I'm new to this community but currently facing this exact same situation. My husband passed away 4 months ago and I just turned 60 last week. This entire thread has been absolutely invaluable - I've learned more from reading everyone's experiences here than from multiple frustrating phone calls to SSA. The confirmation that percentage increases happen MONTHLY rather than annually is huge for me. I've been debating whether to apply immediately or wait a few months, and now I understand that even waiting 3-4 months could give me a meaningful increase in my monthly benefit for life. What resonates most with me is how many of you have emphasized the importance of balancing the mathematical optimization with immediate financial and emotional needs. I've been living off savings since my husband passed, and while I can continue for a while longer, the stress of constantly analyzing the "perfect" timing is exhausting during an already overwhelming time. I think I'm going to apply within the next 2-3 months. This will give me a small boost over the base 71.5% from those extra months, but more importantly, it will provide the financial security and peace of mind I need to focus on grieving and rebuilding my life. Thank you all for sharing your personal experiences so openly - this community support means more than you know.

As someone who recently navigated this exact situation, I want to add my voice to confirm what everyone has shared - the survivor benefit percentage increases ARE monthly, not annually. When I applied at 60 years and 6 months after my spouse passed away, the SSA representative explicitly calculated my benefit based on those extra 6 months, which gave me approximately 2% more than the base 71.5%. What I found most helpful was actually requesting a written estimate from SSA showing my projected benefit amount at different ages. This took some of the guesswork out of the decision and let me see exactly what waiting would gain me. You can request this through your local SSA office or sometimes through the online portal. I ultimately decided to apply when I did because, like many others have mentioned, the peace of mind of having guaranteed monthly income outweighed the potential gains from waiting longer. The financial security during such a difficult time was worth more to me than optimizing for the highest possible monthly payment. For anyone still deciding, my advice is to calculate your personal breakeven point, but also honestly assess your emotional and financial stress tolerance. Sometimes the "good enough" decision that gives you peace of mind is better than the theoretically perfect decision that keeps you anxious and uncertain.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who recently went through this process. Your friend's situation sounds very similar to mine - I was widowed young and had to navigate the survivor benefits system at 60. A few things that really helped me: First, I'd strongly recommend she creates a my Social Security account online BEFORE applying. This lets her see her late husband's earnings record and get an estimate of what her survivor benefit would be. It also shows her own work history so she can compare benefits. Second, regarding the rental income concern - I also own rental property and was worried about this. The key distinction is whether you're a "real estate professional" under tax law. If she's spending less than 750 hours per year AND less than half her working time on rental activities, it stays passive income. Sounds like with only a few properties and using management companies, she's nowhere near that threshold. The application process itself was actually smoother than I expected once I got connected to SSA. I used that Claimyr service others mentioned after weeks of busy signals - worked exactly as described. The whole call took about 45 minutes and I had my first payment within 6 weeks. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - she can apply up to 4 months before her 60th birthday, so if she's turning 60 next month, she could potentially start the process now. The benefits can start the month she turns 60, but there's often processing time involved. Hope this helps your friend! Feel free to ask if you have other questions.

I just want to echo what others have said about the rental income - it really should be fine as passive income in her situation. I'm a retired SSA employee and saw this issue come up frequently. The key is that she's not operating it as a trade or business where she's providing substantial services to tenants (like daily housekeeping, meals, etc.). One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone mentioned - when she does apply, make sure she brings certified copies of documents, not originals. SSA needs to see originals or certified copies, but you never want to mail or hand over your only copy of something like a death certificate or marriage certificate. Also, if she has any questions about her late husband's earnings record or whether he had enough credits to qualify her for benefits, she can request his earnings statement. Sometimes there are discrepancies or missing quarters that need to be corrected, and it's better to find out early in the process. The fact that she was married for a full year definitely meets the requirement - that's well above the 9-month minimum. Good luck to your friend!

To summarize for the original poster: 1. Your state pension does NOT count toward the earnings test limit 2. If you work part-time and earn over $21,240 in 2025, benefits will be reduced 3. Your SS benefit will likely be reduced by WEP regardless of when you claim 4. You should check if GPO will affect any spousal/survivor benefits 5. Consider whether it makes financial sense to claim at 63 or wait until FRA or even age 70 6. The earnings test goes away completely once you reach your FRA of 67 Making the right Social Security claiming decision can mean tens of thousands of dollars difference over your lifetime.

One thing to consider that might help with your decision - since you have 15 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, you're getting close to the 30-year threshold that eliminates WEP entirely. If any of those years were close to the "substantial earnings" amount for those years, you might want to check if working a few more years could bump you over that threshold. The substantial earnings amount changes each year (it's $29,700 for 2025). Also, don't forget that your Social Security benefit grows by about 8% per year if you delay claiming past your FRA until age 70. So even with WEP reducing your benefit, that 8% annual increase still applies to whatever your WEP-reduced amount would be. Might be worth running the numbers to see if the delayed retirement credits make up for the years of missed payments, especially since you'll have your state pension covering your expenses.

I was in your exact situation two months ago with my 17-year-old daughter. After wasting days trying to get through on the phone, I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned above. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and had the whole application done in another 30. My daughter's first payment arrived about 3 weeks later. They backpaid from when I first got my benefits too!

I'm going through the exact same frustrating process right now! Just got my letter about potential benefits for my 15-year-old last week. The phone system is absolutely broken - I've tried calling multiple times and either get disconnected or the wait times are insane. One thing I learned from reading through all these comments is that I need to gather ALL the documents beforehand. I'm going to try the early morning call strategy on Wednesday that someone mentioned, and if that doesn't work, I'll show up at the local office before they open with a folding chair and every piece of paperwork I can think of. It's ridiculous that in 2025 we still have to jump through these hoops for something that should be straightforward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least now I know I'm not alone in this nightmare!

Have you both checked your benefit estimates on the My Social Security portal? Sometimes the estimates on the statements can be off, especially if you have years of zero or low earnings in your work history. Might be worth making sure the $2,700 and $1,500 figures are accurate before making any final decisions.

This is such a comprehensive discussion! I'm new to navigating Social Security planning and this thread has been incredibly helpful. One thing I'm wondering about - are there any official SSA resources or calculators that can help compare these different claiming strategies? It sounds like there are a lot of variables to consider (earnings limits, tax implications, COLA adjustments, reduction percentages) and I'm wondering if there's a good tool to model different scenarios rather than trying to calculate everything manually. Also, @Aileen Rodriguez - have you considered getting a written estimate from SSA for both strategies? I've heard that sometimes having them put the projected benefits in writing can help ensure you're getting consistent information, especially given some of the experiences people have shared about getting different answers from different representatives.