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One important update: if the legislation passes in its current form, there could be some retroactive adjustments, but likely limited to 12 months maximum. So while you won't recoup benefits from the full 20+ years since your husband passed, you might receive a lump sum payment covering the retroactive period once you're approved. Also, when you do contact SSA, make sure you're specifically asking about widow's benefits (RIB-LIM) rather than spousal benefits, as the calculations and eligibility criteria are different.
Thank you for mentioning the RIB-LIM specifically. I wasn't aware there was a technical term I should be using. This is all so complicated to navigate, I appreciate all the help.
I finally got through to SSA last week after trying for days. If you need to speak with them directly about your specific case, try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM Eastern time. I've found Monday and Tuesday are slightly better than later in the week. Be prepared with your husband's SSN, death certificate information, and the exact amount of your current TRS pension. Having all this ready saved me time once I finally got through to a representative.
i always have better luck going to my local office in person tbh. the wait is long but at least ur not stuck on hold forever and then randomly disconnected
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The earnings limit is SUCH A HEADACHE! My advice? Have your husband tell his boss he needs to be paid MONTHLY, with the pay periods matching calendar months. That would solve everything. Not sure why companies can't figure this out when so many older workers have this exact problem with Social Security!
Since several people mentioned reporting: Your husband should call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report his return to work. Alternatively, he can report estimated earnings online through his my Social Security account or in person at a local office. For calculating his earnings during his first year of retirement, SSA uses the "Grace Year" rule. This means they'll look at his monthly earnings for the remainder of 2024. For each month he earns under the limit ($1,860), he'll receive his full benefit regardless of annual totals. Starting in 2025, SSA will switch to annual accounting. They'll estimate his expected earnings for the year and may adjust his benefits accordingly. If the estimate changes, he should update SSA to avoid overpayments. Keeping detailed records is absolutely critical - especially the breakdown of exactly which days' work falls into which calendar month.
This is extremely helpful - thank you! I didn't know about the "Grace Year" rule by name, but this confirms what others have said. We'll make sure to report his return to work right away and keep detailed records of when he performs the work.
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lots of ppl just live together and dont get the paper. my neighbors been together 15 years but never married cuz of the ss benefits thing. no one cares if ur married on paper these days anyway
After reading through all this, I can see why this is confusing. Look at it this way: if your late husband's benefit would be around $2,500/month at his full retirement age, and your own benefit might only be $1,400/month, that's a $1,100 monthly difference - or $13,200 per year. Over 20+ years of retirement, that's a quarter million dollars at stake. No wonder people are telling you to wait. But this is also why talking to SSA directly is so important - those numbers I just made up might be completely different in your actual situation.
When you put it in actual dollars like that, it really puts things in perspective. I had no idea the difference could be so substantial. I'm definitely going to get actual numbers before making any decisions. Thank you all for the helpful advice!
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wait so they keep track of how many months your benefits were withheld? and then they increase your check later to make up for it?
Yes, exactly. When you reach Full Retirement Age, Social Security recalculates your benefit to give you credit for months when your benefits were completely withheld due to the earnings test. This is done by adjusting the reduction factor that was applied when you claimed early. For example, if you claimed 48 months early (at 62) but had benefits completely withheld for 12 of those months, at FRA they would recalculate your benefit as if you had only claimed 36 months early, which results in a higher monthly amount going forward.
The other thing to think about is Medicare. If you go back to work after starting SS early, you might get employer health insurance and could delay Medicare enrollment, right? Or does starting SS automatically enroll you in Medicare at 65 regardless?
Starting Social Security benefits early doesn't automatically enroll you in Medicare - these are separate enrollment processes. Medicare eligibility begins at 65 regardless of when you claim Social Security benefits. If you return to work with employer health coverage after starting Social Security, you can indeed delay Medicare Part B enrollment without penalty as long as your employer has 20+ employees and provides creditable coverage. You'll need to get a form from your employer confirming this coverage when you eventually do enroll in Medicare. This is called a Special Enrollment Period exception to avoid the Part B late enrollment penalty.
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what happens if u earn MORE than u expected? do they make u pay it back or just take it from future benefits?
Great question. If you earn more than you estimated, you're required to notify SSA. They'll adjust future payments to recover any overpayment. If you don't report it, they'll eventually catch it when tax records are processed and you could receive an overpayment notice requiring repayment. It's better to report changes proactively so there are no surprises.
I went through the exact same thing last yr trying to figure this all out. My advise is go to the ssa.gov site and use their retirement calculators. They were really helpful for me to see all the different scenarios.
Those calculators don't include the earnings test though. They just show different claiming ages.
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my mom got benefits from 2 exhusbands at the same time so it might depend on ur situation call them and check dont listen to ppl on here
That's not possible under Social Security rules. You can be eligible for benefits from multiple spouses/ex-spouses, but you'll only receive the highest amount you're eligible for. Your mother might have received benefits sequentially (first from one ex, then switched to another when it was more advantageous) or she might have received benefits from one ex-spouse and then survivor benefits after another ex passed away, but she wouldn't receive multiple benefits simultaneously.
Has anyone actually successfully claimed on an ex-spouse's record after being widowed from a subsequent marriage? I'm just trying to understand what the process will be like when the time comes. Should I go to my local SSA office or try to handle it by phone?
I did this last year after my husband passed. The local office was backed up for months, so I made a phone appointment using Claimyr to skip the wait. The agent walked me through all my options based on my marriage history. In-person is good if you have lots of documents they need to see, but phone worked fine for my initial application. They just needed me to fax/upload the supporting documents afterward.
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One important factor many people overlook is the impact on survivor benefits. If you're married, the higher of the two spouse's benefits becomes the survivor benefit when one passes away. If you expect your benefit to be higher than your spouse's, waiting to claim increases not just your retirement benefit but potentially your spouse's survivor benefit as well. This creates an additional incentive to delay, especially with family longevity on your side. The survivor benefit protection is essentially free "insurance" that comes with delaying your claim. If you're concerned about Social Security's future, remember that any legislative changes would almost certainly be phased in gradually and likely wouldn't affect those already near retirement age. Current retirees and those close to retirement are typically protected in reform proposals.
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THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!! I worked 43 YEARS paying into Social Security and now the government taxes my benefits?? We're being TAXED TWICE on the same money!! Anyone else think this is COMPLETELY UNFAIR??
I agree it feels unfair, but technically we didn't pay tax on the employer portion of SS taxes. Still frustrating though.
Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I feel much better understanding how this works now. So to summarize what I've learned: 1. The $4,500 taxable amount from the calculator is likely correct based on our current income 2. We're dangerously close to the second threshold where taxation increases dramatically 3. Need to be careful about RMDs and other income that could push us over 4. The SSA calculator is probably more reliable than random websites I think we'll consult with a tax professional before making any decisions about additional income this year. This has been incredibly helpful!
Excellent summary! One last tip: if you do end up slightly over the threshold, look into qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from your IRAs if you're 70½ or older. These don't count as income and can help reduce your provisional income calculation while satisfying RMD requirements.
Dominique Adams
The ENTIRE Social Security online system is a JOKE!!! I tried to enroll in Medicare last year and the website kept crashing. Then when I finally got through and made a mistake, there was NO WAY to fix it online. Had to wait 2.5 HOURS on the phone only to be told I needed to go to the office in person!!! Why can't they make a system that actually WORKS in 2025?? Every other website lets you edit your info but not SSA!!! SO FRUSTRATING!!!
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Isabel Vega
•While I understand your frustration, there are security reasons why SSA doesn't allow editing applications after submission. Since these applications contain sensitive personal and financial information that determines benefit eligibility, any changes must be verified by SSA staff. This helps prevent fraud and ensures accuracy of your benefits. That said, I agree they could improve their communication about this limitation during the application process.
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Dominique Adams
•Security reasons?? PLEASE. My banking app lets me move thousands of dollars with a fingerprint but I can't fix a simple checkbox on my Medicare application? They're just stuck in 1995!
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Marilyn Dixon
my brother didnt sign up for part b when he was supposed to and now hes paying like an extra 30% forever. dont let that happen to you
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Sadie Benitez
•Oh wow, I definitely don't want that to happen! That's exactly why I'm anxious to get this fixed quickly. Thanks for the warning.
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