Have you checked with SSA directly? My friend got different answers from 3 different people she talked to there.

Based on all the information shared so far, here's what I would recommend: 1. Contact SSA to get a precise calculation of your benefit amounts. Ask specifically about what your benefit would be without the ex-spouse portion, and whether you would qualify for any additional spousal benefits once your new husband files. 2. If the numbers confirm you'll permanently lose that $450/month with no way to recover it through spousal benefits on your new husband's record, you have a financial decision to make. 3. Options to consider: - Postpone marriage until your fiancé claims benefits (though based on the calculations, this may not help) - Proceed with marriage but understand the permanent financial impact - Explore whether other financial benefits of marriage might offset the SS reduction This is ultimately a personal decision balancing financial and emotional factors. Some couples in your situation choose alternative arrangements like a commitment ceremony without legal marriage to preserve benefits.

My sister faxed her W-4V form and never heard anything back. Six months later she was still getting her full SS check with no withholding! When she called they had no record of her form! Now she has a huge tax bill. I recommend taking it in person AND following up by phone after a month if you don't see the withholding start.

To follow up on your security concerns: SSA has secure internal procedures for handling forms with personal information, but they won't process forms in front of you. They use their Modernized Claims System (MCS) to input withholding requests, but this happens in their back office processing centers. One option for more security: you can complete the W-4V online through your my Social Security account in some cases, avoiding paper forms entirely. Have you checked if that's available to you?

listen the SSA people dont even know half the time when you call they told me one thing and then my actual benefit was different so dont stress about the exact number now just know itll have whatever COLA they approve

I appreciate everyone's responses! I'm going to wait until after the COLA announcement in October and then call the SSA to get an updated estimate. It sounds like I'll definitely get the COLA increase included in my January payment, which is reassuring. I'm still a bit confused about how they calculate widow's benefits though. Is the $1,874 they quoted me based on my deceased husband's record alone, or does it also factor in my own work history somehow?

@confused_about_pensions If you're having trouble reaching SSA by phone, I've had success using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available instead of you waiting on hold for hours. Saved me a lot of frustration when I needed to sort out my retirement benefits. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. For something complicated like WEP calculations, speaking to an actual agent is definitely better than trying to figure it out from the website alone.

Thank you all for the helpful information! I just checked my Social Security statement online and it does show earnings for all my years of work including my FERS time, which confirms what many of you have said about paying into the system during that time. I'm relieved to know that WEP probably won't affect me much since I was in FERS. I'm going to try to schedule an appointment with SSA to get the exact calculations. If I can't get through on the phone, I'll try that Claimyr service someone mentioned. One more question - does anyone know if any of this affects when I should start taking my Social Security benefits? I'll be 63 next year when I retire, but wondering if I should wait until my full retirement age or even 70?

Wait! Nobody's talking about the EARNINGS TEST! If your wife is still working and you're under FRA, your benefits could be REDUCED if your household income is too high. In 2025, I think the limit is around $22,320 if you're under FRA. For every $2 you earn above that limit, they take away $1 of benefits. Also, that advice about investing your SS to make up the difference by FRA seems RISKY to me. What if the market crashes right after you invest? Then you've locked in that permanent reduction AND lost money. Just something to think about.

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful responses. I clearly need to reconsider my plan. The points about survivor benefits for my wife and the tax implications of our combined income are especially eye-opening. It sounds like with our money market interest, we'd definitely be in the 85% taxable range for SS benefits. I'm going to sit down and run some more detailed calculations on the long-term impact of waiting vs. taking benefits early. And thanks to whoever mentioned Claimyr - I've been trying to reach SSA for weeks with no luck, so I'll check that out too.

wait i'm confused about something... if she died on jan 8 does that mean you DO have to return some money? since she wasn't alive the full month?

I just wanted to update everyone - I called SSA this morning and confirmed what you all said. The January payment was indeed for December and we don't need to return it. They also confirmed they received the death notification from the funeral home last week. Thanks for all your help and advice!

I'm so confused about this whole topic! When my dad worked after starting his Social Security, he said the extra money he made actually REDUCED his monthly check! But everyone here is saying there's no reduction after FRA? Is this a new rule or was my dad mistaken??? Also, does any of this apply to disability benefits or just retirement? My husband is on SSDI and thinking about trying to work part-time.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I've learned a lot and have some follow-up questions: 1. For the automatic recalculation that might increase my benefit - does this happen without me needing to contact SSA? 2. For those who mentioned tax implications - is there a calculator anywhere that can help me estimate how much of my SS will be taxable with this additional income? 3. I'm still not clear on Medicare coordination - if I take my employer's health plan, can I drop Medicare Part B entirely or just use it as secondary coverage?

Just to add a bit more clarity on how SSA applies the earnings test in your FRA year: If you earned $20,000 from January through March (before reaching FRA in April), you're well under the higher $59,520 threshold for those months, so no benefits would be withheld. If you had earned $70,000 in those three months, you would have exceeded the threshold by $10,480. SSA would then withhold $1 for every $3 over the limit, meaning approximately $3,493 would be withheld from your benefits. The good news is that starting in April (your FRA month), your earnings have no impact whatsoever on your benefits - you could earn $1 million and still receive your full SS payment.

Just a heads up that sometimes there's confusion between full retirement age (FRA) and normal retirement age (NRA). They're actually the same thing - SSA just changed terminology over the years. And there's also confusion with the term "retirement year" which isn't really an official SSA term. What matters is the year you reach your FRA and the month you reach your FRA. As others have said, once you hit that FRA month, the earnings test disappears completely.

my sister had the same problem and she just let them withhold the payments to recoup the overage then everything went back to normal. she didn't want the hassle of withdrawing and reapplying. less paperwork.

To clarify something important about the Adjustment to the Reduction Factor that was mentioned: This only applies if your husband started receiving benefits BEFORE his FRA. Since he started at 66 (which is before his FRA of 66+8 months for someone born in 1958), any months where benefits are completely withheld due to earnings will be credited back to him after he reaches FRA. SSA will automatically recalculate and slightly increase his monthly benefit to account for those months where he received no payment. This is why running the exact calculations is so important - withdrawing and reapplying later means repaying benefits now, but getting a higher amount later. Letting SSA withhold benefits means keeping what he's already received, getting a slightly increased amount later, but still having taken benefits early with some permanent reduction.

Thanks everyone for the great information! So to summarize what I've learned: 1. There is NO 45-hour work limit for retirement benefits (that might be for disability) 2. The annual earnings limit for 2025 is about $22,320, just above what I expect to earn 3. As a 1099 contractor, it's NET earnings that matter (after business deductions) 4. I should track all possible business expenses carefully to reduce my countable income 5. Since this is my first year collecting, there's a special monthly earnings test 6. I'll need to set aside money for self-employment taxes I'm feeling much better about taking this job now, though I'll be careful to stay under the limits. I might still contact Social Security directly to confirm all this for my specific situation using that Claimyr service someone mentioned. Thanks again!

My sister was told theres a 960 hour limit for the year which is like 80 hours a month. So confusing why everyone gets different information!!!