I'm in a very similar situation - 64 and on SSDI with about 18 months until my FRA. What really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to track everything before I even started considering work. I included columns for TWP months used, earnings, benefit amounts, and estimated taxes. One thing I learned from my research is that you can actually check how many TWP months you've already used (if any) by calling SSA or checking online - many people don't realize they might have used some in the past without knowing it. Also, if you do decide to move forward, consider starting with just a few hours per week to test both your physical capacity and how well you can manage the reporting requirements. The documentation advice from others here is spot-on. I keep a simple monthly log with dates worked, hours, gross pay, and copies of all communications with SSA. It's tedious but gives peace of mind. Have you looked into whether your profession offers any flexible arrangements that might make the work more sustainable for your health condition?

I'm in a somewhat similar situation at 66 and recently went through the TWP process myself. One thing that really helped was setting up a dedicated folder (both physical and digital) specifically for all SSDI work-related documentation from day one. A few practical tips that made my experience smoother: First, when you call SSA to set up earnings reporting, ask them to put a note in your file about your work attempt and get the representative's name/date. This can be helpful if there are any discrepancies later. Second, consider having a backup plan for your professional certifications - if you need to stop working suddenly due to your health, you'll want to ensure they don't lapse during recovery periods. Also, since you mentioned earning $5,200-6,000 monthly, keep in mind that during your Extended Period of Eligibility phase, months where you earn over the SGA limit ($1,550 for 2025) will result in no SSDI payment for that month - but you'll still get the work income. The key is understanding that it's truly month-by-month, so if you have a bad health month and can't work, your benefits can resume immediately. Given your timeline to FRA, you're actually in one of the best possible positions to test this safely. The worst-case scenario is much less risky for you than someone with years left until retirement age.

I've been getting Social Security disability for about 8 years now, and I've noticed they seem to send them out in batches based on your Social Security number. People with numbers ending in certain digits get theirs first. My husband and I almost always get ours about 10 days apart even though we're at the same address. Maybe your SSN just puts you in a later batch this year?

I work at a tax preparation office and can confirm that the SSA typically mails out 1099s throughout January, with the deadline being January 31st. What many people don't realize is that the forms are often available online several days before they arrive by mail. If you're having trouble with the SSA website, try calling their main number (1-800-772-1213) early in the morning - wait times are usually shorter between 8-9 AM. Also, if you use a tax preparer, they can often help you access your online account or work with estimated numbers while you wait for the physical form to arrive.

This is such a great discussion! I'm in a similar situation and have been wrestling with the same decision. One additional consideration I'd add is to make sure you and your wife both understand the "deemed filing" rules that might apply if she claims benefits before her FRA while you're still alive. If she files for her own retirement benefit before reaching her FRA and you're already collecting, she would be required to also file for spousal benefits at the same time (if eligible), and both would be permanently reduced. This could affect the timing strategy some couples use. Also, have you considered using the Social Security calculators on ssa.gov to run different scenarios? They can help you see the break-even points for different claiming strategies. Given your family's longevity and the significant benefit difference, delaying to 70 really does seem like the smart move for maximizing lifetime household benefits.

As someone who works with retirement planning, I want to emphasize that your strategy is excellent and add one more consideration: make sure to keep detailed records of your Social Security decisions and the reasoning behind them. When your wife eventually needs to claim survivor benefits, having documentation about when you claimed, what your benefit amount was, and any relevant dates can make the process much smoother for her. The SSA keeps records, but having your own documentation can be helpful. Also, consider discussing this plan with a fee-only financial advisor who can help you coordinate your Social Security strategy with your other retirement accounts (401k, IRA, etc.). Sometimes the optimal Social Security claiming strategy affects how you should draw down other retirement assets for tax efficiency. Your plan to delay until 70 is textbook perfect for your situation - higher earner with longevity and a spouse with significantly lower benefits. You're setting both of you up for maximum lifetime benefits.

Welcome to the community! I'm dealing with a somewhat similar situation and wanted to share what I've learned through my own research. One thing that might be worth exploring is whether your health conditions could potentially qualify you for a disability freeze on your Social Security earnings record, even if you don't qualify for SSDI benefits. This wouldn't give you immediate benefits, but it could prevent those non-working years from dragging down your future benefit calculation. Also, since you mentioned you're 62 now (not 60 as in your title), you do have the option to file for your own reduced benefits immediately if your financial situation requires it. The key is getting those exact benefit estimates from SSA so you can make an informed decision based on your specific circumstances rather than general rules. Good luck with everything!

As a newcomer here, I wanted to share something that might be helpful based on what I've seen with family members in similar situations. Since you mentioned having a pension of $2,350/month from covered employment, that actually puts you in a better position than many people dealing with GPO issues. The fact that you paid Social Security taxes on that employment means GPO won't reduce any spousal benefits you might be eligible for. However, given that you're the higher earner, the math probably won't work in favor of ex-spousal benefits anyway. What I've learned from others' experiences is that it's still worth getting the official calculations from SSA, especially since your health situation adds another layer of complexity to the timing decision. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you do decide to claim your own benefits at 62, you can still potentially switch to survivor benefits later if your ex-husband passes away first, and those wouldn't be subject to the same early filing penalties that apply now. Just another factor to consider in your overall planning. The break-even analysis that Jabari-Jo mentioned is really crucial here given your health concerns. Sometimes the "financially optimal" choice on paper isn't the best choice for your actual life situation.

As someone who just went through this decision process myself, I wanted to add a practical perspective. I was in a very similar situation - 62 and needing income while my husband was 57 and still working. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet comparing different scenarios over 10, 15, and 20 years. I looked at: - Taking my reduced benefit immediately vs waiting - Total lifetime benefits under different longevity assumptions - The impact on our overall retirement cash flow What I found was that the "break-even" point for waiting vs claiming early was around age 78-80 in my case. Since I'm in good health and both my parents lived into their 90s, waiting made more sense for us. However, the cash flow aspect was important too. We ended up using a combination of savings and a small part-time job to bridge the gap until I reached FRA. It wasn't ideal, but the long-term benefit increase was worth it for our situation. One resource that really helped was the Social Security Administration's online benefit calculators. You can run different claiming scenarios to see the actual dollar amounts for your specific situation rather than trying to guess.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation - I'm 64 and my husband is 60, so I've been researching this extensively. One thing I learned that might help you is to look at your Social Security statement online to see your estimated benefits at different claiming ages. What really opened my eyes was understanding that if you claim your own benefit early and then later become eligible for spousal benefits, you don't just "switch over" to the spousal amount. Instead, Social Security pays you the higher of: (1) your own reduced benefit, or (2) your own reduced benefit PLUS the difference needed to reach your reduced spousal benefit amount. The key word here is "reduced" - if you claim early, both your own benefit and any spousal benefit get reduced permanently. So in your case, if you take your $950 now and your husband's PIA ends up being $3,000, you wouldn't necessarily get $1,500 as a spousal benefit later. The spousal amount would also be reduced based on your age when you first claimed. I'd suggest calling SSA and asking them to walk through a few "what if" scenarios with your actual numbers. Despite what others have said about inconsistent information, I found that if you ask very specific questions about your own record, they can give you the exact dollar amounts for different claiming strategies.