If he absolutely refuses to participate in the SSI application process, you might want to look into legal guardianship or conservatorship. It's a complicated process but might be necessary if his mental health issues are severe enough that he can't make financial decisions for himself. Might be worth consulting with an elder law attorney about your options.

One more crucial thing: once he's on SSI, if he ever receives money from ANY source (gift, inheritance, lottery, etc.), he MUST report it immediately. SSI has very strict income and resource limits ($2,000 in assets). I've seen people lose benefits because a well-meaning family member gave them money and they didn't report it.

One thing to consider is that taxes might be different with survivor benefits vs her own retirement benefit. When I was getting survivor benefits after my husband died, I had to pay taxes on 85% of them because my other income was too high. It might be worth talking to a tax person too before deciding.

Since your sister is already 66, if she was born in 1957 or earlier, she's already at her full retirement age. This means: 1. She can take her own retirement benefit with no reduction (though it would continue growing if she waited until 70) 2. She can take the full survivor benefit with no reduction 3. The earnings test no longer applies, so her work income won't reduce either benefit In this case, the optimal strategy is likely to take the higher of the two benefits now. If her own benefit at age 70 would exceed the survivor benefit due to delayed retirement credits, she could take the survivor benefit now and switch to her own at 70. This is definitely a situation where she should get her exact numbers from SSA before deciding.

One thing to keep in mind - if your ex hasn't claimed yet but does so in the future, they might get a higher benefit from their own record depending on their earnings history. The SSA will pay whichever is higher: their own retirement benefit or the spousal benefit (which maxes out at 50% of your PIA). So don't assume they'll automatically claim on your record even if eligible.

Does your ex know that you're delaying until 70? Because if they're collecting on your record while you're delaying, they're only getting the benefit calculated on your PIA at your full retirement age, not the increased amount you'll get at 70. Just FYI.

Regarding your last question - I'd recommend just getting estimates first rather than applying during the initial appointment. The transition from SSI to DAC requires careful planning, especially regarding Medicaid. Once you have the benefit estimates, you can consult with a benefits planner about the best timing. You might want to coordinate with your state's Medicaid office before finalizing anything. Also, if you're only 65, remember that filing now means taking a reduced retirement benefit before your Full Retirement Age (FRA). This reduction also affects your daughter's DAC benefit. Sometimes it makes financial sense to wait until your FRA to maximize both benefits, but it depends on your specific situation.

don't forget about the ASSET LIMITS - my sister had to spend down savings when she went on SSI but when she switched to DAC those limits went away and she could finally save money without losing benefits. that was a huge positive for us.

my neighbor works for our state pension system and she said they've been swamped with questions about this! apparently the state retirement systems don't have any more info than we do right now lol

One important update: Based on the information shared, I ran a quick calculation using what we know about the new proportional formula. With 18 years of substantial earnings under Social Security out of a 48-year career, approximately 37.5% of your career was in covered employment. The new formula will likely result in you keeping about 37.5% of the difference between your WEP-reduced benefit ($675) and your non-WEP benefit ($1,850). So: $675 + (0.375 × ($1,850 - $675)) = approximately $1,116 per month. This is just an estimate based on the general formula, but it gives you a better idea of what to expect. The actual calculation will be more complex and depend on your specific earnings history.

dont forget about taxes to! if you make to much money while on ss then more of your benefits get taxed. like 85% of them can be taxed if your over the limit. somthing else to think bout.

After reading through this whole discussion, I think you're in a good position to make an informed choice now. It's not a massive financial difference either way given that it's only 4 months. The earnings test complicates things slightly, but only for those 4 months. One last thing to consider: if you're truly miserable at work, what's the value of your happiness and mental health for those 4 months? Sometimes that's worth more than the financial calculation. Best of luck with your decision!

DONT LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE!!! My wife tried to do this and they DENIED her because we were only married 9 years and you need TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE to qualify!!! They never tell you this until its TOO LATE!!!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! Sounds like my wife definitely qualifies for the spousal benefit. Just to confirm what I've learned: 1) She can get up to 50% of my PIA at her full retirement age 2) Since she's 65 now and her FRA is probably 66+, she'd get slightly less if she applies immediately after I do 3) She needs to wait until I've filed before she can apply 4) The 10-year marriage rule doesn't apply to us since we're still married. This has been super helpful as we plan our retirement strategy for next year!

You can create an account on my.ssa.gov to see your own estimated benefit amount. For your deceased ex-spouse's record, you'll need to speak with an SSA representative who can look up that information. Since your first marriage lasted over 10 years and you haven't remarried (your second marriage ended), you potentially qualify for either: 1. Survivor benefits based on your deceased ex-husband's record (up to 100% of what he would receive) 2. Your own retirement benefit At FRA, you can choose whichever is higher. In some cases, you can even take one benefit type now and switch to the other later if it would result in a higher amount.

Just curious - does anyone know if they MAIL BACK your original documents after they process your application? My friend is worried about sending her only copy of her divorce papers...

After reading through all this, I strongly suspect this is an administrative error during your conversion from SSDI to retirement benefits. The timing matches perfectly. The key is getting through to SSA quickly, as these errors can take time to correct, and you want your proper payment restored as soon as possible. Make sure to explicitly ask for: 1. A complete explanation of how your benefit was calculated 2. Why there was no advance notice of the reduction 3. Whether you're entitled to back payments for the difference Keep detailed notes of every conversation, including representative names and direct numbers if possible. If they say they'll call back, get a specific timeframe and follow up if you don't hear back.

KEEP FIGHTING!!! Don't let them get away with this! When this happened to me I had to call my congressperson's office to get help when SSA was dragging their feet. The congressional inquiry lit a fire under them and suddenly they were VERY responsive. Don't be afraid to escalate if you're not getting answers.

Have you considered a hybrid approach? If you're married and your wife is also near retirement age, sometimes it makes sense for the lower-earning spouse to claim earlier while the higher earner delays. This gives you some SS income now while still building up the larger benefit that will eventually become the survivor benefit. Also, don't forget to factor in taxation of Social Security benefits. Since your other taxable income is relatively low, you might be in a good position to keep most of your SS benefits tax-free, which effectively increases their value compared to other income sources.

To answer your follow-up question - your wife claiming her own benefit early does NOT affect her survivor benefit. If you pass away, she would get your full benefit amount regardless of when she claimed her own benefit. This is why many financial advisors recommend the hybrid strategy for couples with significant benefit disparities. Given your numbers, if she claimed at her FRA (probably around $1,230/month based on what you shared), you'd get some SS income flowing while still maximizing your benefit (and her eventual survivor benefit). Just make sure she's at least at her own FRA to avoid any potential reduction from the earnings test if she's still working.