Has your husband checked his informed delivery from USPS? Sometimes the SSA 1099 comes in an envelope that doesn't look official and gets tossed accidentally. Also, if he moved in the last year and didn't update his address with SSA directly (separate from USPS change of address), that could be why. They don't always get the address updates from postal service.

Just want to update - I just got my 1099-SSA in the mail TODAY after requesting it 3 weeks ago. So it's taking way longer than they say. I would definitely push your husband to create an online account, it's so much faster!!

Thank you all so much for this helpful information! I created my SSA account last night and was surprised to see that my own benefit estimate at 62 would be about $1,125/month. My ex's FRA benefit amount would be around $3,200 based on what he's told me, so 50% of that would be $1,600, reduced to around $1,080 if I claim at 62. So it seems like there's not a huge difference between my own record and ex-spouse benefits in my case. BUT, the earnings test would affect either one while I'm still working. Based on all your advice, I think I'm going to: 1. Postpone any marriage plans until I've spoken directly with SSA 2. Try that Claimyr service to actually get through to them 3. Consider working a few more years to increase my own benefit Thanks again - you've all been so helpful in explaining these confusing rules!

That sounds like an excellent plan! One last thing to consider: Since your own benefit at 62 ($1,125) is very close to what your ex-spouse benefit would be at 62 ($1,080), you might actually be better off claiming your own benefit and letting it grow. Reason: If you claim your own benefit at your Full Retirement Age instead of 62, it would be approximately 33% higher. But if you claim ex-spouse benefits at FRA instead of 62, you'd only get the flat 50% of his benefit. In your specific situation, maximizing your own benefit by waiting might be the best financial move regardless of marriage plans. Definitely discuss this with SSA when you reach them!

Important clarification on the earnings test: Social Security uses a complex formula to determine how much to withhold when you exceed the annual limit. They don't necessarily withhold benefits evenly throughout the year. If you're going to earn more than the annual limit ($22,320 for 2025 if under FRA the whole year), they might withhold several full months of benefits rather than reducing each month a little bit. This can create cash flow challenges if you're not prepared for it. You can find the exact formula on the SSA website or by calling them directly.

I just remembered something else that might help u!! If ur gonna keep working can u maybe pick up some summer routes?? My district pays more for summer school routes AND then u would actually be working those summer months too so it feels more fair with the earnings test thing

A few important clarifications about the GPO that might help your friend: 1. The GPO only applies to government pensions from employment NOT covered by Social Security. If her teaching position was in a state where teachers pay into Social Security, the GPO wouldn't apply. 2. There's an exception to GPO if she paid into Social Security for the last 60 months of government employment before retirement. 3. Some states (like Texas) offer ways to legally reduce GPO impact by working your last 5 years in a position covered by both the pension system and Social Security. 4. Your friend should request a formal calculation from SSA - don't rely on generalized calculations for something this important. 5. The GPO calculation is based on her gross pension amount before any deductions for health insurance, taxes, etc.

just wanted to say ur a good friend for helping her through this. when my husband died i couldn't think straight for months and would have missed out on benefits if my daughter hadn't helped me figure it all out

is ur mom on SSI or regular social security? cuz SSI has different rules about address changes

Just want to add - when you go to the SSA office, ask them to give you a receipt or confirmation of the address change. Sometimes these changes can take a few weeks to process in their system, and having documentation that you submitted the change on a specific date can be helpful if there are any issues. Also, if your mother's checks are already set up for direct deposit, the address change won't affect her payments. The address update is primarily for correspondence and tax forms (like the SSA-1099 she'll receive in January).

DONT APPLY ONLINE!!!! The SSA website is TERRIBLE and full of GLITCHES!!! My online application disappeared into a black hole and I had to start all over by phone after waiting 2 months with no response!!! CALL THEM DIRECTLY even if you have to wait on hold all day!!!!!

One final tip - when you do apply, you'll be asked to select the month you want benefits to begin. This is DIFFERENT from your application date. For example, if you apply in September 2024 (4 months before turning 62 in January 2025), you would select January 2025 as your benefit start month. Don't select your application month by mistake or you might get a message saying you're not eligible yet, which confuses many applicants. Also, print or save a copy of your application confirmation. You should receive a confirmation number when you complete the online application - save this in a safe place.

Just wanted to circle back - did you try Claimyr to get through to SSA? I found their service so helpful when dealing with my mom's benefits. The regular SSA phone line had me on hold for hours, but Claimyr got me through in minutes. Definitely worth checking out at claimyr.com if you're still having trouble getting answers.

One more important thing to mention: Make sure you're talking to a Claims Specialist who understands the "maximization of survivor benefits" calculations. The $670/month figure still seems unusually low unless there are other factors at play. Be sure to ask them to explain exactly how they calculated her new benefit amount, including any applicable reductions for early claiming. Request a detailed breakdown in writing - this is your right as a beneficiary. Also, if they determine there has been an error, be aware that SSA can typically only pay retroactive benefits for up to 6 months, so it's important to get this resolved quickly if there is indeed a mistake.

To clarify something important from the comments - after you reach Full Retirement Age (which you have at 68), there is NO earnings limit whatsoever. You can work and earn as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security benefits. This is different from when someone collects early (before FRA) when there are strict earnings limits. Your neighbor may have been referring to the rules that apply before reaching FRA.

Regarding your specific situation, I'd recommend taking these three steps: 1. Request your Social Security Statement online through your my Social Security account or by calling SSA - this will show if your recent work has already increased your benefit 2. File an application for divorced spouse's benefits immediately - since your marriage was over 10 years and you're already receiving retirement benefits, there's no downside to applying 3. Keep documentation of your current earnings to verify that future benefit adjustments are correct While the automatic recalculation happens annually after tax information is processed, it's still good practice to monitor your benefit amount for changes. These recalculations typically happen in October of the year following your work.

does anyone know if this affects disability too? my husband gets SSDI and was going to switch to retirement at full retirement age, but now im worried he wont know what his retirement would be

The RIDICULOUS thing is that they HAVE all this information in their systems!! There's absolutely NO TECHNICAL REASON they couldn't show you both benefit types. It's just bad programming and outdated systems. My neighbor works for SSA and even she admits their computer systems are from the STONE AGE. Our government at work folks!!!

Just went through this with my wife! Make sure when you talk to SSA you specifically request the "excess spousal benefit" - that's the technical term for getting your own retirement plus the difference to reach half of your husband's amount. Also, once approved, double-check your first payment to make sure they calculated it correctly. They made an error on my wife's first payment and it took 3 months to fix!

Since you're asking about switching from your own benefit to a spousal benefit, I want to clarify how this will work in your situation. Because you claimed your own retirement benefit before your Full Retirement Age, and because current rules apply to your case (post-2015 law changes), you won't actually "switch" benefits in the way you might be thinking. Instead, if eligible for both retirement and spousal benefits, you receive the higher of: 1. Your own benefit (reduced because you claimed early) 2. Your spousal benefit (reduced if you claimed spousal before your FRA) In practice, this means you'll continue receiving your own $1,250, plus an additional amount (called the "excess spousal benefit") to bring your total up to the spousal benefit amount you're eligible for. Since you're past your FRA now, and your husband is receiving benefits, you should definitely contact SSA to apply for the spousal benefit. The potential increase of $175 monthly would be $2,100 annually - definitely worth pursuing!