I've been a representative payee for my disabled adult child for over 10 years, and while the situation is a bit different, the core responsibilities are the same. One thing I'd add to all the great advice here is to take photos of any major purchases you make for the kids using their benefits - things like school clothes, computer for schoolwork, medical expenses, etc. It's not required, but having visual documentation has been helpful when filling out those annual reports, especially when you're trying to remember what you spent months ago. Also, if either of your teenagers has any special needs or medical expenses, make sure to keep detailed records of those - SSA considers medical care a priority use of benefits. The learning curve is real, but you'll get the hang of it quickly. Just remember that as their parent, you're already making decisions in their best interest - being a rep payee just means documenting it a bit more formally.

As a newcomer to this whole Social Security thing, I'm really grateful for all the detailed advice everyone has shared here! I'm in a similar situation - just turned 60 and starting to think about retirement planning. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly educational. One question I haven't seen addressed yet: if you're divorced and your ex-spouse also has custody/visitation rights with the kids, does that complicate the representative payee situation at all? I'm wondering if both parents can be co-payees or if it has to be just one person handling everything. Also, for those who mentioned keeping spreadsheets and taking photos - do you store these digitally or keep physical copies? I'm trying to figure out the best system before I potentially find myself in this situation in a couple of years. Thanks again to everyone for being so helpful and thorough with your explanations. This community is amazing!

I went through something similar when my ex-husband passed two years ago. I was 64 and still working part-time. One thing that really helped me was creating a spreadsheet to compare different scenarios with actual dollar amounts. Here's what I wish someone had told me upfront: get your benefits estimates IN WRITING from SSA, not just verbal estimates over the phone. The representatives sometimes give conflicting info, but the written estimates are more reliable for planning. Also, since you mentioned your ex had much higher earnings, make sure to ask SSA about his actual benefit amount at the time of death vs. what his benefit would have been at his FRA. Sometimes the survivor benefit calculation can be different than you'd expect, especially if he died before claiming. The earnings test is definitely a pain, but remember that if you do decide to claim early and have benefits withheld, you're essentially getting an interest-free loan from the government that gets paid back with the recalculation at FRA. Some people find that helpful for cash flow even if the math doesn't look great on paper initially.

I'm a newcomer here but have been researching this exact situation for my own planning. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the "do-over" option that Social Security offers. If you claim survivor benefits early and then realize the earnings test is eating up too much of your benefit, you can withdraw your application within 12 months and pay back any benefits received. This essentially gives you a one-year trial period to see how the numbers work out in practice. Also, since you're planning to work until 70 anyway, have you considered the tax implications? Survivor benefits are taxable income just like regular Social Security benefits, so that $68k salary plus survivor benefits might push you into a higher tax bracket. Sometimes the after-tax math changes the decision significantly. Another strategy some people use is to file a "restricted application" for survivor benefits at FRA while letting their own retirement benefit continue to grow until 70. This way you avoid the earnings test entirely but still get some Social Security income before retirement. Just make sure to verify this option is still available - the rules have changed several times in recent years!

Great discussion here! One thing I'd add - make sure to apply for benefits about 3 months before you want them to start (so around April for July benefits). The SSA needs time to process your application, and you don't want delays that could push your start date later than planned. Also, keep detailed records of your monthly earnings once you start benefits. SSA will ask for wage statements during their annual review, and having everything organized will make that process much smoother. I learned this the hard way when I had to scramble to find pay stubs from months earlier! The strategy outlined by QuantumQuasar sounds solid for your situation. Just remember that the monthly limits can change each year, so double-check the 2025 numbers when they're officially announced.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact scenario in 2023. I was 64, earning about $45k/year, and decided to start benefits in August. The monthly earnings test was a game-changer for me! Here's what actually happened: I worked full-time Jan-July, then negotiated with my employer to go to 25 hours/week starting in August. My monthly earnings dropped to about $1,500, which was well under the monthly limit. I received my full SS benefit every month from August-December while still earning decent part-time income. One thing nobody mentioned - when you reduce your hours, make sure your employer understands it needs to be a permanent change in your work arrangement, not just a temporary reduction. SSA looks at your "substantial services" to an employer, not just earnings. If they think you're still working full-time but just getting paid less temporarily, it can complicate things. The whole process worked out great financially. I maximized my work income for 7 months, then got both part-time wages AND full SS benefits for 5 months. Definitely recommend this approach if your employer is flexible!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anastasia. What you're going through sounds incredibly overwhelming, especially while you're still grieving. I want to address a few key points that might help clarify things for you: Regarding your husband's SSDI approval - yes, even though he never received a payment, his approval establishes the foundation for survivor benefits. The SSA essentially treats it as if he had been receiving benefits, which is why both you and your son are eligible. For your son's transition from SSI to DAC benefits, this is typically a very positive change. DAC benefits are usually significantly higher than SSI (often $1,500+ vs the current SSI rate of $943), and he'll eventually get Medicare coverage. The SSA representative was right to start this process. One thing to be prepared for with your own appointment next month: they'll likely ask about your work history and future work plans. Since you mentioned you don't currently work because you care for your son, make sure to mention this - there may be additional considerations for caregivers in your situation. Also, don't worry too much about the timing of applications. The SSA will backdate benefits appropriately based on when your husband passed away, so waiting until after April shouldn't negatively impact either of your benefit amounts. Keep all your documentation organized and don't hesitate to ask for written confirmation of anything they tell you. You're doing everything right in advocating for both yourself and your son during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Anastasia. What a difficult situation to navigate while grieving. I just wanted to add one important point that I haven't seen mentioned yet - make sure to ask about the potential for retroactive payments when you have your appointment next month. Since your husband was approved for SSDI in January and passed away at the end of January, there might be some retroactive survivor benefits available from his date of death. The SSA sometimes pays survivor benefits back to the month after the worker's death, which could mean you're eligible for February and March payments. Also, regarding your concern about the "locked" account - this is actually pretty standard when someone passes during the SSDI waiting period. The SSA has to convert the disability claim to survivor claims, which involves some backend processing that temporarily restricts access to the record. It sounds like your son's appointment went well and they're moving forward with his DAC benefits, which is great news. One last thing - keep detailed notes of every conversation you have with SSA representatives, including names, dates, and reference numbers. This has saved me so much trouble when dealing with government agencies in the past. You're doing an amazing job advocating for both yourself and your son during such a challenging time.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet - don't forget about the tax implications of your timing decision! If you file for Social Security in 2025 while still earning $72k (or even the reduced amount from phased retirement), you'll likely have to pay taxes on a portion of your Social Security benefits too. With your income level, up to 85% of your Social Security benefits could be subject to federal income tax. So even after dealing with the earnings test withholding, you'll still owe taxes on whatever benefits you do receive. This double-hit (withholding + taxes) makes the financial case for waiting until FRA even stronger. I'd definitely recommend running the numbers with a tax professional before making your final decision. Sometimes the "tax strategy" financial advisors suggest for claiming early doesn't work out as well in practice when you factor in both the earnings test AND the tax burden on benefits.

I'm dealing with a similar situation and wanted to share what I learned from my research and calls to SSA. The key thing that helped me understand the monthly vs yearly earnings test is that SSA looks at whether you've had a "retirement event" - meaning a significant change in your work pattern, not just filing for benefits. In your case, continuing the same $72k job would mean the annual limit applies for all of 2025, putting you about $48k over the limit (assuming ~$24k limit for 2025). That would result in roughly $24k in withheld benefits - essentially wiping out most of your Social Security for the year. However, if you can coordinate your phased retirement to start in January instead of July, that changes everything. Working 3 days/week for the full year would put you around $43k annually, meaning only about $9.5k in withheld benefits instead of $24k. One more thing - make sure to factor in that any months where benefits are withheld due to earnings will result in a small increase to your benefit amount once you reach FRA. It's not dollar-for-dollar, but SSA does give you credit for those withheld months. Still, given the permanent reduction from claiming at 64 vs 67, plus the earnings test complications, waiting might be your best financial move unless you can significantly reduce your work hours right from the start.