I went thru the same thing!! When my SSDI changed over i was SHOCKED it was the same amount, i always thought SSDI was more. My neighbor said her husband's check actually went DOWN but i think she's confused about something because everything i've read says the amount stays the same?? The whole system is so confusing lol.

I'm in a similar situation - my FRA is coming up in a few months and I've been wondering the same thing! From what I've learned reading through these comments, it sounds like the key factor is whether you would have had higher earning years during those 8 years you were on SSDI. Since Social Security uses your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, if you were in your peak earning phase when you became disabled, you probably would have seen some increase in your retirement benefit. But the disability freeze protected you from having zero-income years hurt your calculation, which is actually a good thing. One thing that might help is looking at your old tax returns from right before you went on disability - that could give you an idea of what your trajectory was earnings-wise. If your salary was trending upward, you might have missed out on some higher benefit calculations. But honestly, the peace of mind from having SSDI during those years when you needed it was probably worth more than any potential difference in monthly benefits.

also idk if this helps but my mom told me grandma eventually got on a subsidized housing list and that helped her a lot with expenses. the wait was like 2 years tho so maybe apply now even if ur not sure?

I'm really sorry you're going through this - the 10-year marriage rule is unfortunately one of the strictest requirements in Social Security law with no exceptions or hardship provisions. Your ex-husband deliberately timing the divorce is sadly more common than people realize. However, I'd strongly encourage you to pursue the worker misclassification issue aggressively. If you were truly functioning as an employee (set schedule, using their equipment, following their procedures), you may have been illegally misclassified. While Form SS-8 typically only allows corrections going back 3 years, there can be exceptions in cases of employer fraud or willful misclassification. You might also want to consult with an employment attorney who handles wage theft cases - some take these on contingency if there's a strong case against your former employer. They could potentially help you recover not just the Social Security credits, but also the employer portion of payroll taxes that should have been paid on your behalf. Additionally, contact your state's Department of Labor - they often have programs to help workers who've been misclassified recover what they're owed. This could potentially impact more than just the recent 3 years if there's evidence of systematic misclassification.

I had this EXACT situation last year - retired teacher with SS from other jobs. You've lost 40% of your benefit (keeping 60%). The formula is complex, but here's what happens: 1. Normal SS formula uses 90% of first chunk of your earnings in calculation 2. WEP reduces that 90% to 40% (a 50% reduction) 3. This doesn't mean 50% of your TOTAL benefit, just 50% of that first calculation tier 4. Result is usually a 30-40% reduction of total benefit With 18 qualified years, you should be getting a slight break on the full WEP penalty. Did you verify all 18 years meet the substantial earnings threshold? Each year has a different dollar amount.

I'm a newcomer here but dealing with a similar WEP situation. Reading through all these explanations really helps clarify the confusion! I had the same misunderstanding about the percentages - thinking WEP took a straight 40-60% of my total benefit rather than modifying the calculation formula. One thing I'd add for anyone in this situation: if you're still able to work part-time in Social Security-covered employment, it might be worth trying to accumulate more "substantial earnings" years. Even getting from 16 years to 20 years can make a meaningful difference in your monthly benefit going forward. Also, make sure to request an official WEP calculation worksheet from SSA if you haven't already. It breaks down exactly how they arrived at your reduction amount and can help you verify everything is calculated correctly. I found an error in mine that resulted in an extra $87/month once corrected. The whole system is needlessly complex, but at least understanding the math helps reduce some of the frustration!

This is such valuable information everyone is sharing! I just wanted to add something that might help your brother get through to SSA faster. I've found that calling right when they open at 7 AM (in your time zone) gives you the best chance of getting through. The lines are usually less busy first thing in the morning before everyone starts calling. Also, if your brother is still having trouble getting through, he might want to try visiting his local SSA office in person. You can find the nearest office on the SSA website and some locations allow walk-ins for certain types of applications, though you'll likely wait longer than with an appointment. The most important thing everyone here is emphasizing is TIME - every day he delays filing for those kids is money out of their pockets. Even if the family maximum reduces their individual benefits, with two kids they should still get a substantial amount monthly, plus whatever retroactive benefits they're eligible for. Wishing your family the best of luck with this process!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this process with my own kids a few years ago. All the advice here is spot-on, especially about filing IMMEDIATELY! I can't stress this enough - the 6-month retroactive limit for children's benefits is real and it's heartbreaking how much money families lose by not knowing this. One thing I'd add is that when your brother calls SSA, he should specifically ask about "auxiliary benefits" for his children - that's the technical term they use. Also, make sure he mentions that he just received his disability approval so they understand the timeline. The family maximum calculation can be confusing, but even with the reduction, his kids should receive a meaningful amount. In my case with 2 children, we ended up getting about 75% of what the full 50% per child would have been due to the family cap. Your brother has already fought so hard for 5 years to get his disability - don't let SSA's confusing system cost his children thousands in benefits they're entitled to. File those applications this week if possible!

careful with the earnings limit!!!!! my brother went over by like $3000 and they took back a bunch of his benefits. big mess to fix

Just wanted to share my personal experience since I was in a very similar situation! I started collecting at 62 and continued working part-time for about 4 years. The FICA taxes definitely kept coming out of every paycheck, which felt frustrating at first, but it did pay off in the end. My benefit increased three times during those years - once by $31/month, another time by $18/month, and the final increase was $42/month. The increases happened automatically each January, and I could see the changes reflected in my SSA.gov account under the benefit payment history. One tip: keep good records of your earnings each year so you can track whether the recalculations are happening correctly. I also found it helpful to periodically check my earnings record online to make sure my employer was reporting my wages properly to SSA. The earnings limit was definitely something to watch carefully - I had to turn down some extra shifts a couple times to stay under the threshold, but overall continuing to work was worth it both financially and personally!