That's great news! Make sure to keep copies of everything you submit, and get the name of any representatives you speak with. If you run into any issues, don't hesitate to ask to speak with a technical expert or supervisor who might be more familiar with the secondary evidence rules. Good luck with your application!

That's wonderful news Miguel! I'm so glad you got this sorted out quickly. Your situation is actually pretty common - many people from older marriages run into this exact issue where the ceremony happened but the paperwork wasn't filed properly. The fact that your divorce decree acknowledges the marriage date and duration is really the key piece here. For anyone else reading this thread with similar concerns, Miguel's experience shows that SSA does have processes in place to handle these situations. The secondary evidence route with forms SSA-754 and supporting documentation like tax returns really does work. Thanks for updating us on how it went!

To answer your question about how they handle the withholding - typically SSA will withhold full monthly payments at the beginning of the year until they've recovered the amount. So if your monthly benefit is $1,500 and they need to withhold $3,090, they might withhold your January and February payments completely, then withhold $90 from March. However, you can request a different withholding schedule if this creates a hardship. You'd need to contact SSA directly to arrange this. As for taxes, while tax software can handle the basic Social Security forms, a tax professional might be worth it the first year, especially with your 1099 contractor situation. They can help you understand the interplay between self-employment taxes, potential benefit taxation, and deductions you might be eligible for as a contractor.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago. You're absolutely right to be concerned - the earnings test is one of the most confusing aspects of early Social Security benefits! A few practical tips based on what I learned the hard way: First, keep detailed records of ALL your 1099 income throughout the year, including the dates you received payments. SSA may ask for documentation later. Second, if you're going to exceed the limit (which sounds likely in your case), consider calling SSA now to report your expected annual earnings. This way they can start withholding smaller amounts from each check rather than hitting you with a big adjustment later. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking my monthly contractor income against the monthly earnings test limit ($1,860 for 2024). Even though the annual test will likely apply in your situation, it helped me stay aware of my earnings patterns. Also, since you're self-employed with 1099 income, don't forget about quarterly estimated tax payments - Social Security benefits can push you into higher tax brackets, especially combined with contractor income. Good luck navigating this maze!

Update: I talked to my mom and she's definitely receiving retirement benefits and is exactly at her FRA (66). Based on everyone's helpful replies, it sounds like she doesn't need to report her new job at all since she's at FRA and there's no earnings limit. I'm still going to help her set up a my Social Security account though, because she's been getting all her SS information through paper mail and it would be easier to have online access. Thank you everyone for the super helpful information!

Just wanted to add that even though your mom likely doesn't need to report her earnings at FRA, it's still a good idea to keep records of her work history and earnings. Sometimes SSA makes mistakes on their end, and having documentation can help resolve any issues quickly. Also, when you help her set up the my Social Security account, make sure she uses a strong password and enables two-factor authentication if available - there's been an increase in scammers targeting seniors' SSA accounts lately.

Just to address the question from @profile7 above: If you're just starting Social Security benefits now, you'll still receive the current COLA rate on your benefits going forward. You didn't "miss" the COLA by not being on benefits in December. The COLA is already built into the benefit rates for 2025. Your initial benefit calculation will include the 2025 COLA. For everyone: Remember that the COLA is applied to your primary insurance amount (PIA), which is your basic benefit before reductions for early retirement or increases for delayed retirement. So the actual percentage increase in your check might not be exactly 3.2% if you're receiving reduced or increased benefits.

my mom said back in the day COLA used to be way bigger like 5-8% every year... we really getting the short end now with these tiny increases while everything costs way more smh

my financial guy told me the best thing is usually for the lower earner to claim at 62 and higher earner wait till 70. that way u get some money flowing in early but also maximize the survivor benefit for later. worked good for us!

As someone new to understanding Social Security benefits, this conversation has been incredibly enlightening! I'm 58 and my husband is 61, so we're starting to think seriously about these decisions. One thing I'm still unclear on - if my husband files for his benefits at 62 but I wait until my FRA to claim spousal benefits, will I get the full 50% of his PIA even though he filed early? From Diego's examples, it looks like the answer is yes, but I want to make sure I understand correctly. Also, does anyone know if there are any recent changes to these rules? I feel like every time I think I understand Social Security, someone mentions that the rules changed a few years ago!