Thank you all for the incredibly helpful responses! This community is amazing. I've summarized what I learned to share with my brother:1. At FRA (67 for him), his SSDI automatically converts to retirement benefits with the same payment amount2. Once converted, he can work and earn any amount without affecting his benefits3. No more disability reviews to worry about4. Medicare continues unchanged5. We need to consider possible tax implications if his combined income exceeds certain thresholdsThis is honestly such a relief. He's been wanting to get back to some form of work for years but was always afraid of jeopardizing his benefits. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and expertise!

That's a fantastic summary! Your brother is so lucky to have someone advocating for him like this. Just wanted to add one small thing - when he does start working, he might want to keep some basic records of his earnings just for his own peace of mind and tax purposes, even though he doesn't need to report anything to SSA anymore. After years of being hypervigilant about work restrictions, it can take a while to mentally adjust to the freedom! My uncle went through this transition two years ago and said the hardest part was trusting that he really could work without consequences. Best of luck to your brother in his new chapter!

THIS IS WHY THE SYSTEM IS SO UNFAIR!!!! Someone married 9 years 364 days gets NOTHING while someone married 10 years and 1 day gets FULL BENEFITS!!! Makes no sense!!! They should prorate it or something!!!

I'm going through a similar situation with my own parents' divorce, so this thread has been really helpful. One thing I wanted to add - even though the 10-year rule seems harsh, there are some other factors people might not be aware of. If the ex-wife remarries, she generally can't collect on her first husband's record anyway (unless the second marriage ends). Also, she might be eligible for benefits based on her own work history, which could potentially be higher than what she would have received as a divorced spouse. It's also worth noting that if your father's ex-wife had been eligible, it wouldn't have reduced his benefits or his current wife's benefits at all. Divorced spouse benefits don't affect what the worker or their current spouse receives. But since she doesn't meet the 10-year requirement, it's a moot point in this case. Thanks everyone for the clear explanations about how strict this rule is - definitely something to keep in mind for anyone going through divorce proceedings!

Update on your specific question about finalizing plans: While waiting for the official amount, you can make quite accurate estimates. Your benefit depends on: 1. Your highest 35 years of indexed earnings 2. Your exact age when benefits begin (even months matter) 3. Any applicable reductions (WEP/GPO if relevant) If you've worked more than 35 years, SSA will use your highest-earning 35 years. So if you've earned significantly more in recent years, those higher earnings will replace lower earnings from decades ago in the calculation, potentially boosting your benefit. For budgeting purposes, I suggest using the mySocialSecurity estimate, but be prepared for a 5-15% variance in either direction.

I'm going through this exact same process right now! Filed in January for a June 1st retirement date and still waiting to hear my actual benefit amount. It's so nerve-wracking trying to plan my post-retirement budget without knowing this crucial piece of information. What I've learned from talking to others is that the mySocialSecurity estimate is often conservative, especially if you've had higher earnings in recent years. The system seems to lag behind on including your most current income data. I'm trying to stay optimistic that the actual amount will be higher than the online estimate, but like you, I really wish they could give us more certainty earlier in the process. Has anyone found it helpful to visit a local SSA office in person rather than just calling? I'm wondering if face-to-face might get better information about timing.

I'm in a very similar situation - just started collecting at my FRA of 67 and still working full-time. From what I've been reading here, it sounds like the automatic recalculation (AERO) is definitely worth understanding. One thing I'm curious about is whether there's any advantage to working beyond what you need financially, just to maximize the Social Security benefit increases. At $74,500 annually, you're likely earning more than many of your earlier years, so those should get replaced in the calculation. I'm planning to work another year or two myself and hoping to see some meaningful increases, even if they're not huge. Thanks for starting this discussion - very timely for those of us in this exact situation!

This is such valuable information for those of us navigating work after FRA! I'm 68 and have been working part-time since starting my benefits. One thing I'd add is that you can also create an account at ssa.gov to track your earnings record and see how your benefits are calculated. It's really helpful to understand which years might get replaced by your current earnings. The portal shows your complete earnings history and you can estimate potential increases. Also, don't forget that you'll still pay Social Security taxes on your current earnings even though you're collecting benefits - but as everyone mentioned, those contributions can increase your future payments through the automatic recalculation. Keep working if you enjoy it and can handle it - the financial and health benefits are worth it!

Based on the benefit amounts you shared ($3,100 for your own at 70 vs $2,400 for survivor at FRA), I can confirm your advisor's strategy makes sense. Taking survivor benefits now and switching to your own at 70 would maximize your lifetime benefits. Just one more important point: since you haven't received any payments yet, your withdrawal should be processed without requiring any repayment. Make sure you submit both the withdrawal form AND a new application for survivor benefits at the same time to minimize any gap in processing. And don't worry - this type of correction is exactly why the withdrawal provision exists. You haven't made any permanent mistake here.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider calling ahead to your local SSA office to schedule an appointment rather than just mailing in the forms. When I helped my sister navigate a similar situation, the in-person appointment made a huge difference - the representative was able to process both the withdrawal and new survivor benefit application on the same day, which eliminated the processing gap entirely. Also, bring documentation of your husband's death certificate and your marriage certificate to the appointment, even though they likely already have this information. Having everything in one place can speed up the process significantly. The fact that you caught this before receiving any payments puts you in the best possible position to make this correction smoothly!