Rami, what fantastic news about your treatment progress! As someone who's navigated the SSA system, I wanted to share a few key points that might help ease your concerns: The good news is that SSA has specific protocols for cancer cases that recognize the complexity of treatment and recovery. They use something called the "Blue Book" listings, and for lymphoma specifically, they understand that even successful treatment can leave lasting functional limitations. A few important things to keep in mind: - Your recent approval means SSA already has your baseline documented as stage 4 lymphoma, so any review will compare against that severe starting point - Remission doesn't equal full functional recovery - treatment effects like fatigue, neuropathy, immune suppression, and cognitive changes are all legitimate ongoing impairments - The review process typically takes 6-12 months from start to finish, giving you time to prepare For your survivor benefits, those have different rules depending on whether you qualified as a disabled widow/widower or based on age criteria. It's worth clarifying which category you fall under since the medical review may affect them differently. My advice: start documenting everything now - energy levels, concentration issues, physical limitations, medication side effects. This creates a paper trail of your functional capacity that goes beyond just cancer markers. And definitely keep celebrating this amazing treatment response - you deserve to focus on healing first!

Congratulations on your incredible response to treatment! That's such wonderful and hopeful news. I can absolutely understand your anxiety about what happens to your benefits if you continue to improve - it's natural to worry about financial security while you're focused on healing. From what I understand, SSA has specific review processes in place precisely because they recognize that medical improvement doesn't automatically equal the ability to return to full work capacity. Cancer treatment, especially for something as serious as stage 4 lymphoma, often leaves lasting effects that can continue to impact your functional abilities even after achieving remission. The fact that you were just recently approved means SSA has your severe baseline condition well documented. Any future review would need to show significant improvement from that starting point, and they'd have to demonstrate that any improvement actually translates to your ability to perform substantial gainful activity. I'd suggest starting to document all your ongoing symptoms and limitations now - things like fatigue levels, cognitive effects, physical stamina, etc. Even as you improve, these treatment-related effects can be significant and relevant to any future disability determination. Most importantly though, focus on your recovery first. You're dealing with something incredibly challenging and the fact that you're responding so well to treatment is cause for celebration. The administrative side can be managed when the time comes, and you'll have advance notice and options if/when any review happens. Sending you best wishes for continued progress with your treatment!

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I completely understand your frustration with getting incomplete information from SSA. This is unfortunately very common, and you're absolutely right to push for more complete projections. Based on what everyone has shared here, I'd suggest going back with a very specific request. Ask for a "detailed benefit calculation showing both survivor benefits AND retirement benefits from age 60 through 70, including scenarios where I stop working at age 60 and at age 62." One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also ask them to show you the break-even analysis. This tells you at what age the total lifetime benefits become equal between different claiming strategies. For example, if you take reduced survivor benefits early versus waiting for full benefits, there's usually a break-even point around age 78-82 where the total amount received becomes equal. The widow's planning strategy is one of the most complex areas in Social Security, but also one where the right decision can mean tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. Don't let anyone rush you through this - you have every right to understand all your options completely before making such an important financial decision. You're being very smart by asking these questions now. Take your time, get all the information, and consider consulting with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security strategies if the numbers are still confusing after you get the complete projections.

I'm so sorry for your loss and can completely understand your frustration with the incomplete information from SSA. You're absolutely right to be asking these questions - this decision will impact your financial security for the rest of your life. From my experience helping clients navigate Social Security decisions, the printout you received is likely a basic benefit estimate that stops at your Full Retirement Age (67). You definitely need projections through age 70 because that's when your own retirement benefit reaches its maximum value with delayed retirement credits. Here's what you should specifically request on your next visit: 1. "Detailed benefit calculation for both survivor benefits AND retirement benefits from age 60 through 70" 2. Ask them to run scenarios showing your retirement benefit if you stop working at 60 vs. continuing to work 3. Request a break-even analysis comparing different claiming strategies The key strategy many widows use is taking reduced survivor benefits early (as early as 60) while letting their own retirement benefit grow until age 70, then switching to whichever is higher. But you need those complete projections to determine if this makes sense in your situation. Also, verify your husband's earnings record is accurate - errors are more common than you'd think and can significantly impact your survivor benefit amount. Don't let them rush you through this. You have every right to understand all your options completely before making such an important decision.

I'm in a very similar situation - turning 69 in January and want to maximize my DRCs without waiting until 70. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so helpful! It sounds like the consensus is to apply about 3 months before your desired start date, which makes sense. One question I haven't seen addressed yet - for those who have gone through this process, did you notice any delays or issues during the winter months when SSA offices might have reduced staffing due to holidays? I'm wondering if I should apply even earlier (like November) to account for potential holiday processing delays, or if the standard 2-3 month timeline holds true year-round. Also, has anyone had experience with getting their benefit estimate updated in their my Social Security account after applying? I want to make sure I can track that the DRCs are being calculated correctly throughout the process.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - turning 69 in February and have been stressing about the timing. Reading everyone's experiences has really clarified the process for me. One thing I wanted to add that might help others: I called the SSA 1-800 number last week to ask about this exact scenario, and the representative confirmed what everyone here is saying about the monthly calculation. She also mentioned that if you're unsure about any part of the application process, you can start the online application, save it, and then call back to have them walk through it with you over the phone while you're looking at the same screens. Also, for anyone worried about the online system, she told me that about 70% of retirement applications are now submitted online successfully. While there are definitely horror stories out there, the vast majority go through without major issues. The key is just taking your time and double-checking everything before you submit. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so valuable for navigating these complicated processes!

This has been such a comprehensive and helpful discussion! As someone who's 68 and planning to file at 70, I wanted to add one more consideration that my elder law attorney mentioned - the importance of having all your documentation organized before you apply. Beyond just knowing when to file, make sure you have easy access to your birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), tax returns from the last few years, and any military service records. The SSA rep will need to verify various details, and having everything ready can make the process much smoother. Also, if you have any name changes throughout your life (maiden names, etc.), be prepared to provide documentation for those as well. I learned this the hard way when helping my sister apply - what should have been a straightforward call turned into weeks of back-and-forth because she couldn't immediately provide proof of a name change from 30 years ago. One last tip: consider setting up a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov before you apply. You can review your earnings history to make sure everything is accurate, which could save time during your application call. Plus, once you start receiving benefits, you can access statements and manage certain aspects of your account online rather than having to call. The collective wisdom in this thread has been invaluable - thank you all for sharing your real-world experiences!

This thread has been absolutely fantastic! I'm 69 and have been losing sleep over the Social Security timing decision, but reading everyone's real experiences has given me so much clarity and confidence. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's experiences have been with the 6-month retroactive rule - it's clearly a well-established policy, not some "too good to be true" loophole. I feel much better knowing that multiple people have successfully used this strategy. The practical tips have been gold too - calling SSA at 8 AM, being explicit about your desired start date, keeping documentation, and considering the tax implications of lump sum backpay. I hadn't thought about how receiving 6 months of payments at once could affect my tax bracket or potentially trigger IRMAA. I'm definitely going to follow the advice to apply 3-4 months before my 70th birthday next year. Better to have everything processed smoothly than to stress about timing. And I'll make sure to set up my online SSA account first to verify my earnings record. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes such a complex decision feel manageable!

Whatever you do, make sure you ask specifically about how early filing affects the spousal portion!! My sister-in-law messed this up and is getting way less than she expected because she didn't understand how the reductions were applied.

I'm in a very similar situation - 63 and considering filing early while my husband is on SSDI. From what I've researched and heard from others, you definitely can receive both your own retirement benefit and potentially a spousal supplement from his SSDI record. The key thing to understand is that when you file for your own benefits before FRA, you're automatically considered to be filing for any spousal benefits you're eligible for too (this is called "deemed filing"). So SSA will calculate both and give you whichever combination results in the higher total payment. Based on your numbers ($1,380 own benefit vs. his $2,450 SSDI), it sounds like you might not qualify for much of a spousal supplement since your benefit is already fairly close to 50% of his. But definitely get the exact calculation from SSA because there are nuances with how they figure the Primary Insurance Amounts vs. actual payments. One tip: if you can't get through to SSA by phone (and trust me, it's nearly impossible), try going to your local office in person early in the morning. I found they were much more helpful face-to-face and could run all the scenarios for me on the spot. Good luck!