Thank you all for the helpful advice! I think I'll select YES for Medicare Part B and clearly note in the remarks section that I want both Parts A and B to start May 1st, 2025 when my employer coverage ends. I'll also make sure to save a copy of my application with all the notes. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences!

wait i'm confused about something - doesn't Medicare have to start the month you turn 65? My neighbor said you don't get to pick the start date...

One thing to consider is that even with the WEP reduction, it still might make financial sense to claim at 64 rather than waiting, depending on your health and financial situation. I ran calculations for myself and found that the break-even point where waiting until FRA made sense was around 82 years old. So if you don't expect to live past that age, taking it earlier could give you more lifetime benefits even with the WEP reduction. Just something to think about.

do u know if u paid into SS for those govt jobs? some govt jobs do pay into SS so maybe WEP wont affect u?? just checkin

Has anyone talked to a financial advisor about this? I feel like Social Security claiming strategies are so complicated, especially with married couples with different earning histories. I wonder if it's worth paying someone to run all the scenarios?

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice and sharing your experiences! I think I've decided to hold off on claiming early and look for other solutions to bridge our income gap for the next few years. Between the permanent reduction, tax implications, and the spousal/survivor benefit considerations, waiting seems to make more financial sense in the long run. I'm going to look into some part-time work options and possibly use a portion of our emergency fund if needed. We might also consult with a financial advisor as suggested to make sure we're making the optimal choice for our specific situation. Really appreciate all the insights - this community has been incredibly helpful!

my neighbor was in this exact situation!!! she got benefits from her ex even tho he was married to someone else when he died. but the crazy thing is the new wife tried to like BLOCK her from getting anything!! said it wasn't fair that they both got money. but SSA told her to buzz off basically lolol. both ladies got their benefits in the end.

One other thing to consider - your mother should look into whether she should claim her own retirement benefit or the survivor benefit first. This depends on her own work history. If her own retirement benefit at her FRA would be LOWER than the survivor benefit, she might want to: 1. Take the reduced survivor benefit now at 62 2. Switch to her own retirement benefit at 70 when it will have maximized with delayed retirement credits If her own benefit would be HIGHER than the survivor benefit, she might want to: 1. Take her reduced retirement benefit now 2. Switch to the survivor benefit at her FRA when it wouldn't be reduced This is complex territory and very specific to her situation. I strongly recommend she schedule an appointment with SSA to discuss these options.

I dont mean to hijack but my own mother has similar situation her husband (my stepdad) was police officer who died in 2022 and she got reduced SS because of some pension thing. Is this the same GPO thing you guys talking about? She said they took away almost all her SS when she started getting his pension

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm going to try calling with my mother present first so she can give verbal authorization. Then I'll look into the Form SSA-1696 for longer-term help. I'll specifically ask about the GPO reduction, maximum survivor benefits, and those Medicare assistance programs mentioned. Really appreciate all the advice!

From my experience working with SSA benefit issues, this sounds like it could be an IRS tax levy. The IRS can garnish up to 15% of your Social Security benefits for unpaid federal taxes without getting a court order, and they don't always coordinate notification timing well with SSA. Check if you've received any IRS notices recently. Regarding the tracking number - SSA doesn't provide this to beneficiaries directly. The bank is asking for something that only SSA internal systems have. What you need instead is your Payment ID number which appears on your SSA payment history (not the same as a tracking number). Since this is affecting your immediate finances, I would recommend: 1. First try the "Check Payment" section in your MySocialSecurity account - look for any notes about adjustments 2. Call early in the morning (7:00 AM when the national number opens) which typically has shorter wait times 3. If you can't resolve it by phone, contact your Congressional Representative's office - they have liaison officers who can expedite SSA issues SSA should be able to provide a formal explanation letter for any significant benefit reduction.

I used Claimyr last month too when I needed to straighten out my spouse's survivor benefits. They called me back in about 45 minutes when they had an SSA agent on the line. Saved me literally hours of waiting. For your issue, it really sounds like either a garnishment (which should have been communicated to you) or a system error. Either way, you need to speak directly with SSA to get the tracking information your bank is requesting. There's no way to find that number on the website.

Does anyone know if the 4-month early application rule is the same for spousal benefits? My wife is turning FRA in June and wants to apply for benefits on my record.

Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm going to go ahead and apply now so everything's in place for my May payment. Really appreciate all the detailed explanations about the payment schedule too. I'll check out Claimyr if I run into any issues getting through on the phone.

dont worry bout it. ssa always gets it right eventually. my record was showing $1200 for months last year when id made like $22k. fixed itself by december

I see a lot of confusion in this thread about earnings records. To clarify: 1) Employers report wages to SSA quarterly 2) Processing takes time, especially for paper filings 3) The MySocialSecurity portal updates irregularly 4) Complete 2024 earnings won't finalize until mid-2025 5) Small amounts like $646 are typically partial reports 6) This won't affect your future benefits as long as complete W-2 information is eventually processed If you're within 3 years of retirement, I'd recommend requesting an official earnings record by mail to verify everything is accurate for the years that actually count toward your benefit calculation.

has anyone else noticed that the social security workers give different answers depending on who u talk to? i swear i got 3 different explanations when my dad died

To answer your original question directly: No, SSA will not mail checks to each surviving child for the death benefit. The $255 payment goes to you as the surviving spouse who lived with the deceased. It's a single payment to one person, not split among multiple people. The $1,925 figure is almost certainly your estimated monthly survivor benefit if you choose to claim now at age 63.

I went to a retirement seminar last week and the financial advisor said most of these online calculators are pretty accurate. He recommended that site specifically! He also said to add 5-7 years to whatever you think your life expectancy is because most people underestimate. Apparently women especially tend to live longer than they plan for financially.

I think what matters more than the life expectancy they use is your OWN family history and health. My parents both passed in their early 70s from heart issues that run in the family, so I'm planning to claim at 62. No calculator knows YOUR situation!