As someone who's been through this exact decision process, I'd encourage you to consider one more angle: spousal benefits and survivor protection. If you're married, delaying your SS benefit doesn't just affect you - it also determines the maximum survivor benefit your spouse could receive. Given your excellent health and family longevity, this could be significant. That said, your financial position is strong enough that you really can't make a "wrong" choice here. I've seen too many people stress over optimizing SS while missing opportunities to enjoy their early retirement years. The difference between claiming at 62 vs 67 might be $200K over 30 years, but you already have nearly $2M in assets. My suggestion: Run the numbers one more time factoring in taxes and your specific withdrawal strategy, then go with whatever gives you the most peace of mind. The "perfect" mathematical choice isn't worth losing sleep over when you're already in such a secure position.

I'm facing a similar decision at 63 and wanted to share something my fee-only financial planner pointed out that really changed my perspective. She showed me that with substantial assets like yours, the SS timing decision is actually more about sequence of returns risk than just break-even math. If we hit a major market downturn in your early 60s while you're drawing from your TSP/IRA to delay SS, you could be forced to sell at losses during the worst possible time. But if you take SS at 62, you have that guaranteed income floor and can ride out market volatility without touching your investments during downturns. Given that your TSP is heavily in C fund (which has been great but is still market-dependent), having that SS cushion might actually be worth more than the delayed retirement credits from a risk management standpoint. The math assumes steady market returns, but real retirement doesn't work that way. Just another angle to consider - sometimes the "suboptimal" choice on paper turns out to be the smartest choice in practice when markets don't cooperate.

Hi! I'm completely new to this community and just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been. I'm actually in a very similar situation - I lost my part-time job about 2 months ago due to my disability worsening and making it impossible to maintain my work schedule. I was earning about $380/month and like you, I had no idea I needed to report stopping work to SSA. I thought you only had to report when you STARTED working! Reading all these success stories from everyone who went through the exact same thing is giving me the courage to finally make that call myself. It's clear from all the responses that this is way more common than any of us realized, and SSA is used to dealing with these situations when people are honest about what happened. Based on what everyone is sharing about their experiences, it sounds like you could potentially get around $200+ more per month going forward plus several months of back payments. That could really help with getting your car fixed! I'm planning to call tomorrow morning too after reading all this encouragement. We can do this! Don't let the fear hold you back from getting the money you're entitled to. All these community members have shown that SSA is understanding about transportation and health-related job losses when you're upfront about the situation.

Hi! I'm new to this community and just wanted to add my voice to everyone encouraging you to call SSA right away. I went through almost the exact same situation about 6 weeks ago - lost my part-time job (was making about $390/month) due to transportation issues when my car needed major repairs I couldn't afford. Like you, I completely forgot about reporting it to Social Security and was terrified about calling after waiting so long. When I finally called (after reading posts exactly like this one!), the representative was actually really patient and helpful. I explained that I didn't realize I needed to report stopping work and thought reporting was only for when you START working. She said this is one of the most common misunderstandings they see, especially with people who are newer to receiving SSI benefits. My monthly payment increased by about $195, and they processed back payments for the months I should have been getting the higher amount - ended up being around $780 total! No penalties at all because I was honest about when I stopped working and why I didn't report it initially. Based on your $420/month income, you're probably looking at around $210+ more per month plus 4 months of back payments. That could be over $800 that you're missing out on! Don't let fear keep you from getting money you're legally entitled to. The transportation issue is completely legitimate and they deal with these situations all the time. You've got this - call them tomorrow!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kristian. I went through a similar situation when my mother passed away two years ago, also dealing with an unresponsive executor sibling. You're absolutely right that you can file Form 1724 independently - the executor's cooperation isn't required for survivor benefit applications. From reading through all the responses here, it sounds like you've gotten some excellent advice about the name change documentation (simple written explanation works fine) and unfortunately confirmed that your college-age sister won't be eligible since she's no longer in high school. One additional tip I haven't seen mentioned yet - when you call SSA (if you manage to get through), ask them to make a note in their system that you've submitted an application on [date you mail it]. This can help if there are any processing delays or if your paperwork gets misplaced. Also, consider setting a calendar reminder to follow up in about 6-8 weeks if you haven't heard anything by then. The whole process can feel overwhelming, especially when you're grieving, but it sounds like you're well-prepared now with all the great advice from this community. Best of luck with your application!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Kristian. Reading through all these responses, it's clear you've received excellent guidance from this community. I just wanted to add one small thing that helped me when I went through this process last year - when you're gathering all your documents, consider creating a simple checklist to track what you have and what you still need. It really helped me stay organized, especially when dealing with multiple family members and their various name changes. Also, if you do end up calling SSA, try calling on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings around 8-9 AM - I found those times had slightly shorter wait times than Mondays or Fridays. The grief process is hard enough without having to navigate bureaucracy, but it sounds like you're handling everything thoughtfully and thoroughly. Wishing you the best with your application!

I'm a case worker who helps families navigate Social Security benefits, and I wanted to add a few professional insights to this excellent discussion. First, regarding timing - I always recommend applying 3-4 months before you want benefits to start, especially with dependent children involved. The processing can be slower when multiple beneficiaries are on one record, and any missing documentation can add weeks to the timeline. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: if any of your adopted children have disabilities or special needs, they may be eligible for different benefit calculations or extended benefits beyond age 18/19. Make sure to mention any disabilities during your appointment, as this could significantly impact their long-term benefit eligibility. Also, keep in mind that if you remarry after starting benefits, it generally won't affect your children's benefits, but it's something to be aware of for future planning. The representative payee reporting isn't as scary as it sounds - SSA mainly wants to see that funds are used appropriately for the children's needs (housing, food, clothing, education, medical care). Keep receipts for major purchases, but you don't need to account for every dollar spent. Best of luck with your retirement planning! Your children are fortunate to have someone thinking so carefully about their financial future.

I've been working as a benefits counselor for several years and wanted to emphasize something important that hasn't been fully addressed - make sure you understand the "deeming" rules that might apply to your situation. Since you have custody of adopted children, SSA will need to verify that these children are primarily dependent on you for support and not receiving substantial support from their birth parents or other sources. This usually isn't an issue with adopted children, but I've seen cases where biological parents were still providing financial support that affected benefit calculations. Bring documentation showing you're the primary source of support - things like tax returns where you claim them as dependents, health insurance coverage, school records listing you as the guardian, etc. Also, a practical tip: when you set up those representative payee accounts, consider asking the bank about setting up automatic transfers to a savings account for each child. Even putting aside $50-100 per month from their benefits can build up a nice nest egg for when they turn 18. SSA actually looks favorably on this type of saving for the children's future needs, and it shows you're managing the funds responsibly. The annual reporting really isn't burdensome once you get into a routine - I help families with this all the time and most find it manageable after the first year.

Just wanted to add something important that I learned when helping my neighbor with this - make sure your father-in-law gets a copy of his Social Security Statement before applying! You can access it online at ssa.gov/myaccount or request a paper copy. This will show his complete work history and estimated benefits, which helps verify everything is correct before he applies. Also, since he's been working for 9 years, he's probably very close to earning those 40 credits needed. You typically earn 4 credits per year if you make at least the minimum amount (around $6,500 in 2024), so he likely already qualifies or will very soon. One more tip: if he decides to delay retirement past his Full Retirement Age, his benefits will actually increase by about 8% per year until age 70. This could be worth considering if he's in good health and can continue working!

As someone who works in immigration law, I can confirm everything mentioned here is accurate! Green card holders absolutely qualify for Social Security retirement benefits under the same rules as citizens - 40 credits (roughly 10 years of work). One additional consideration for your father-in-law: since he's been working for 9 years, I'd recommend he check his Social Security earnings record now to make sure all his wages have been properly credited. Sometimes there are discrepancies that need to be corrected, and it's much easier to fix these issues while he's still working. Also, regarding the international travel concerns mentioned earlier - if your father-in-law is from a country that has a totalization agreement with the US, he may be able to combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits. This could potentially help him reach the 40-credit threshold faster if needed. The key thing is that receiving Social Security benefits will NOT affect his immigration status or green card in any way - these are earned benefits he's paid into through payroll taxes.