Actually I just thought of this - have you checked if you qualify for any other programs? With your reduced income you might be eligible for assistance with utilities or property tax reductions for seniors. Our county has a program that caps property taxes for homeowners over 60 with income below certain levels.

Has anyone mentioned that Social Security MIGHT be taxable depending on your combined income?? I got surprised by this my first year on SS! If your combined income (adjusted gross income + nontaxable interest + half of SS benefits) exceeds $25,000 for individuals or $32,000 for couples, up to 85% of your benefits might be taxable. With your husband still working full-time, you'll probably hit that threshold.

One more thing I just remembered - if your husband was deployed in a combat zone after 2001, he might qualify for Wounded Warrior expedited processing through SSA. Doesn't guarantee approval, but gets his application processed faster. Just make sure to mention his combat veteran status when applying for SSDI.

Based on everything in this thread, here's what I suggest: 1. Apply for SSDI as soon as possible (you can do this while still receiving retirement) 2. Mention his Afghanistan deployment to qualify for expedited processing 3. Submit all VA disability documentation with the SSDI application 4. Consider getting legal representation to increase approval chances 5. Continue receiving retirement benefits until a decision is made If approved for SSDI, they'll switch him to the higher benefit amount. If denied, he continues with his current retirement benefits with no penalty for trying.

wait so does the WEP thing mean his wife gets less money or more money? im confused

my brother waited till 70 to collect and then died at 72! all those years of not collecting and higher benefit gone to waste. jus something to think about

Just wanted to add - if you're receiving SSI benefits rather than retirement or SSDI, the rules are slightly different. For SSI recipients, changes made after the first of the month may not take effect until the following month's payment. Always good to verify which type of benefit you're receiving as the timing can differ.

Update us after your payment date! I'm curious if it goes smoothly. My mom needs to change hers too but she's nervous about it.

update?? did u figure this out? im curious if it was just a website glitch or something else

I finally got through this morning! The representative confirmed it was indeed a display glitch in the system. The

One important thing to note - if you do need to contact Social Security to verify everything is okay with your account (which isn't a bad idea for peace of mind), make sure to call THEM directly using the official number from ssa.gov. Don't call back any number that was provided to you in the suspicious call, as that could just connect you with the scammers again who might try to convince you they're legitimate SSA employees.

Checking your MySocialSecurity account was a smart move! That's a great way to verify if there are any legitimate issues with your benefits. Since everything looks normal there, you can be confident your May payment will arrive as scheduled. The online account is also a good way to avoid these phone scams entirely - most legitimate business SSA needs to conduct with you will generate a message in your online account if you've set one up.

One more important point regarding your husband's situation: Since he has a CSRS pension, he's significantly impacted by WEP. However, had he been under FERS (Federal Employees Retirement System), which began in 1987, the impact would have been less since FERS employees pay into Social Security. If he has exactly 27 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, his WEP reduction should be 65% of the full WEP penalty (rather than 100%). For 2025, with the maximum WEP reduction being approximately $621 per month, his actual reduction should be around $403 per month (65% of $621). If he's seeing a larger reduction, it's definitely worth requesting a recalculation. Also, keep in mind that as of January 2025, the substantial earnings threshold is $33,750.

my dad just gave up trying to fight this... said its not worth the stress at his age. sucks that they can just take money he earned!

i have a friend who moved to ecuador 3 years ago and still gets her ss payments just fine. she said she gets a form once a year that she has to fill out and send back, and thats it. super easy! she loves it there and her ss check goes way further there than it did in florida.

To summarize for the original poster: Yes, you can move to Portugal and continue receiving your Social Security retirement benefits without interruption. You should: 1. Notify SSA before you move (ideally 3 months before) 2. Set up direct deposit to a US bank for simplicity 3. Be prepared to complete periodic questionnaires 4. Research the US-Portugal tax treaty to understand tax implications 5. Keep your mySocialSecurity account active so you can manage things online You can find all this information in the SSA publication "Your Payments While You Are Outside The United States" on the SSA website.

this happened to my aunt last year! the ssa people told her different things every time she called! one said she would get her husbands full amount, another said it would be reduced cause she was only 62. so frustrating! she ended up getting most of his benefit but not all of it. the whole process took like 3 months.

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice. I called the local office this morning and explained my situation. They were able to move my appointment up to next week after I mentioned I was recently widowed. I'm going to bring all the documents suggested and have made a list of questions based on your comments. I'm also going to try that phone service if I need to call again before my appointment. This is all so overwhelming on top of the grief, but I feel more prepared now. I'll update after my appointment in case it helps someone else in the future.

I just want to add one more important piece of advice: when your benefits are finally approved, double-check the retroactive payment carefully. Processing center delays often result in calculation errors for the back payments. Make sure they've properly calculated benefits from your initial filing date in September, not just from when they finally process the claim. Also, verify that both your widow's benefits and your daughter's benefits are calculated correctly. Many people don't realize that a surviving spouse caring for a minor child under 16 is entitled to benefits equal to 75% of the deceased worker's PIA, while the child is entitled to 75% as well (subject to family maximum limits). Likewise, ensure you've received the $255 lump sum death payment. It's small but often overlooked during problematic claims processing.

I want to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I called my Congressional Representative this morning and spoke with a caseworker who was incredibly helpful. She took all my information and said she'd submit an official inquiry to SSA today. She also gave me her direct number for follow-up. I'm also going to try that Claimyr service to reach someone at SSA directly so I can request the "critical case" flag and ask to speak with a Technical Expert or District Manager. I'll keep you all posted on what happens. It helps to know I'm not alone in this frustrating process.