Just wanted to add my recent experience - I applied for Social Security benefits in January 2025 for my July FRA, so about 6 months early. The system accepted my application without any issues and I received confirmation that it's being held for processing at the appropriate time. I know some people have mentioned concerns about applying too early, but the SSA representative I spoke with said they prefer having applications in the system early rather than rushing to process last-minute submissions. This gives them time to identify and resolve any potential issues before your benefit start date. My advice: don't stress too much about the exact timing as long as you're in that 3-6 month window. The most important thing is making sure all your information is accurate when you submit. Good luck with your application!

I just went through this process myself last year! Applied exactly 4 months before my FRA in October 2024, and everything went smoothly. The online application took about 30 minutes to complete, and I received my first payment right on schedule. A few things that helped me: - I created a checklist of all my personal info beforehand (SSN, previous addresses for last 5 years, employer info, etc.) - Made sure my earnings record was accurate by reviewing it on mySocialSecurity first - Applied on a weekday morning when the system tends to be less busy - Kept screenshots of every confirmation page The 4-month timing worked perfectly - not too early to cause issues, but gave plenty of buffer time in case there were any problems to resolve. Since you're planning for September and your birthday is early in the month, I'd definitely recommend applying by early May. Better to have everything processed and ready than to stress about timing!

One important point for everyone following this discussion - while the Social Security Fairness Act would eliminate WEP/GPO for domestic public employees, international pension issues are typically governed by bilateral Social Security agreements (totalization agreements). These agreements are negotiated country-by-country and have their own unique provisions. If you have work history in multiple countries, it's essential to understand both the general WEP rules and the specific provisions of any applicable totalization agreement. These agreements help determine: 1. Whether you can combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits 2. How benefits are calculated when you have split work histories 3. Which country's benefits you're eligible to receive The US-UK agreement helps prevent double taxation and allows for totalizing credits, but it doesn't completely eliminate WEP reductions.

I'm in a similar boat with a pension from Australia! Been dealing with WEP reductions for 3 years now and it's so frustrating. From what I've researched, the Social Security Fairness Act unfortunately won't help us with foreign pensions - it's really focused on US government workers like teachers and police officers who didn't pay into Social Security during their government service. The international pension situation is handled under totally different rules through those totalization agreements everyone's mentioning. I've been told by multiple people that we're basically stuck with WEP unless we can somehow get to 30 years of substantial US earnings (which seems impossible for most of us who worked abroad). @Andre Laurent thanks for mentioning the Office of International Operations - I didn't know there was a specific department for this! Going to try calling and asking for OIO directly instead of getting bounced around to regular customer service.

As someone who works with disability cases, I want to emphasize that your sister should definitely pursue this now rather than assuming she has to wait until 62. The disabled divorced spouse benefit is a real provision that many people (including some SSA representatives) aren't familiar with. Since both she and her ex-husband are receiving disability benefits, the calculation can be tricky, but she may be entitled to the difference between her current SSDI amount and 50% of her ex-husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) - not his reduced disability amount, but what his full retirement benefit would be at his full retirement age. When she calls, she should specifically mention she's asking about "disabled divorced spouse benefits under Section 202(b)(4) of the Social Security Act" - using that specific legal reference might help get her to someone who knows these rules. The fact that they were married 20 years and divorced 12 years ago puts her in a strong position eligibility-wise. Also, don't let one "no" discourage you - these cases sometimes require persistence and speaking with multiple representatives to find one who understands the specialized rules for disabled divorced spouses.

I just wanted to share my experience since I went through something very similar with my brother last year. He was 58, on SSDI for 4 years, and his ex-wife had just started receiving her own disability benefits. Initially, the SSA representative told him he'd have to wait until 62, but after we pushed back and specifically asked about disabled divorced spouse benefits, they connected us with a technical expert who confirmed he WAS eligible for additional benefits immediately. The key was getting to someone who actually understood these specialized rules. It took three phone calls and about 6 weeks to get it sorted out, but he ended up getting an additional $280/month retroactive to when his ex-wife first became eligible for benefits. Your sister's situation sounds even stronger since they were married for 20 years (vs my brother's 12 years). Definitely have her mention the specific legal provision that Zoey referenced - that really seemed to help get us to the right person. And don't give up if the first representative says no!

Wow, what an incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! As someone who's still several years away from retirement but starting to think about these issues, this thread has been absolutely invaluable. The calendar year rule really is the key insight here - it's so logical once explained but definitely not something I would have intuited on my own. I love how this community came together to not only answer the original question but provide so many practical resources and real-world tips. The recommendations for Claimyr, the SSA online tools, keeping detailed records, and having your Social Security statement ready when calling are all going into my retirement planning notes. It's clear that navigating Social Security requires both understanding the rules and having good strategies for actually getting reliable information from the system. Thanks to everyone who contributed their knowledge and experiences - this is exactly the kind of community support that makes these complex government programs more manageable for regular people!

This thread has been incredibly educational! As someone who's just starting to research Social Security benefits, I had no idea about the calendar year rule - it makes perfect sense once explained but definitely isn't intuitive. I'm curious about one thing though - does this same principle apply if someone starts benefits mid-year? For example, if someone starts collecting in June 2025, would their January-May 2025 earnings be subject to the earnings test, or only earnings from June onward? I assume it would be the full year since it's still the same calendar year, but want to make sure I understand correctly. Also, huge thanks to everyone who mentioned Claimyr and the SSA online tools - I'm definitely bookmarking those resources for when I get closer to retirement. The practical tips in this thread are worth their weight in gold!

This is such a common trap that catches people off guard! I went through something similar when my father passed and we had to liquidate some assets to settle the estate. The key thing I learned is that SSA actually does recognize that retirement account withdrawals for specific one-time purposes can be appealed. Since you have clear documentation showing the withdrawal went directly to necessary home repairs (not lifestyle expenses), you should have a decent chance with the appeal. Make sure to emphasize in your appeal letter that this was an extraordinary circumstance related to estate management, not a reflection of your ongoing income capacity. Also, if the house sale is still pending, include documentation showing it will be sold and the proceeds distributed per the will - this reinforces that it was truly a temporary situation. The $260/month increase is brutal when you're on SSDI, so definitely worth fighting!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! My spouse had to withdraw from their IRA last year to cover unexpected medical expenses for their elderly parent, and now I'm facing IRMAA increases on my Medicare Part B premiums. Like you, we never thought of this as "high income" - it was money that went directly to medical bills and eldercare costs. Reading through all the advice here has been incredibly helpful, especially learning about the different appeal options. It's frustrating how the system doesn't automatically account for these one-time necessary expenses versus actual lifestyle income increases. I'm going to follow the suggestions here and gather all my documentation for an appeal. Thank you for posting about this - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these unexpected IRMAA penalties!