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Wait im confused why r u saying u get SS at 62 but also turning FRA in 2025? If u already get SS how r u just reaching full retirement age? Am I missing something?
You can claim Social Security retirement benefits as early as 62, but that's not your Full Retirement Age (FRA). When you claim early, you get a permanently reduced benefit. OP started receiving reduced benefits at 62, and is now approaching their actual FRA (66 and 8 months for those born in 1958). At FRA, the earnings limits disappear, even though they've been receiving benefits for years.
I just got off the phone with SS after a 2 hour wait! They confirmed what you all said - my limit is about $62,160 (they gave me the exact number) from Jan 1 to May 23. After that, no limit at all. But the rep warned me that if I earn too much in those early months, I might have to pay back some benefits. I'm going to try to stay under the limit to be safe. BTW they also told me to report my expected earnings for 2025 in advance using the SSA website, which I didn't know was possible!
Zara Khan
•That's great you got confirmation! Yes, reporting expected earnings in advance is super helpful - it helps them adjust your benefits throughout the year rather than creating an overpayment situation that you'd have to deal with later. Smart move!
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Aisha Rahman
It's definitely worth calling SSA to request a formal determination letter. They're required to provide one for any benefit decision. With the GPO math others have explained, it seems likely your benefit was calculated to be $0, but you still deserve an official explanation. One other thing to check: verify that they have your correct pension amount. If they somehow have an incorrect (higher) pension amount on record, your GPO reduction could be incorrectly calculated. Also, if your pension has any survivor benefit components or other reductions that affect the gross amount, make sure SSA is using the correct net figure for GPO calculations.
QuantumQueen
•That's a great point about checking the pension amount! I actually took a slightly reduced pension to ensure my husband would continue receiving 75% if I passed away. I wonder if they're using the gross amount before that reduction. I'll definitely ask about this when I call. Thank you for the suggestion!
After reading all these comments, it sounds like you need to: 1) Verify they have the correct pension amount, 2) Request a formal determination letter explaining their calculation, and 3) Ask if there are any appeal options if you believe there's an error. I went through something similar with my WEP determination last year. The key is getting someone knowledgeable on the phone who understands GPO/WEP calculations. Unfortunately, many front-line representatives aren't fully versed in these complicated provisions. When you call, politely ask to speak with a technical expert or someone who specializes in government pension offset cases.
QuantumQueen
•Thank you for laying it out so clearly. I'll definitely ask for a technical expert when I call. It seems like the regular representatives might not fully understand all the GPO details. I'll update this thread once I get more information. I appreciate everyone's help!
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StarStrider
Just want to say how helpful this thread is. Planning for the worst while hoping for the best is so important. I'm taking notes for my own situation!
Glad you're finding it useful too! I've learned a lot from everyone's responses. It's definitely giving me peace of mind to have a better understanding of what options would be available.
something else to think about is whether your wife would get the lump-sum death payment. its only $255 which is nothing these days but every bit helps
Zara Ahmed
•You're right about the lump-sum death payment of $255. It's a small amount that hasn't been increased since the 1950s, but it is automatically paid to a surviving spouse who was living with the deceased. If there's no qualifying spouse, it can be paid to a child who's eligible for benefits on the deceased's record. It's a simple application process when reporting the death to Social Security.
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MAKE SURE you understand whether you'll lose Medicare coverage!!! When I looked into switching to spousal benefits they didn't explain this to me and it gets VERY confusing with Medicare eligibility when you've been on SSDI and then switch benefit types!!!
Summer Green
•This is a good point about Medicare, but I want to clarify to avoid confusion. You won't lose Medicare eligibility by applying for spousal benefits. Since you've been on SSDI for more than 24 months, you already have Medicare, and that eligibility continues even if you receive spousal benefits. At 65, you would have qualified for Medicare based on age anyway. So Medicare coverage shouldn't be affected by this decision.
Payton Black
Thank you all for your helpful responses! I didn't realize this was so complicated. I'm going to try to reach the SSA to get the exact calculation based on our specific situation. It sounds like I might get a small increase but probably not as much as I was hoping for. I'll update when I find out more information!
Dana Doyle
•Good luck! And don't get discouraged if the first person you talk to seems confused. Sometimes you have to call multiple times to get someone who really understands these complicated rules. That's what happened to me.
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Diego Flores
wait i'm confused... isn't windexing for cleaning windows? lol what does that have to do with social security??
Chloe Taylor
•Haha, no - though that's an understandable mix-up! In Social Security context, people sometimes incorrectly use "windexing" to refer to detailed benefit calculations done through a program called WINDOWS (WINdfall Offset WorkSheet). But as another commenter correctly pointed out, WINDOWS is actually for worker's compensation offset calculations, not retirement benefit matrices. What OP needs is a month-by-month benefit calculation showing various claiming age options, which is a different service.
One more tip: When the technical expert does your calculation, make sure to ask about the impact of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) if you've ever worked for a government entity where you didn't pay into Social Security. These provisions can significantly reduce your benefits and aren't accounted for in standard calculations. Also, if you're planning on continuing to work while collecting benefits before your FRA, make sure they explain how the earnings limit would affect your payments. The benefit calculation matrix is much more useful when it includes these adjustments.
That's good to know. I did work for a state university for about 5 years where I didn't pay into Social Security, so I'll definitely ask about WEP. I hadn't thought about that.
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LongPeri
To provide some clarity on the current situation: The Social Security Administration is indeed experiencing significant processing delays for retirement benefits applications submitted in January 2025. There are several factors contributing to this: 1. January typically sees higher application volumes as people implementing new year financial plans 2. The SSA implemented system updates in late December that affected processing speed 3. There's currently a backlog from staffing shortages during the holiday season For applications currently in Step 2, this often means they're in the earnings verification stage, where SSA confirms your lifetime earnings record. This particular step can take longer if you have any years where reported earnings don't match their records. If your 70th birthday is approaching in April, you should still be fine - benefits will be paid retroactively to your entitlement date even if processing takes longer. However, I would recommend trying to speak with a representative to confirm everything is in order.
Thank you for this detailed explanation! That makes me feel a bit better knowing the delay isn't specific to my application. The earnings verification makes sense - I did work for several small companies in the 1980s that might be harder to verify. As long as I'll get the retroactive payment, I can be a bit more patient. Really appreciate the insights!
Oscar O'Neil
Quick update to my situation - my application finally moved to step 3 yesterday! Applied Jan 3rd and took exactly 50 days to reach step 3. Hoping the final approval comes through soon.
That's encouraging news! Thanks for sharing the update. I'll keep checking my account daily and hope mine moves forward soon too. Did you do anything specific to get it moving, or did it just update on its own?
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GalacticGuru
Just wanted to add that you can also check your mySocialSecurity account online in early January. It will show your updated benefit amount there even before you get the payment. That's how I confirm the new amount each year.
Carmen Lopez
•That's a great suggestion! I do have a mySocialSecurity account but hadn't thought to check there. I'll definitely look there in early January.
Mei Lin
My mom gets SSDI not regular retirement, does anyone know if the COLA timing is the same for disability?
Jamal Wilson
•Yes, the COLA timing is the same for all Social Security benefits, including SSDI and SSI. All Social Security benefits (retirement, survivors, disability) will see the increase in the January payment. For SSI recipients, they'll see the increase in their December 30th payment (which is the January SSI payment paid early because of the weekend).
Mei Lin
•Thanks, that's really helpful!
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Amina Sow
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses. Looks like I'll have to deal with a benefit reduction next year because of this bonus. It's frustrating since I did the work last year, but at least now I can prepare financially. I'll try reaching SSA to confirm everything and maybe use that Claimyr service since it sounds like getting through is a nightmare. One more question - do I need to do anything right now, or just wait until it's time to report my annual earnings?
You don't need to take immediate action. When you receive the bonus, keep documentation showing when it was paid and that it was for work performed in 2024. This won't change how SSA treats it, but it's good to have clear records. Then you have two options: 1. Proactively report it when received by calling SSA 2. Include it on your annual earnings report Option 2 is simpler, but it means you might have a larger adjustment later. Option 1 might allow SSA to adjust your benefits more gradually through the year. Also, remember to keep track of your consulting income throughout the year so you know where you stand relative to the limit. And remember that the month you reach your FRA, the earnings test no longer applies for that month and beyond.
one thing nobody mentioned is you get the money back eventually!!! when you hit your FRA they recalculate your benefit and give you credit for all the months they took away. at least that's what the guy told my husband. doesn't help now but at least its not gone forever.
Amina Sow
•That's actually really helpful to know! Makes me feel a bit better about the whole situation. Thank you!
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One thing I want to clarify about divorced spouse benefits - you mentioned possibly being able to claim them at 60, but that's not accurate. Divorced spouse benefits based on an ex's retirement record (not disability) can only be claimed as early as age 62, and they're reduced if taken before your FRA. The benefit you can potentially claim at 60 is a surviving divorced spouse benefit, which only applies if your ex-spouse has passed away. Based on your post, it sounds like your ex is still living. Just wanted to clarify this point since there seems to be some confusion about the different types of benefits and their eligibility ages.
Thank you for that clarification! You're right - my ex is still alive, so survivor benefits wouldn't apply. I think I was confusing the different benefit types. The Social Security rules really are complicated.
i think ur overthinking this... ur getting a decent benefit already and the stress of trying to figure out all this complicated stuff isn't worth it. just enjoy ur retirement and the money ur already getting! life's 2 short 2 spend it fighting with SS bureaucracy
You make a good point about stress! $2,470 is definitely not terrible, and I'm grateful to have it plus my part-time income. Maybe I should focus on enjoying life rather than maximizing every dollar. Thanks for the perspective.
Chloe Davis
Quick question - does anybody know if the spousal top off applies if you're divorced? Been married 22 years but things aren't looking good lately...
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Isabella Costa
•Yes, if you were married for at least 10 years before divorcing, you can claim on your ex-spouse's record. The rules are mostly the same, except you don't need to wait for your ex to file for benefits first - you can claim spousal benefits as long as you're both at least 62 and have been divorced for at least two years. And your ex-spouse won't be notified when you apply.
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NeonNebula
Thank you all so much for the detailed explanations! This community is amazing. I'm going to bring all this information with me when I talk to SSA. It sounds like my best approach might be to take my own benefit at 62 or 65 (I'll be 60 next month), and then get the spousal top-off once my husband files at 70. That way we maximize his benefit for the long term but I still get some income earlier. Really appreciate everyone's help!
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