As someone who works in retirement planning, I want to emphasize one crucial point that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you understand the difference between your "benefit begin date" and your "entitlement date" when you apply. Your benefit begin date is February 1st (when payments start), but your entitlement date is actually January 1st since you reach age 70 in February. This distinction matters for tax purposes and can affect how your benefits are calculated if you have any earnings in January 2025. Also, since you mentioned maximizing your benefit, remember that your delayed retirement credits stop accruing once you reach 70, so there's no financial advantage to waiting beyond your 70th birthday month. You've made the right decision to start benefits in February - waiting any longer would just mean leaving money on the table. One final tip: when you do apply in October (as @Carmen Reyes wisely suggested), pay close attention to the direct deposit setup section. Double-check your routing and account numbers multiple times, because any errors there can cause significant delays in receiving your first payment. Good luck with your application!

This has been such an incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! As someone who's about to go through this same process (I turn 70 in April), I've learned so much from reading everyone's experiences and advice. @Carmen Ruiz, it sounds like you have an excellent plan now - applying in early October, having all your documents ready, checking your earnings history for errors, and being prepared for the direct deposit setup. One small thing I'd add: when you do submit your application, consider taking a photo of your computer screen showing the confirmation page in addition to screenshots, just as a backup in case the screenshots don't save properly. I'm curious - has anyone here had experience with how Social Security handles the transition if you're still getting employer health insurance when you start benefits? I know Medicare eligibility starts at 65 regardless, but I'm wondering if there are any coordination issues to be aware of when you're starting Social Security at 70 while potentially still on an employer plan. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should be bookmarked by anyone approaching 70!

I'm so glad you were able to get through and resolve this! Your experience is exactly why I always tell people in this community to verify these mystery payments before spending them. The fact that it was tied to your husband reaching FRA makes perfect sense - the SSA does automatic recalculations at these milestone ages and often finds missed earnings credits or other adjustments. It's such a relief when these surprise deposits turn out to be legitimate money you're actually owed! Thanks for taking the time to update everyone with the resolution - it really helps newcomers like me understand how these situations typically play out.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful as someone who's completely new to Social Security benefits! I just started receiving SSDI a few months ago and honestly would have been terrified if I got an unexpected deposit like this. It's amazing how common these mystery payments seem to be based on everyone's experiences here. The fact that the SSA does all these background recalculations and adjustments but provides little to no upfront communication about them seems like such a major oversight in their system. I'm definitely saving this thread for future reference and will remember the key advice: document everything, call to verify before spending, and consider visiting a local office if phone wait times are impossible. Thanks to everyone for sharing their real experiences - it makes navigating this complex system feel much less intimidating!

Just be careful with the working part - if ur under FRA and collecting ANY SS benefits there's an earnings limit. Think it's around $20k for 2025. If u earn more than that they take back $1 for every $2 over the limit. Once u hit FRA no more earnings limit.

One thing I'd add to the excellent advice here - since you're still working part-time, you might want to consider whether continuing to work and delay claiming survivor benefits until closer to your FRA could boost your own retirement benefit calculation. Each year you work (even part-time) can potentially replace lower-earning years in your benefit calculation, which could make that $1,850 projection at age 70 even higher. The SSA uses your highest 35 years of earnings, so if you have some low or zero years in your record, even modest part-time earnings now could help. You can create a my Social Security account online to see your current benefit estimates and earnings record.

One more important thing I forgot to mention: If you're concerned about the overpayment, you should know that SSA will provide several options for repayment. They can: 1) Withhold from future benefits (but limited to no more than 10% of her monthly benefit unless you agree to more) 2) Set up a monthly payment plan 3) Take a partial lump sum payment and set up a plan for the remainder Given her high earnings, they might expect a more aggressive repayment schedule, but you still have rights regarding how much you can afford to pay back monthly. Also, the ARF recalculation I mentioned earlier is completely separate from the overpayment issue. They'll increase her ongoing benefit based on months withheld, regardless of whether the overpayment has been fully repaid.

Yes, unfortunately SSA can withhold from future benefits to recover overpayments, even after you reach FRA. The overpayment debt doesn't disappear just because you hit full retirement age - it's considered money that was paid incorrectly based on the earnings limit rules that were in effect when benefits were received. However, there are protections in place. By law, they can only withhold up to 10% of your monthly benefit amount unless you voluntarily agree to a higher withholding rate. So if her recalculated benefit ends up being $3,500/month, they could only take a maximum of $350/month unless she agrees to more. The good news is that with a $50K debt and potential monthly withholding of a few hundred dollars, it would take several years to fully repay. During that time, she'd still be receiving the majority of her benefit each month. Plus, as @e062c331c939 mentioned, the ARF recalculation should increase her base benefit amount, which means more money coming in even after the withholding. It's definitely frustrating, but the system is designed to eventually make people whole while still recovering overpayments. Just make sure to negotiate a reasonable repayment plan that works with your budget!

Thanks everyone for all the great information! Based on everyone's advice, I'll plan to apply in February 2025 (4 months before my birthday) and specify June 2025 as my benefit start month. I'll make sure to have all my documents ready and save all confirmation screens. I'll try the online application first, but if I have trouble getting through on the phone for questions, I'll check out that Claimyr service. Really appreciate all the help!

You've got a solid plan there, Katherine! Just one additional tip - when you apply online in February, you might want to create your my Social Security account ahead of time if you don't already have one. It makes the application process smoother and you can check the status of your application online afterwards. Also, if you run into any issues during the online application, don't abandon it completely - you can save your progress and come back to it later. The system will hold your partially completed application for 30 days. Good luck with everything!