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 It's just bad programming and outdated systems.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!

I was so confused about this too last year! When I finally got thru to SS after trying for literally WEEKS, they explained that the old rules changed in 2015 with the Bipartisan Budget Act. Before that you could do this clever trick where you could take your own early then switch to full spousal later, but now they won't let you do it anymore. So frustrating! Wish they'd make these rules easier to understand for regular people!!!

Thanks everyone for your help! After reading all your responses, I think I'm going to wait until my FRA to claim. The permanent reduction just doesn't seem worth it, especially since I'm still working part-time and would be subject to the earnings test anyway. I really appreciate all the detailed explanations - this community is so helpful!

when i was turning 62 i got sooooooooo many letters from financial advisors trying to "help" me make social security decisions lol...made me think SSA was sending out notifications about my birthday but nope, just financial people mining data

One additional consideration for your planning: if you're married or divorced (after a marriage of at least 10 years), coordinating spousal benefits might impact your optimal claiming strategy. Also, if you're still working between 62-FRA, there's an earnings test that could reduce benefits temporarily if you claim early while earning above certain thresholds ($23,310 in 2025 if below FRA all year).

I've been trying to get through to SSA for weeks to ask this exact question! Every time I call, I'm on hold forever and then get disconnected. It's absolutely maddening. Has anyone found a reliable way to actually TALK to a human at Social Security?

I just wanted to update everyone - I checked my mySocialSecurity account online and found the section showing estimated future benefit increases based on continuing work. Looks like even my part-time earnings should increase my benefit by about $45-60/month once I reach my full retirement age. Not life-changing, but definitely adds up over time! Thanks for all the helpful information.

To add to my previous comment, you may find it helpful to know that the RIB-LIM calculation includes several technical steps: 1. They calculate what's called the PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) for your husband 2. They determine what's called the RIB (Retirement Insurance Benefit) - this is what he actually received after reduction for early claiming 3. They calculate the maximum family benefit (MFB) which is affected by your child having received benefits 4. They apply a formula that essentially says you can't receive more than the higher of: - What your husband actually received adjusted for certain factors - 82.5% of his PIA in some cases The 82% figure you mentioned suggests your benefit amount is being governed by this maximum family benefit limitation. If you want to verify this calculation, I recommend requesting what's called a "TXVI Technical Explanation" from SSA. This document will show the exact formula they used.

The SSA is ALWAYS trying to short-change us!! My friend was told she'd get one amount then ended up with hundreds less per month. She fought it for months and finally got what she deserved. DONT give up!!

Depends on what your goals are. I went to one of those seminars last year and yeah, it was clearly trying to get me to sign up for financial planning services, but I actually learned a few things about how SS calculates the benefits that I didn't know before. I just said no thanks to the sales pitch at the end and went home with the useful info. Free dinner too lol

To answer your specific question about how much your benefit might increase from part-time work: it varies widely based on your earnings history, but I can give you a rough idea. Let's say you're earning about $30,000 annually from your part-time accounting work. If that income replaces a year in your top 35 where you earned significantly less (or even a year with zero earnings), you might see a monthly benefit increase of $15-40 per month. That's about a 0.5-1.5% increase based on your current benefit amount. Small? Yes. But that's an extra $180-480 per year for the rest of your life, with annual COLA increases applied to that higher amount. Over 20+ years of retirement, that can add up to thousands of extra dollars. And no, there's no form to fill out. The SSA does this recomputation automatically every year after your earnings are reported (usually after you file your tax return). Any increase will be retroactive to January of the year following the work year.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet - if this is classified as an employer contribution to your 401(k), it doesn't count against your personal contribution limit ($7,500 for 2025 if you're over 50, plus catch-up). Employer contributions have a much higher combined limit. That said, there are strict rules about how employer contributions work, especially for highly compensated employees or in situations where a company brings someone back for temporary work. I'd suggest having your former employer connect you with their benefits administrator who can explain exactly how this will be structured and reported.

whatever u decide DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!! save emails texts everything about what they promised and how they said it would work. SSA can audit u years later and u need proof!!!

when i started getting ssdi my son got benefits and it was automatically added when i filed. but retirement mite be different?? u should apply for both at same time to make sure u dont miss paymens

Something important that hasn't been mentioned yet: If your daughter receives these benefits, they will need to be reported on college financial aid applications (FAFSA). These count as unearned income for the child and can significantly impact financial aid eligibility. Since you mentioned college funds, this is something to consider in your planning. Also, there are specific rules if your child works while receiving benefits. In 2025, beneficiaries under 18 can earn up to $22,300 without any reduction in benefits (this is the current annual earnings limit which gets adjusted yearly).

OMG they are SO SLOW with EVERYTHING. i think they prioritize retirement applications over adjustments like yours. my neighbor waited 6 months for a simple name change to process!!!! the whole system is falling apart. and don't even get me started on their website randomly going down for "maintenance"

For clarity, let me explain exactly what should happen: 1. Your PIA increased from $2,650 to $2,735 2. Your husband is entitled to 50% of your PIA at his FRA 3. His benefit should increase from $1,325 to $1,367.50 If you call SSA, specifically request a "recomputation of benefits for auxiliaries based on updated PIA" - using this terminology may help the representative understand exactly what you're asking for.