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my 2 cents - enjoy life NOW. my sister waited to retire "to get maximum SS" and passed at 67 before ever collecting a dime! with your family history, retiring at 60 sounds smart. the financial difference over time might not be as big as people think when u factor in actually GETTING the money for more years.
One more important point: once you reach your Full Retirement Age, the earnings limit no longer applies. Before FRA, if you work and earn above certain limits ($21,240 in 2025), your benefits are reduced by $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit. If your husband plans to continue working while collecting, this could impact his benefits until he reaches FRA. And since spousal benefits are tied to when he files, this becomes part of your calculation too. For the most precise information, create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov to see your exact benefit estimates at various claiming ages.
Thank you! I do have a my Social Security account but the estimates there seem to assume I'll keep working at my current salary until whatever age I claim benefits. Is there a way to calculate what happens if I stop working at 60 but don't claim until 62? Do those zeroes for 2 years hurt my average a lot?
Yes, you can adjust future earnings in your my Social Security account to see how different scenarios affect your benefits. Look for the "Change future earnings" option when viewing your estimated benefits. This will let you model stopping work at 60 while claiming at 62.
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wait i'm confused. his wife is on disability not SS retirement? does that make a difference? aren't survivor benefits different for disability?
The OP mentioned his wife's disability will convert to regular Social Security retirement in February 2026. When calculating survivor benefits, the SSA will use either the disability benefit amount or her full retirement amount (whichever is higher). The process for claiming survivor benefits remains the same regardless of whether the deceased spouse was receiving disability or retirement benefits.
I want to thank everyone for the helpful advice. This has clarified a lot for me. I'll definitely be careful to specifically request ONLY survivor benefits when the time comes, and make sure they don't accidentally file for my retirement benefits too. I'll probably try to get an appointment at the local office rather than doing it online, based on everyone's suggestions. This has been really helpful during a difficult time.
You're welcome. Just remember - get everything in writing. If someone at SSA gives you advice, ask for their name and ID number, and request written confirmation of what they tell you. It could save you headaches later.
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the whole system is a mess. my application disappeared completely from the tracker for 2 weeks then suddenly i got a deposit. never even got an approval letter!
Same thing happened to my brother! No approval letter, just money in his account one day. He was so confused he thought it might be a mistake and was afraid to spend it lol
Based on what you've shared, I'll offer some perspective on realistic timeframes: 1. Simple spousal claims (no offset): 7-14 days 2. Spousal claims with pension offset calculations: 21-30 days 3. Complex cases with multiple factors: 30-45 days Since your application moved to a Processing Center and it may involve pension offset calculations, you're looking at category 2 or 3. I'd recommend waiting until you're at day 25 before becoming concerned. One important note: if you check your application status online, it won't show detailed progress once it's at the Processing Center - just that it's under review. This is why it appears "stuck" at step 2.
This is really helpful for setting expectations. I'll try to be patient for another 10 days or so before getting too worried. I just wish they were more transparent about the process so we wouldn't be left guessing!
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After getting clear numbers from SSA, I'd recommend calculating your "break-even age" for different filing scenarios. For example, if you take reduced benefits at 62 vs. full benefits at 67, how long would you need to live past 67 for the delayed filing to pay more in total? Many people don't realize that filing early can make sense if you don't expect to live well into your 80s or if you need the income now.
That's a good point about the break-even calculation. My health is generally good, and people in my family tend to live into their late 80s. I guess that might suggest waiting until FRA would be better in my case?
did u try asking for a supervisor when they denied your waiver? sometimes the first person just says no to everything but a supervisor can actually help
I didn't think to ask for a supervisor! That's a good idea. I'll try calling again (if I can get through) and specifically request to speak with a supervisor about the waiver denial. Thanks for the suggestion!
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wait so are teacher pensions considered "government pensions" for the GPO? i thought only federal workers had that problem
Yes, teacher pensions from public schools are generally considered government pensions for WEP/GPO purposes in states where teachers don't pay into Social Security. Some states (like Maryland) have teachers paying into both systems, which changes the calculations. It applies to state and local government employees, not just federal workers.
Has anyone actually managed to get their correct WEP calculation? When I finally got through to SSA, the person I talked to gave me three different answers in the same conversation! I'm supposed to retire next year and still have no idea what my actual benefit will be...
Unfortunately, this is common. The WEP/GPO calculations are complex and not all SSA representatives are fully trained on them. Request to speak with a Technical Expert who specializes in WEP calculations. Also, get everything in writing - the estimates can change as different representatives interpret your work history differently.
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Thank you all for your helpful responses! I just got off the phone with my sister and shared all this information. She's going to apply right away - she had no idea there weren't any income/asset restrictions. We're going to try using that Claimyr service someone mentioned to get through on the phone since all the SSA offices near her have 2+ month appointment backlogs. I also explained the potential strategy of waiting until her FRA for the full 100% benefit, but she said she'd rather start receiving something now. She's planning to meet with her financial advisor next week to discuss the tax implications. Thanks again everyone - this community has been so helpful during a difficult time!
You're very welcome! One last tip - tell your sister to ask the SSA representative about the LUMP SUM DEATH BENEFIT when she applies. It's only $255, but many people don't know to ask for it and the SSA doesn't always volunteer the information. Every bit helps!
Social security is THEFT! They take our money our whole lives and then make it so complicated to get it back that half of people don't even get what they're entitled to! And what do you bet they'll change the rules again in a few years and cut benefits? The whole system is rigged!!
thats not helpful for the persons question... they just wanna know how to help their sister get benefits she deserves
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And make SURE your friend doesn't just apply online!!! The SSA website won't tell her about all her options!!! She needs to TALK to a representative directly and ask specifically about the "restricted application" strategy!!! Don't let them rush her off the phone!!!
Just a clarification: the "restricted application" strategy is only available to people born before January 2, 1954, and it allowed people to claim just spousal benefits while their own retirement benefit grew. Based on the ages mentioned, your friend's friend likely doesn't qualify for this specific strategy. But speaking with a representative is still good advice to understand all options.
Thank you all SO much for the helpful responses! I'll definitely tell my friend to apply for her benefits now and not worry about her husband's income affecting her checks. And I'll warn her about the potential tax implications too. It's such a relief to have clear answers - this has been causing so much unnecessary stress during an already difficult time.
You're very welcome! One more thing - have her create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov before applying. She can see her estimated benefit amount there, and it makes the application process smoother. Wishing her and her husband all the best during this challenging time.
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I notice some confusion in this thread about PIA vs. actual benefit amount. To clarify: When someone takes early retirement (before their Full Retirement Age), they receive a reduced benefit. However, children's benefits and spouse's benefits are calculated based on the PIA (what the worker would get at Full Retirement Age), not on the reduced amount the retired worker actually receives. This is why a child might receive more than 50% of what the retired parent actually gets, especially if that parent took benefits early. It's one of the more complex aspects of Social Security that confuses many people!
Thank you for explaining this so clearly! This makes much more sense now. So my ex took retirement at 63, which reduced his benefit, but my son's 50% is calculated on what he WOULD have received at his full retirement age? That's actually really good news for my son's benefit amount.
i just realized something - you said your kid is turning 16, but does he have any disabilities? my nephew is disabled and he was able to keep getting benefits after 18, and my sister (his mom) kept her benefits too because she still takes care of him full time
No, he doesn't have any disabilities. He's a typical teenager, so I know his benefits will continue until he graduates high school (as long as he's still 19 when he graduates), but my benefits as the caretaker parent definitely end when he turns 16. Thanks for checking though!
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I work with seniors navigating these issues, and I see this confusion frequently. The key is understanding exactly which payment SSA is requesting back. In your situation: - December 3rd payment = November benefits = Should be kept - No January payment = December benefits = Correctly not paid due to death However, there are some scenarios where the November payment might need to be returned: 1. If there was a processing error and the payment was actually labeled as December benefits 2. If your mother was receiving SSI in addition to regular Social Security 3. If there was an overpayment situation unrelated to her death I recommend requesting a detailed written explanation of exactly which payment month they're referring to when requesting repayment. Also ask for the specific policy citation they're using to justify the request.
Thank you for explaining this so clearly. She wasn't on SSI, just regular Social Security retirement with the widow's increase from my dad's record. I'll definitely ask for the specific policy citation when I call back. It makes no sense that they'd want November's payment returned when she was alive the entire month of November.
did anyone take care of sending back the payment yet? when my grandma died we had to wait for the official letter from ssa before doing anything. and be careful about ur mom's bank account, sometimes they freeze it when someone dies and then u can't access anything!
We haven't returned anything yet. I'm waiting until I can talk to someone at SSA who can clearly explain which payment they want back and why. And yes, we're dealing with the bank account issues too - that's a whole other headache!
Emma Davis
Bless her heart, I know EXACTLY how she feels!!! I was widowed at 49 and it was so scary trying to figure all this out. I started taking my survivors benefits at 60 while still working part time at Walmart. Here's what I learned the hard way: 1) They reduce your check if you make over the yearly limit (its around $22K now I think) 2) You have to report your expected income every year 3) If you mess up and don't report correctly they come after you for every penny! But even with all that, it was worth it for me to get those survivors checks while working. Just tell her to be super careful about reporting her income and maybe keep her hours down if possible. When I turned full retirement age (mine was 66) all those earning limits went away and I could work as much as I wanted without any reductions.
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Natasha Petrova
•Thank you for sharing your experience! This is so helpful to hear from someone who's been through it. I'll definitely tell her about the yearly reporting requirement - I don't think either of us realized that was necessary. Did you find it complicated to estimate your earnings each year?
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Emma Davis
•It wasn't too bad estimating my earnings since I had pretty regular hours, but it was stressful! I always tried to estimate a little bit higher just to be safe. The most important thing is to call them right away if you end up working more or getting a raise - don't wait until the end of the year or you'll have a big surprise bill! They're not very forgiving about overpayments.
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Isabella Silva
Your coworker has several options to consider: 1. She can claim survivor benefits now at 62, which would be approximately 71.5% of her husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). The exact percentage depends on her exact birth year. 2. If she works full-time, she needs to be aware of the 2025 earnings limit of $22,600 for those under Full Retirement Age (FRA). Exceeding this means SSA will withhold $1 in benefits for every $2 above the limit. 3. She might want to consider a strategic approach: claim survivors benefits now (even with the reduction and earnings limit), then switch to her own retirement benefit later if it would be higher. 4. Alternatively, if her own benefit would be higher, she could claim her reduced retirement benefit now and switch to survivors benefits at her FRA when they would not be reduced. The best approach depends on a comparison between her own work record and her late husband's. She should create an account at my.ssa.gov to see her estimates and contact SSA for a complete benefits analysis before deciding.
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Natasha Petrova
•This is really helpful information! I didn't realize there might be a strategy involving switching benefits later. I'll suggest she create that online account to see her estimates. Do you happen to know if there's a way to see what her late husband's benefit amounts would have been through her online account, or does she need to call SSA directly for that information?
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Isabella Silva
•She would need to contact SSA directly to get information about her potential survivor benefits based on her husband's record. The my.ssa.gov account only shows estimates based on her own work record. When she calls, she should have her husband's Social Security number ready, as well as their marriage certificate and his death certificate (or at least the information from them). This will help SSA calculate her potential survivor benefit amounts accurately.
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