did u try calling right at 8am? thats what my neighbor said worked for her but i just did the wait in line thing

Update: I finally got through! Used a combination of the advice here - called at exactly 8:00am and kept pressing 0 when the automated system started talking. Was on hold for 45 minutes but actually spoke to a person! Have an appointment for next Tuesday for both the name change and benefits consultation. For anyone else struggling with this issue - persistence and early morning calls seem to be key. I'll update again after my appointment to let you know how it goes with the ex-spouse benefits questions. Thanks everyone for your help!

Just wanted to add - make sure you're using the 2024 earnings limit for survivor benefits at age 60, which is $22,320. Sometimes people use the wrong limit by mistake. And remember that only earned income counts - not investments, pensions, etc.

WAIT! If you're only claiming in November, isn't there some kind of first-year rule where they look at your monthly earnings instead of annual? I feel like there was something special about the first year you claim benefits...

The STUPID thing is they don't even tell you when they're holding your payment! i had to figure it out myself when the money didn't show up. so annoying! You should defintely postpone filing until after your big project if possible!!!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I'm going to try three things: 1. Talk to my employer about spreading that project payment across May/June 2. If that doesn't work, I'll delay filing until July 3. I'll definitely call SSA to confirm my plan using that phone service someone mentioned It's frustrating how complicated this all is, but I really appreciate all the help figuring it out!

my aunt did almost exactly what ur doing. she took her benefits at 65 and her husband waited till 70. they said it worked great for them because they got some income sooner but still maximized his benefit which was the bigger one. seems smart to me

To follow up on my earlier comment, when your wife files, SSA should automatically determine which is higher - her own reduced retirement benefit or her reduced spousal benefit. However, there's an important timing consideration here. Since you haven't filed for your own benefits yet, your wife can only get her own retirement benefit initially. Once you file next month, SSA should automatically recalculate to see if she qualifies for an additional amount as a spouse. This happens because spousal benefits can't be paid until the primary worker (you) has filed. This two-step process sometimes gets overlooked in the system, which is why having records of everything and following up is crucial. I'd suggest calling SSA or using the Claimyr service someone mentioned about 30 days after you file to ensure the spousal calculation was properly processed.

Since you mentioned you're reaching your FRA in November, you don't need to worry about the earnings limit for December. If you had been under FRA, the SSA would apply a monthly earnings test for the months before you reached FRA in the year you reach FRA. But since you'll be at FRA, you can earn any amount in December without affecting your benefits. Just make sure when you apply that you correctly report your expected December earnings from your job before retirement.

To summarize what everyone has shared: 1. Apply in October for benefits to start in January 2. Request January as your benefit start month (which pays for December) 3. You'll receive payments on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (based on your birth date) 4. Your December earnings won't affect benefits since you'll be at FRA 5. Apply online at ssa.gov for the easiest process 6. Have your birth certificate, tax documents, and bank info ready Good luck with your retirement!

just curious did you collect on your own record before switching to your ex's survivor benefits? i heard you can switch back and forth to get the best deal but never understood how that works

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I understand much better now. It seems clear that my survivor benefits from my ex-husband will end with me and can't transfer to my new spouse. We'll make sure to look into maximizing my fiancé's benefits when the time comes. I appreciate all of you taking the time to explain this!

I'm really confused about all this WEP talk. I thought WEP only applied to people who didn't pay into Social Security enough quarters? Or is that the other one... GPO? I get them mixed up. My husband worked for the railroad and I know his pension affected something with my benefits but I can never remember which is which...

The good news with the WEP reform proposals is that there seems to be bipartisan support for some kind of fix. The bad news is that they've been trying to fix it for years with no success yet. For those wondering about the status, there are currently multiple bills in Congress addressing WEP reform. Some call for full repeal, others for a modified formula that's less punitive. Most include some retroactive payments for those already affected, though likely not full retroactive amounts going back years. I think it's smart that you delayed benefits to age 72 regardless of what happens with WEP reform. That 40% increase for delaying claim from 67 to 72 is substantial and would help offset the WEP reduction even if reform never passes.

Since you mentioned this was from the 1980s, there's an important time limitation to be aware of: Social Security generally has a 3 year, 3 month, and 15 day time limit for correcting earnings records. HOWEVER, this limit doesn't apply if the error is due to fraud, intentional misrepresentation, or clerical error by SSA. Given that they mentioned a note on your record, it sounds like they've already determined this falls under one of those exceptions. The best approach is to visit your local office with any documentation you might have (old tax returns, etc.). If you can't locate documentation, they can sometimes verify through employer records, especially for government positions like law enforcement.

Update your address with SSA if you've moved recently! I learned this the hard way - they were trying to send me documents about my earnings correction but had my old address. Almost delayed my whole case by months!

Just wanted to say I'm in my 80s now and one thing I've learned - the peace of mind from having steady income sooner rather than later is worth a lot. Numbers on paper don't always capture the real-life value of financial security during these years.

I notice you mentioned covering Medicare costs - just to clarify, if you're approaching FRA, Medicare enrollment is separate from Social Security benefits. You'll want to sign up for Medicare at 65 regardless of when you claim SS benefits to avoid late enrollment penalties. If you're already on Medicare, the premiums can indeed be deducted from your SS payment once it starts, which many find convenient. Also, while family longevity is important to consider, don't forget to factor in your own health status and financial needs when making this decision. Statistics are helpful guides, but your personal situation should drive the final choice.

Just to provide a bit more clarity on the technical side: Under current law, the WEP reduction is capped at no more than 50% of your husband's non-covered pension (his state pension). So sometimes the actual reduction is less than the maximum WEP amount I mentioned earlier. Also, remember that for GPO, the current reduction is 2/3 of his government pension amount. So when calculating potential benefits after a repeal, you'd need to add back that reduction to see the full impact. One other point - while many commenters are skeptical about legislative action, there has been more bipartisan support recently due to teacher and first responder advocacy groups pushing hard for these changes. The proposed Social Security Fairness Act has gained significant traction in the current session.

my friend's husband was in same situation exact situation and they got so confused they hired a financial advisor just to figure out all this GPO/WEP stuff!!! cost them $500 but they said it was worth it just to understand what they'd actually get. might be worth considering if you can afford it