Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! Based on your advice, I'm leaning toward waiting until my survivor benefit FRA (66 and 8 months) to avoid dealing with the earnings test complications. I'll definitely call SSA to get specific benefit estimates for my situation before making a final decision. It's frustrating how complicated they make this system, but I feel much better informed now. Will update once I make my decision!

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might help with your decision - since you're working for county government, check if your pension has any coordination with Social Security benefits. Some government pensions can affect your Social Security benefits due to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO). The GPO specifically can reduce survivor benefits by 2/3 of your government pension amount, which could significantly impact your strategy. If you're subject to GPO, it might make more sense to maximize your own retirement benefit instead of relying on survivor benefits. Definitely mention this when you call SSA - they need to factor in your government employment when calculating your benefits. This could completely change which option is best for you!

Thank you all for the helpful advice! After reading everything, I think my best option is to either wait until FRA or coordinate my Social Security filing with my reduced work hours through the phased retirement program. I'll probably use that Claimyr service to get through to SSA and discuss my specific situation. If I do the phased retirement starting in July 2025 (which would drop my income to about $43,000 for the year), would I still lose most of my benefits? Or would that lower income help with the earnings test?

Another thing to consider with your phased retirement timing - if you start the reduced hours in January 2025 instead of July, your total annual earnings would be much lower. Working 3 days a week for the full year would put you around $43,200 annually, but starting mid-year means you'd earn your full salary for 6 months PLUS the reduced amount for 6 months. I'd calculate it like this: $72,000/2 (Jan-June) + $21,600 (July-Dec at 3 days/week) = roughly $57,600 total for 2025. At that income level, you'd still be about $33,600 over the limit, meaning they'd withhold around $16,800 in benefits. Starting the phased retirement in January would save you over $7,000 in withheld benefits! Definitely worth asking HR if you can move up that timeline. The monthly test still probably wouldn't apply since you're staying with the same employer, but the lower annual earnings would make a huge difference.

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I'll ask specifically about the 'deemed SSI recipient' status at my appointment next month. I had no idea there were these protections in place. I've been so worried about him losing medical coverage during this transition.

I'm so sorry for your loss, and I understand how overwhelming this must be while you're grieving. Based on what you've shared, it sounds like you're getting some good guidance from the SSA representatives. One thing I'd suggest is asking specifically about the timeline for when your son's DAC benefits will start - sometimes there can be a delay in processing, and you'll want to know if there might be any gaps in his coverage. Also, when you have your appointment next month, make sure to ask about whether you're eligible for any retroactive benefits. Since your husband was approved for SSDI before he passed, there might be some considerations about benefit timing that could work in your favor. The fact that you're taking care of your son shows you're being a great advocate for him during this difficult time. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification on anything that doesn't make sense - you have every right to understand how these benefits work.

Just as an FYI - make sure you're budgeting for your regular payment date going forward. I've seen people get caught off guard when their second payment comes on the regular schedule, which can be 2-3 weeks later than when they received their first payment. Especially if you're setting up automatic bill payments, plan around your regular schedule (third Wednesday for you) rather than the date of your first payment.

Why does my account say my payments will be paid on the 1st but the payment schedule says that according to my birthday it should be the third Wednesday of every month? I'm so confused by this

I'm in the EXACT same boat except I'm 63 and hubby is 69 who took SS at 62. I talked to a financial advisor who said DO NOT claim any SS untl you speak to SSA directly because the rules are SO complicated for survivor benefits. Apparently there are several different calculation methods they use and which one applies depends on your specific situation, birth year, etc. And YES survivor benfits are often higher than what the spouse was actually getting if they claimed early! Crazy system!

As someone who just went through this process with my mom after my dad passed, I wanted to add one important detail that might help. The SSA office visits can be really helpful, but make sure to bring ALL your documents - your husband's Social Security statement, your own earnings record, marriage certificate, etc. Also, ask them to show you the actual calculations on paper. When my mom went in, the first representative just gave her a rough estimate, but the second one actually walked through the math step by step. It made a huge difference in understanding her options. One thing that surprised us was that even though my dad had claimed early at 62, my mom's survivor benefit at her FRA was actually about 15% MORE than what he had been receiving monthly. The system is definitely confusing, but getting those specific numbers for your situation will help you make the best decision for your financial future.