Yes! They sent an email with a confirmation code, and I still have the text message and the letter they mailed. I've got all of it ready to reference when I call back.

Perfect! That'll make it much easier to get this fixed. Good luck!

Thank you everyone for the incredibly helpful advice! I've decided to go with quarterly payments using Form 1040-ES. I like having more control and being able to use my exact 11.1% calculation. I'll set up a separate savings account as suggested and set calendar reminders for the payment dates. It seems like most of you have had frustrating experiences with the W-4V processing times, so I'm glad to avoid that headache. The Direct Pay system sounds much more convenient than I realized. Really appreciate all the tips and real-world experiences!

one more thing i forgot to mention - if you do the quarterly payments make sure you keep really good records cause the irs doesn't always give you credit right away for them. my daughter had this problem last year and had to send proof she paid

Another important factor: if your wife had 30+ years of "substantial earnings" in SS-covered employment, the WEP wouldn't apply at all. With 21-29 years, there's a reduced penalty. At 15 years, she'll face a more significant reduction, but as others have mentioned, it's not the full $575 maximum WEP reduction. The SSA defines "substantial earnings" differently each year ($30,750 for 2025). Your wife should check her earnings record on MySocialSecurity to see how many qualifying years she has. Also worth noting: If her SS benefit is very low to begin with, she might actually do better filing for a spousal benefit based on your record (assuming you have one), even with the Government Pension Offset applied.

To answer your latest question - yes, she could potentially get a spousal benefit (up to 50% of your FRA benefit) if it's higher than her own WEP-reduced benefit. However, the GPO would reduce that spousal benefit by 2/3 of her government pension. Quick math: If your FRA benefit is $3,100, her potential spousal benefit would be $1,550. But if her government pension is $4,200, the GPO reduction would be $2,800 (2/3 of $4,200). Since $2,800 > $1,550, her spousal benefit would unfortunately be reduced to $0. This is why so many government workers with substantial pensions end up getting little to no spousal benefits. The system is designed to treat them similarly to other workers who pay fully into Social Security throughout their careers. For her own benefit, she should still run the WEP calculator on SSA.gov with her specific years of substantial earnings to get the most accurate estimate.

my wife filed dec 5 for jan benefits and got aproved jan 23 so like 7 weeks. but her sister filed same day and still waiting now. ssme office even. makes no sense how random it is

Update: I finally got through to SSA today after trying at exactly 8:00am! The agent said my application had a flag because I had worked in another state for a few years and they were waiting on wage verification. She removed the flag since it had been pending too long and said my benefits should be processed within 5-7 business days. She also confirmed I'll receive backpay for January and February. Thank you all for your advice and sharing your experiences!

To clarify the technical details: For retirement beneficiaries, Social Security follows the principle of "cash receipt" - income counts when received, not earned. This aligns with IRS reporting requirements for W2 earnings. There is an exception process via Form SSA-131 for "special wage payments" (like accumulated vacation, sick leave, bonuses, etc.), but regular wages for work performed don't qualify for this exception. Since you reached FRA in February 2025, you'd have the higher monthly earnings limit for January-February 2025 ($4,960/month in 2024 rates, likely higher for 2025), and no earnings limit thereafter. If your January 10th payment was for regular wages, it would count toward 2025's earnings limit, which works in your favor given your FRA timing.

Wait I'm confused... I thought SSA always uses the annual earnings not monthly? My friend got caught by this - she worked 8 months before retiring but earned over the annual limit so they took back some benefits even though she wasn't working when collecting SS.

One critical financial step: talk to an elder law attorney ASAP about Medicaid planning. If his dementia progresses to needing nursing home care (currently averaging $9,500+ per month), you need to understand how to protect assets for yourself while potentially qualifying him for Medicaid. There's a 5-year lookback period for asset transfers, so planning needs to happen early. Also, research long-term care insurance immediately if you don't already have it, though it may be difficult to obtain with a dementia diagnosis. Lastly, regarding credit: while establishing your own credit is important, also ensure you're an authorized user on his existing credit cards. This helps build your credit history while giving you access to established credit lines.

just wondering did u work at all during your marriage? even part time? because if you worked 10 years total in your life you might have more SS options!! my aunt didn't know this and was leaving money on the table!!

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I'm feeling much more prepared now. I've written down the exact phrase "I wish to restrict my application to widow's benefits only" and will make sure to get the representative's name and a confirmation number. I managed to get my printer working and printed my earnings record. I'm going to bring my original marriage certificate to the call but explain I can't mail it in. Hopefully they'll work with me on that. I'm still nervous but at least now I have a better idea of what to expect and how to protect my option to switch to my own benefits at 70. I'll update after my interview next week!

One thing I didn't see mentioned - make sure you understand how working affects your survivor benefits if you're planning to continue working. Since you're under full retirement age, there's an earnings limit ($22,320 for 2025), and they deduct $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. This doesn't apply after you reach your full retirement age. Also, the survivor benefit amount is based on several factors: your age when you claim, whether your husband had already started his benefits, and if he hadn't, whether you claim before or after his full retirement age. It can get confusing, so don't hesitate to ask the interviewer to explain exactly how your benefit amount was calculated.

One more important thing to consider: If her husband passes away while she's still working and earning income, the earnings test would apply to both spousal and survivor benefits if she's under FRA. For 2025, if she earns over $22,320 (estimated), benefits are reduced by $1 for every $2 earned above this limit. This won't affect her after she reaches FRA, but it's something to factor into her decision if she's still working. The reduction isn't permanent though - SSA recalculates and gives credit for these reductions once she reaches FRA.

Thank you everyone for such helpful and thoughtful responses. I spoke with my sister-in-law and she's decided to schedule an appointment with SSA to get the exact benefit amounts for her situation. Given her husband's prognosis and her current financial needs, she's leaning toward taking the reduced spousal benefit now, especially understanding that it won't impact her survivor benefits later. I've helped her make a list of questions to ask and documents to bring. This community has been incredibly helpful during a really difficult time.

One thing nobody's mentioned is she should immediately report this job to SSA if she hasn't already. Not reporting work activity can lead to overpayments that she'll have to pay back later. Better to address this proactively than wait for them to find out during a review.

maybe she could ask the school if she can opt out of the retirement thing? some places let you do that especially for part time workers

Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I'm going to create my Social Security account online tonight and look at my estimated benefits. Sounds like I need to wait until I'm 62 (and until he's 62 as well), but at least I know I have options. This is such a relief after thinking I might be out of luck because of his remarriage.

I went through this EXACT situation!!! My ex remarried a younger woman right after our divorce but I was able to claim on his record when I turned 62. The worker at my local SS office was AMAZING and explained everything. BUT she said that if I ever remarry I would LOSE the ex-spousal benefit!!! So keep that in mind if you're dating anyone... unfortunaely remarrying can actually COST you money in this situation!