Has anyone calculated if it's better for the husband to just claim HIS benefits at 65, then when his wife files at her FRA, have him switch to spousal benefits? Or does he get locked into his own benefit rate forever if he claims early??? The SSA website is SO CONFUSING about this!! I've read the same pages like 20 times and still don't understand if you can switch later or not!!!

Thank you all for the helpful information! I think I understand the situation better now. My husband would still likely benefit from the spousal boost even with filing early, but: 1. He can't receive ANY spousal benefits until I file at my FRA 2. He needs to explicitly request spousal benefits when applying 3. He'll get his own reduced benefit PLUS potentially an additional amount to reach the reduced spousal benefit level I think we need to run some calculations and possibly consult with SSA directly before making our final decision. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge!

i just went thru this!! filed for ss in december and my husband has tax issues too. the ssa doesnt care how u file taxes they just look at ur earnings record. but u should talk to a tax person bcuz the thresholds for paying taxes on ur benefits are different when filing separate

super simple! they only asked about MY work history and earnings. they didnt even ask about my husband except to verify i was married. just bring ur marriage certificate, birth certificate, and photo id when u go. the whole thing took like 30 min and most of that was just waiting

ok so I JUST got off the phone with SSA after 3.5 HOURS on hold and the rep told me that they're aware of the login issues and are "working on a fix" which could take WEEKS. she suggested exactly what you did - incognito mode! she said their IT department is recommending this as a workaround. so this is officially SSA approved advice lol

Just wanted to update and say I've been able to log in successfully for 3 days straight using the incognito method. Still annoying to have to use incognito every time, but at least I can check my disability application status now. Currently shows "medical review in process" which I guess means more waiting... 🙄

To clarify the confusion: COLA definitely applies starting at age 62 regardless of when you claim benefits. This is explicitly stated in SSA's Program Operations Manual System (POMS). The way it works: Your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) is calculated at age 62 based on your earnings history. After that, COLAs are applied to that amount every year there's an increase - even if you're waiting until 67, 70, or any age in between to actually claim benefits. If you haven't reached 62 yet, your estimate might show projected COLA increases, but they haven't actually been applied to your record yet.

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses. I had no idea my benefit calculation was so complex! I'm going to check my earnings record and maybe try to speak with an SSA rep to fully understand my specific situation. This has been really educational - I appreciate all the explanations!

Regarding preparing your daughter for the hearing: 1. Request accommodations in advance - your attorney should file this request 2. Practice simple questions about daily activities but don't over-rehearse (judges can tell) 3. If possible, show the judge documentation of her communication difficulties from a psychologist or doctor 4. Consider requesting a video hearing if in-person would be too stressful 5. You can request a female judge, though this may further delay your hearing date Remember that the judge will likely have a medical expert and vocational expert present who will do much of the technical testimony. Your daughter will primarily need to answer questions about her daily life and limitations. One important tip: make sure your attorney emphasizes that your daughter's presentation on her 'best day' is not representative of her typical functioning. People with intellectual disabilities often mask their difficulties in formal settings through learned coping mechanisms.

The national average wait time for an ALJ hearing is currently around 8-10 months, though some offices are faster and others significantly slower. You can check the average processing time for your specific hearing office on SSA's website. Regarding the DAC benefits: This is actually a common misunderstanding. If your daughter meets the criteria for disability under SSA rules, and her disability began before age 22, she may be eligible for DAC benefits on her father's record regardless of whether she qualifies for SSDI on her own record (which would require sufficient work credits). Since her father is already receiving SSDI, she could potentially receive up to 50% of his Primary Insurance Amount as a DAC benefit. For the hearing preparation, your attorney should request specific accommodations based on your daughter's condition. The judge is required to make reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This might include: 1. Having you present to help explain or rephrase questions 2. Allowing written responses if verbal communication is difficult 3. Scheduling breaks during the hearing if needed 4. Using simple, direct language and questions Make sure all medical records clearly document her communication difficulties so these accommodation requests are supported by evidence.

I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to get my specific numbers. Seems like I might get slightly more than the $2200 he was receiving based on that 82.5% rule someone mentioned. This whole system is so confusing - I wish they would explain these things more clearly on their website!

Just be sure to ask specifically about the RIB LIM calculation when you talk to them. Many SSA reps automatically calculate it in their system but don't explain it well. Ask them to tell you what your husband's PIA was (that's the amount he would have received at his full retirement age), then what 82.5% of that figure is, and compare that to the $2200 he was receiving. You're entitled to the higher amount.

To clarify a point that might be causing confusion: the spousal benefit calculation is: The higher of: 1. Your own retirement benefit OR 2. Up to 50% of your spouse's PIA (reduced if you claim before FRA) You don't get both. You get the higher amount. And since you're claiming early, that 50% would be reduced to about 32.5% at age 62. Based on your numbers ($1,260 own benefit vs. $942.50 reduced spousal at 62), you would just receive your own $1,260 benefit. No spousal top-up would apply unless your husband's PIA was significantly higher than $2,900.

Looking at your numbers more carefully, there's something important to consider for your long-term planning: If you wait until your FRA (66+8mo), your own benefit would be $1,750. The full 50% spousal benefit based on your husband's $2,900 PIA would be $1,450. Since your own benefit at FRA ($1,750) is greater than the spousal benefit ($1,450), you would not receive a spousal top-up even at FRA. However, your husband's benefit will be significantly reduced by claiming at 63 (about 22.5% reduction). You both might want to reconsider your filing strategy if your financial situation allows waiting longer.

Just wanted to add that once you apply, you should get a decision pretty quickly on the ex-spouse benefits since it's mostly just verifying your marriage length and divorce timing. But make sure you get a DETAILED BREAKDOWN of the calculation they use! I've seen so many mistakes with people's benefits! If anything looks off, request a reconsideration immediately - you only have 60 days!

I wanted to add one more important point: If you're eligible for both your own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit, SSA will pay your own benefit first, and then supplement it with the ex-spouse benefit if that would result in a higher total. This is called the "deemed filing" rule. So if your own benefit at 62 would be $800, and the ex-spouse benefit would be $1000, you'd receive your $800 plus an additional $200 to reach the higher amount. It's also worth noting that claiming early permanently reduces both your own retirement benefit and the ex-spouse benefit. The reduction factors are slightly different, but both are significant at age 62.

good luck!!! make sure u send it certified mail so they cant say they never got it. thats what happened to my mom the first time!

That's a smart idea! I'll definitely send it certified mail. I wouldn't put it past them to

One more thing I should mention - while the offices are closed on those dates, the MySocialSecurity online portal is still accessible 24/7, even during holidays. If you're just uploading documents, you can still do that during the closure dates. However, as others have mentioned, they won't be processed until staff returns. The online submission system basically creates a queue that's processed in order when employees return to work.

I wonder if anyone here knows - does this holiday schedule apply to the payment processing too? Will our January direct deposits be affected by their closure days? My husband depends on his SSDI payment coming on time.