I'm also facing this same timing decision and wanted to share something I learned from my local SSA office visit last week. The representative emphasized that when you're born in January of any year, you actually reach your birthday month age on the first day of that month for Social Security purposes. So if you were born in January 1958, you're considered to reach age 66 on January 1, 2024, and then your additional 10 months would put your FRA at November 1, 2024. What really helped me understand this was asking the SSA rep to show me exactly how they calculate it in their system. She pulled up my record and walked through it step by step. This might be worth doing if you have any lingering doubts - even though it can be hard to get through on the phone, visiting a local office (with an appointment if possible) can give you that face-to-face confirmation. One more tip - when I was there, she showed me how the online application has a "preview" feature before you submit where you can see exactly what benefits will start when. Use that preview to double-check everything looks right before hitting submit!

This thread has been incredibly educational! I'm in a similar boat - born January 1958 with an FRA of 66 and 10 months. Reading everyone's experiences has really helped clarify the process. One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my financial advisor - if you're married and your spouse will eventually claim spousal benefits on your record, starting your benefits right at FRA (rather than delaying) can actually be beneficial because it establishes your Primary Insurance Amount for their spousal benefit calculation. Delaying your own benefits past FRA increases YOUR monthly payment but doesn't increase the spousal benefit amount your spouse could receive. This might not apply to everyone's situation, but it's worth considering if spousal benefits are part of your household's retirement strategy. Just another piece of the puzzle to think about when timing your application! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so helpful to hear from people who have actually been through this process successfully.

That makes PERFECT sense and explains the confusion! His benefit is right around $3,100 and she said the family max was about $5,200. So she was saying the family would get about 67% MORE in total, not that each dependent would get 67% of his benefit. Thank you for helping me make sense of this!

I'm glad you got that sorted out! Just wanted to add one more thing that might be helpful - when you do call SSA back to confirm everything, ask them to mail you a written benefit estimate that shows the breakdown for each family member. Having it in writing can prevent any confusion later and gives you something to reference if there are discrepancies when payments start. I learned this the hard way when our family went through the SSDI process. The written estimates are usually pretty accurate and can save you a lot of headaches down the road.

I'm so sorry to hear about the change in your retirement strategy! The deemed filing rule really did eliminate a lot of flexibility for people in your situation. But don't give up hope yet - there might still be some options worth exploring. Since you're planning to retire at 62 and your own benefit will be higher at 67, you might want to consider: 1. Working part-time until your FRA to avoid the early filing reduction penalties 2. If you do need income before 67, remember that the earnings test goes away completely once you reach FRA, so any benefits withheld due to excess earnings get added back to your future payments 3. Consider doing some Roth conversions now while you're still working and in potentially lower tax brackets, to reduce future RMDs that could push you into higher SS taxation brackets Also, make sure to get an updated benefit estimate from SSA that shows both your own projected benefit and the divorced spousal benefit, so you can see exactly what the numbers look like under deemed filing. The silver lining is that at least you found out about this now and can adjust your planning accordingly!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through a similar situation a few years ago. The deemed filing rule really is a game-changer for retirement planning, and it sounds like you're getting great advice here about adapting your strategy. One thing I'd add - when you do get those updated benefit estimates from SSA, pay close attention to your earnings record to make sure it's accurate. I found several years where my earnings weren't properly credited, which would have significantly affected my benefit calculation. You can dispute and correct errors, but it's much easier to do while you're still working and have access to your old tax records. Also, regarding the taxation thresholds that were mentioned earlier - don't forget that those dollar amounts ($25k, $34k, etc.) haven't been adjusted for inflation since they were set in the 1980s! So more and more retirees find themselves paying taxes on their Social Security benefits than was originally intended. Definitely factor that into your withdrawal strategies. The good news is you still have several years to optimize your approach. Take advantage of that time to really understand all your options!

My sister-in-law just went through this exact situation last year! Her situation was almost identical - teacher pension and husband had claimed early. One thing no one mentioned yet - if your husband's benefit increased due to COLAs over the years since he claimed at 62, those increases ARE included in the survivor benefit calculation. So that might give you a bit more than you're expecting.

I'm dealing with a similar situation as a retired school counselor. One thing that helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to track all the calculations. I listed my monthly pension amount, multiplied by 2/3 for the GPO reduction, then subtracted that from my estimated survivor benefit. Also, don't forget that if you're not yet receiving your teacher pension when you apply for survivor benefits, the GPO won't apply until you actually start receiving the pension payments. So there might be a window where you get the full survivor benefit before your pension kicks in. The timing can make a real difference in your overall financial planning, especially if you have flexibility in when you start your pension. Good luck navigating this maze!

Have you spoken with anyone at CalSTRS about this? When my mother-in-law went through something similar (CA teacher, husband died), a CalSTRS counselor helped her understand all the implications and provided some resources. They can't change the federal law, but they're often more knowledgeable about how it intersects with their pension system than general SSA reps are.

I'm so sorry for your loss and for this additional financial stress during an already difficult time. The GPO situation is unfortunately very real and affects thousands of educators and other public servants. One thing that might help: consider contacting your congressional representatives about this issue. While previous legislation hasn't passed, there's often renewed interest in WEP/GPO reform, especially when constituents share their personal stories. The National Education Association and other teacher unions also maintain advocacy efforts around this issue and might have resources or updates on current legislative efforts. It won't help immediately, but your voice could contribute to future change for others in similar situations.