Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better knowing that my wife can keep her business going without affecting my benefits. We'll probably have her wait until FRA to claim anything since the business is doing well. One more question - if she does wait until FRA to claim spousal benefits, will they look at all her earnings up until that point to calculate her own benefit? Or do they just use earnings up to 62 or something?

Just wanted to add one more important point that hasn't been mentioned yet - since your wife is self-employed, she should also consider the impact on her Medicare premiums down the line. While her business income won't affect your Social Security benefits, if she continues to have high earnings from her accounting practice, those earnings could affect her Medicare Part B and Part D premiums through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) when she becomes eligible for Medicare. This doesn't change the advice about Social Security benefits, but it's something to factor into her overall retirement planning. The IRMAA thresholds are based on modified adjusted gross income from 2 years prior, so her business income will be considered even if she's receiving Social Security benefits at that time.

I went through this exact same confusion last year! The key thing to remember is that there's a difference between your birthday month and when you can actually start receiving benefits at full retirement age. Since you turned 67 in March 2025 and were born in March 1958, your Full Retirement Age was actually reached in November 2024 (66 years and 8 months for your birth year). This means you've been eligible for full benefits for several months now! When you finish your online application, make sure to request benefits starting from the earliest possible date - this should get you retroactive payments back to November 2024. You won't face any reduction since you're well past your FRA, and SSA can provide up to 6 months of back benefits. Don't let the anxiety stop you from finishing that application. You're not going to accidentally get reduced benefits at this point, and every month you delay just means potentially leaving money on the table. The hardest part is just completing the paperwork!

I work at a local SSA field office and see this confusion all the time! Just to confirm what others have said - if you turned 67 in March 2025, you were born in 1958, which means your FRA was actually November 2024 (not March 2025). The good news is you can definitely get retroactive benefits! When you complete your online application, there will be a section asking about your preferred benefit start date. You can either select "earliest possible entitlement date" or specifically choose November 2024. Either way, you'll get the maximum 6 months of back pay. One tip from someone who processes these applications daily: make sure you have your bank account information ready for direct deposit setup. Also, don't worry too much about "messing up" the application - since you're well past FRA, there's really no way to accidentally reduce your benefits at this point. The online system does time out frequently, so save your progress often using the "Save and Exit" button. If you continue having technical issues, our local offices can help you complete it in person, though calling ahead is recommended due to wait times. You're not losing money by the day at this point since retroactive benefits are capped at 6 months anyway. Just focus on getting that application submitted!

Here's a breakdown of the Social Security earnings limit rules for 2025 that apply to your situation: 1. Monthly earnings limit: $2,190 (for those under FRA) 2. Annual earnings limit: $26,280 (for those under FRA all year) 3. First year rule: During your first year receiving benefits, you can use the monthly test Since you're starting work in February after already receiving benefits, the monthly earnings test applies. For each month in 2025, you can earn up to $2,190 without affecting your benefits for that month, regardless of your total earnings for the year. Starting in 2026, only the annual limit will apply. If you exceed the annual limit, SSA withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn above the limit. This continues until you reach your Full Retirement Age (FRA), when the earnings limit no longer applies and you can earn any amount without reduction in benefits.

Just want to share my experience since I went through something very similar last year. I started SS at 62 and then picked up a part-time retail job about 3 months later. The first-year monthly rule was a lifesaver! I was able to work and stay under the $1,970 monthly limit (2024 amounts) and keep all my benefits. One tip that really helped me - I created a simple spreadsheet to track my gross earnings each month so I never accidentally went over. Also, when I called SSA to report my work plans, they were actually pretty helpful once I got through. They sent me a form to estimate my yearly earnings and adjusted my future payments slightly to avoid any overpayment issues. The key thing to remember is that this monthly test only works in your first year of benefits. After that, it's just the annual limit until you hit full retirement age. But for now, you should be good to go with that part-time work starting in February!

After reading through this thread again, I realized I need to correct something in my earlier response. The provision about disabled spouses collecting as early as 50 only applies to surviving spouses (widows/widowers) whose partners have passed away. Since you're still living, your wife wouldn't qualify under that provision. As the expert correctly pointed out, for your situation, your wife would generally need to wait until age 62 to collect spousal benefits once you start receiving your retirement benefits. The only exception would be if she were caring for your child who is under 16 or disabled. I apologize for my error and the confusion it may have caused.

has she tried applying for disability again? sometimes ppl get denied first time but approved when they appeal. my sister got denied twice but then got a lawyer and won her case!!

I'm a Social Security benefits coordinator at a nonprofit that helps seniors navigate the system, and I want to add one more important consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet. When you go to your local SSA field office with all your documentation, ask specifically to speak with a Claims Specialist or Technical Expert rather than a general service representative. These specialists have advanced training in complex cases and access to detailed policy manuals that can make all the difference in situations like yours. Also, if your initial review doesn't go in your favor, don't be afraid to ask for a supervisor or request that they document their decision in writing with specific policy citations. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes or someone with more experience can spot something that was missed initially. I've seen cases where the first representative said "no way" but a supervisor or specialist found a pathway to approval. Given all the excellent advice in this thread about potential legal technicalities with your divorce/remarriage timeline, I'm cautiously optimistic that there might be something there for you. The key is getting the right person at SSA to do a thorough review with someone who really knows the ins and outs of these complex marriage duration rules.

I'm a retired Social Security attorney who specialized in these types of complex marriage duration cases for over 20 years, and I want to emphasize something that's been touched on but deserves more attention. The advice you're getting here about checking your exact legal dates is absolutely correct, but I also want to mention that Social Security has internal procedures for "reopening" determinations when new evidence comes to light. If you've already been told you don't qualify, but later discover documentation that proves continuous marriage (like finding out your first divorce wasn't legally final when you remarried), you can request that SSA reopen your case. They have up to 4 years to reopen for "good cause" which includes situations where relevant evidence wasn't available during the initial determination. Also, I've seen cases where state marriage/divorce laws changed between your original divorce and remarriage dates, which could potentially affect how the marriage duration is calculated. Don't forget to check if your state had any common law marriage recognition during your separation period - if you continued to present yourselves as married to the community during that gap, some states might recognize that as continuous marriage. The bottom line is that with 11 total years married to the same person, this situation absolutely warrants the thorough investigation everyone is recommending. Best of luck with your document review!