go back to work! my husband went back after he retired and it kept him young! he said sitting around the house was making him feel old!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information! I've decided to accept the position at the school. Knowing that my benefits won't be reduced is a huge relief, and the possibility of slightly increasing my future benefits is an added bonus. I'll keep an eye on the tax situation, but that's manageable. Really appreciate all your insights!

when you talk to ssa ask them what happens if u work part time instead of full time. i reduced to 25 hrs a week and now i get some survivors and its working better for me. less stress too

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I've scheduled an appointment at my local SSA office for next week, and I'm gathering all the documents suggested. I'm going to ask about various scenarios with reduced hours too. It sounds like my original understanding was mostly correct, but the earnings test will likely eliminate most of my survivor benefits unless I cut back on work. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps anyone else in a similar situation.

MAKE SURE you understand the exact amount of the 2025 earnings limit though!!! It changes every year with COLA. For 2024 it's $22,320 but will probably be higher for 2025. And remember the limit is higher in the year you reach Full Retirement Age. And be super careful because if you go over they take back $1 for every $2 you earn above the limit!!!!

One important thing that no one has mentioned is that you should still be aware of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for your 401k. Starting at age 73, you're required to take minimum withdrawals from traditional retirement accounts regardless of whether you need the money. Those withdrawals won't affect your Social Security earnings test, but they are taxable income and can impact how much of your Social Security benefits get taxed.

my dad waited 4 yrs past fra and still had to call to get his credits right lol

Just a follow-up on timing: The SSA processes different benefit adjustments in different cycles. COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustments) are processed for all beneficiaries in January. DRCs (Delayed Retirement Credits) are typically processed when you apply, but if there's a backlog or processing issue, they do have quarterly mass adjustment periods. January is one of those periods, but the changes might not be reflected immediately. Worst case scenario, if the adjustment isn't showing by mid-February, call the SSA and specifically mention you're calling about "delayed retirement credits not being applied to your benefit amount." This specific terminology helps ensure you're directed to the right department.

My sister went through this last year. She had been on SSDI for about 8 years and decided to try working again. The paperwork and reporting requirements were a NIGHTMARE. She had to document everything and still ended up with an overpayment notice. The stress actually made her condition worse and she had to stop working anyway. Just something to consider beyond just the financial aspects.

It just seems crazy to me that the system is set up so that if you try to be productive and work, you might end up worse off financially. Shouldn't there be some kind of gradual reduction instead of this cliff where you lose everything once you hit that SGA limit? The whole thing discourages people from trying to work at all.

anyone know if theres a earnings limit for survivor benefits? i heard somewhere you can only make like $19,000 a year or they take back some of your ss?? is that true or just for regular retirement

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've scheduled an appointment for next week using that Claimyr service (which worked amazingly well - took less than 10 minutes to get through to a real person). The agent I spoke with confirmed I should apply now for March benefits and gave me a list of documents to bring. She also explained the earnings limit since I still work part-time. I really appreciate all your advice and support!

I'm not totally sure on this, but I think there's still a way to get spousal benefits while letting your own grow??? My sister-in-law did something like this just last year. You might want to ask specifically about that at your local SSA office.

Update: I wanted to thank everyone for their advice. I scheduled a meeting with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning for families with disabled dependents. Based on our discussion and your comments, I'm leaning toward working 2 more years past my FRA. The long-term security for my son is the deciding factor - knowing that he'll have a higher benefit available throughout his lifetime if something happens to both my wife and me. The potential tax changes would be nice, but as many of you pointed out, that's not something to bank on.

my neighbor said u have to PAY EVERYTHING BACK if u get approved for disability but he also thinks the moon landing was fake so idk if hes right lol

Just to follow up on my earlier comment - there's one more benefit to getting approved for SSDI after taking early retirement that people haven't mentioned. You'll become eligible for Medicare 24 months after your SSDI entitlement date, regardless of your age. So you'll get Medicare before 65, which can be a huge help with medical expenses. Also, if your disability has worsened since you initially applied, make sure your medical records reflect this. The more documentation you have about your limitations, the stronger your case will be. Have you had a lawyer helping with your disability claim?

Based on the numbers you provided, I want to clarify something important. If your SSDI benefit is $1400 and half of your husband's is $1300, you likely won't receive any additional spousal benefits now because your own benefit is higher. Even without the age reduction, the maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of your husband's PIA (not his actual benefit payment). However, there are scenarios where you might still qualify: 1. If your husband's PIA is actually higher than $2600 2. When you reach full retirement age and the reduction no longer applies 3. If your husband passes away (survivor benefits work differently) Still, it's recommended to apply now to establish your eligibility in SSA's systems, even if the current payment amount would be $0.

I got so confused with all this spouse benefit stuff too!! The SSA website is impossible to understand!!! When I finally got through to an agent she told me something completely different than what I read online! And then when I got approved they calculated it yet ANOTHER way! Why can't they just make this simple??

i forgot to mention but keep taking ur prescribed meds even if they dont help much. my cousin stopped taking some of her meds cuz of side effects and SSA used that against her saying she wasnt following treatment so she must be better!

I just did my continuing disability review last spring. I have lupus and they had me as medical improvement expected too. The form they sent me was actually pretty simple. I just had to list all my doctors, treatments, and how my condition affects me day to day. My advice is don't exaggerate but don't minimize either. If you have bad days and good days, make sure they understand that. They approved my continued benefits with no issues.