiences has finally given me the clarity and peace of mind I desperately needed! The message couldn't be clearer: once you reach your Full Retirement Age, there is absolutely NO earnings limit that will reduce your Social Security benefits - you can work as much or as little as you want! It's amazing (and honestly a bit frustrating) how many of us have been unnecessarily stressing and limiting our work opportunities because of fear and misinformation. I've actually been declining extra transcription projects thinking I'd need to be super careful about my earnings even after FRA. Now I understand that's only a concern BEFORE reaching FRA. Thank you especially to members like James Johnson, Ravi, Fatima, and others who've shared years of successful experience working while collecting full benefits. Your stories are worth their weight in gold! This community has provided more useful, practical information than months of trying to decipher government websites. I'm so grateful to have found this resource before reaching my claiming decision point!

I'm so sorry for your friend's loss. Losing a spouse after nearly two decades together is devastating, and you're being such a caring friend by helping her navigate these complex benefit rules while she's grieving. Everyone here has provided excellent guidance about how the GPO will affect her survivor benefits. I wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - she should ask SSA about whether any portion of her teacher's pension might be exempt from the GPO calculation. Sometimes if teachers paid into Social Security for certain periods during their career (like summer jobs or substitute teaching in districts covered by SS), portions of their pension might not count toward the GPO reduction. Also, when she goes to her SSA appointment, she should bring documentation of her monthly pension amount. They'll need the gross amount before any deductions for taxes, health insurance, etc. Having that official documentation will ensure they calculate her GPO reduction accurately. The emotional toll of handling all these financial details while grieving can't be understated. Please make sure she knows it's okay to ask the SSA representative to slow down or repeat information during her appointment. Many people find it helpful to bring a trusted friend (like you!) to important appointments during the early stages of grief to help listen and take notes. Your friend is fortunate to have someone like you advocating for her during this incredibly difficult time.

I'm so deeply sorry for your friend's loss. Losing a spouse is one of life's most difficult experiences, and you're being such a wonderful friend by helping her navigate these complex benefit rules during her grief. Reading through all the excellent advice here, it sounds like you now have a clear understanding of how the GPO will affect her survivor benefits. One additional resource that might be helpful is contacting the National Education Association (NEA) or her local teachers' union if she was a member. Many teacher unions have benefits counselors who specialize in these exact GPO situations and can provide free guidance to retired members and their survivors. Also, since she's in Illinois, she might want to check if the state has any programs to help offset the impact of federal benefit reductions. Some states have created supplemental programs specifically to help retired teachers who are affected by WEP or GPO. The financial security from combining her $2,700 teacher pension with the estimated $1,400 in survivor benefits will provide stability during this transition, even though it's less than she hoped for. Most importantly, please remind her that this process doesn't have to be rushed - she can take time to grieve while still protecting her financial interests. You're truly being a blessing to her during this incredibly difficult time. The practical support and advocacy you're providing is invaluable when someone is trying to process both grief and complex financial decisions.

I'm so sorry for your sister's loss and what she's going through during this incredibly difficult time. Reading through this entire thread has been eye-opening as someone new to this community - the level of knowledge and support here is truly remarkable! Based on everything that's been shared, it sounds like your sister has a very strong case for her Difficulty of Care payments NOT counting toward the Social Security earnings test. The consensus from everyone's experiences seems clear: these payments under IRC Section 131 are specifically excluded from earnings calculations for survivor benefits. I wanted to add one suggestion that might help streamline the process - when your sister submits her formal earnings determination request (which sounds like the best approach based on everyone's advice), she might consider also requesting a case conference or supervisor review at the same time. Sometimes having a more experienced SSA representative handle complex cases involving multiple benefit programs can prevent the inconsistent answers that others have mentioned experiencing. Also, given that she's been receiving these payments for several years before her husband's passing, she has the advantage of established documentation showing this is legitimate ongoing care rather than something new that might raise questions. The fact that she has you advocating for her makes such a difference. These systems are overwhelming under the best of circumstances, let alone while grieving. This community has provided incredible guidance, and I'm confident she'll get the proper documentation she needs to have peace of mind moving forward.

I'm so sorry for your sister's loss - losing a spouse while caring for a disabled adult child must be incredibly overwhelming. This thread has been incredibly informative and shows what an amazing support system this community provides! As someone new here, I wanted to add that your sister might also benefit from documenting her caregiving arrangement with photos or videos (with appropriate privacy considerations for her son) showing the home environment and care activities. While this isn't required for the earnings determination, some families have found it helpful to have visual documentation of the caregiving situation if questions ever arise about the legitimacy of the Difficulty of Care payments. Also, since she's been providing this care for several years, she might want to gather any medical records or care plans from her son's healthcare providers that document his ongoing need for this level of assistance. Having medical professionals' assessments that support the necessity of her caregiving role can provide additional validation if needed. The advice everyone has given about the formal earnings determination process sounds like exactly the right approach. It's clear from all the responses that these Medicaid Difficulty of Care payments should NOT count toward the Social Security earnings test, and getting that officially documented will give her the peace of mind she deserves during this difficult transition. Your advocacy for her is so important - having family support while navigating these complex benefit systems makes all the difference in the world.