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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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congrats on selling ur house! i bet u made a bundle in this market lol
Thanks! Yes, I did ok on the sale. It was getting to be too much to maintain by myself after my husband passed.
Just a note - if you had significant capital gains from selling your house last year, that could potentially affect your tax situation for that year specifically. For a single person, up to $250,000 in capital gains from selling a primary residence can be excluded if you lived there at least 2 of the last 5 years.
my friend has same situation and the apartment manager told her she needed some tax form for her rent but it was for low income housing tax credit thing not for normal taxes!!! maybe thats what ur landlord was talking about???
That could be it! He did mention something about needing to verify my income for the apartment. I'll ask him if that's what he meant. Thank you!
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Just wondering - has anyone thought about the Medicare implications? If you withdraw your SS application, does it affect Medicare enrollment? I'm turning 65 soon and trying to figure all this out.
Good question! Withdrawing your Social Security application does NOT affect your Medicare coverage. They're separate programs. You can withdraw from SS and keep Medicare, but you'll have to pay the Medicare premiums directly instead of having them deducted from your SS payment.
After reading all your helpful responses, I think I'm going to go with the withdrawal option using Form SSA-521. The contract work is significant enough that I'd lose a lot to the earnings test, and I like the idea of being able to restart at a higher benefit amount later. I'll check out Claimyr to get through to SSA quickly and confirm all the details before proceeding. Thank you all for the guidance!
Smart move! Just remember to file the withdrawal before that 12-month window closes. And when you restart benefits later, be strategic about the timing. Each year you delay between FRA and 70 adds 8% to your monthly benefit amount.
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One more thing - make sure your brother keeps VERY detailed records of exactly when each payment was received and how much. When he files his annual report to SSA, having those records ready will make the process much smoother. The SSA can request verification from his employer, but having his own documentation ready will speed things up.
yep! I keep a spreadsheet with ALL my husbands payments, dates, and even make notes bout which were reg salary vs commission. makes the annual reporting SO much easier. also scan all pay stubs!!! SSA lost our paperwork TWICE last year and we had to send it in again.
Something else worth mentioning: if your brother has already hit his 62nd birthday, he doesn't have to wait until July to apply. He can apply up to 4 months before he wants benefits to begin. So if he wants July benefits, he could apply now and specify July as his benefit start month. This gives SSA time to process the application, which can sometimes take a while. The first payment for July would arrive in August.
That's really helpful! I didn't realize he could apply this far in advance. We're going to get that application in right away and specify July as the start date. Might as well get the ball rolling since it sounds like processing can take some time.
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My sister had a similar situation and she just gave up trying to get the higher benefit amount cuz the whole process was SO FRUSTRATING. She said it wasn't worth the stress dealing with all the SSA bureaucracy. Sometimes I wonder if they make it this complicated ON PURPOSE so people don't get all the benefits they deserve!!! 😠
thats why its always good to talk to the actual SSA reps not just go by what people say online (including me lol). rules are complicated and change sometimes
One last thing to consider: since you're 68 and already past your Full Retirement Age, when you do eventually qualify for spousal benefits, you won't face any reductions for early filing on your end. You'll be eligible for the maximum spousal benefit (up to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount). However, since it sounds like your own benefit is already established, you'll only receive the difference if the spousal amount is higher. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment with SSA when your husband gets closer to 62 to review all your options at that time.
Thank you again! I'll definitely do that. It's disappointing to have to wait, but at least I understand the rules better now.
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Has ANYONE mentioned the tax implications?? If you're still working full-time AND collecting SS, up to 85% of your benefits could be TAXABLE depending on your combined income! This is another reason to DELAY until you're actually retired or at least working less.
This is absolutely correct. With your full-time income plus Social Security benefits, you would almost certainly have 85% of your benefits subject to federal income tax. This tax consideration does strengthen the case for delaying until closer to when you stop working, as it effectively reduces the real value of benefits received while earning a substantial income.
Honestly all this math and planning is great but nobody can predict how long they'll live. The perfect plan means nothing if you pass away at 71. My husband delayed and then only collected for 14 months before he passed. I wish we'd taken the money earlier and gone on that Alaska cruise we always talked about. Just something to think about.
I'm so sorry for your loss. That's a heartbreaking perspective and definitely gives me something to think about. There is certainly a quality of life consideration that can't be captured in pure mathematics. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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Quick update on HR 82 - there was actually a hearing scheduled for March 2025 in the House Ways and Means Committee. While this doesn't guarantee passage, it's the furthest the bill has progressed in years. Consider joining advocacy groups like the Social Security Fairness Coalition who are organizing virtual lobbying days this spring. Also, regarding your specific situation, if your spouse's benefit increases in the future (like when he turns 70 if he's delayed claiming), your potential spousal benefit would increase too, which might exceed the GPO reduction at some point.
That's the first bit of good news I've heard about HR 82! I'll definitely look into the Social Security Fairness Coalition. And that's a great point about my husband's benefit - he's 66 now and planning to delay until 70, so his benefit will increase. I hadn't considered that might eventually overcome the GPO offset. Thank you!
Has anyone else noticed that the SSA website barely even EXPLAINS GPO properly???? I had to find out about it from my teacher's union, SSA never warned me until it was too late!!!! The whole system is designed to keep us in the dark!!!!
so true. my dad got blindsided by this after 40 yrs as a firefighter. no warning at all until he applied
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I just went through this exact situation with MY wife last year. The monthly earnings limit was the way to go for us. But here's something NOBODY mentioned yet that tripped us up: if your wife gets any performance bonuses in those months, even if they're for work she did last year, they COUNT toward the monthly limit when paid! My wife got a $3,000 bonus in March for her work the previous year, and we had no idea it would count. Caused a whole mess with her benefits that month. Just a heads up!
this is why the whole system is so confusing...they count bonuses based on when theyre PAID but regular wages based on when theyre EARNED? makes no sense to me but thats the ssa for ya
Thank you all for this amazing advice. I think I understand it better now. My wife will track her earnings carefully for Jan-May 2025, making sure to stay under the monthly limit (around $4,960) as much as possible. We'll watch out for bonuses and vacation pay too. I'm going to have her call SSA to report her expected earnings for those months, and we'll use that Claimyr service if we can't get through normally. Then once she hits FRA in June, she can earn unlimited amounts without affecting her benefits. Is there anything I'm still missing or misunderstanding?
You've got it right! Just one final tip: have your wife request a "Benefits Planning Query" (BPQY) from SSA once she starts receiving benefits. This document will show her exact FRA date, benefit amounts, and earnings record. It's a good reference to have on hand and can help spot any discrepancies early. You can request it through the local office or sometimes over the phone.
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What about passive income like stock dividends, IRA withdrawals or rental income? Do those count toward the earnings limit? I'm in a similar situation to the OP but I have some investments too.
Great question. The earnings test ONLY counts earned income - wages from a job or net earnings from self-employment. Passive income like dividends, interest, capital gains, pension payments, annuities, IRA distributions, and rental income DO NOT count toward the earnings limit. However, these types of income can affect the taxation of your benefits under the separate income tax rules I mentioned earlier.
Thank you all for the helpful information! I'm feeling much better now that I understand how the earnings limit works. Just to make sure I've got everything straight: 1. My SS benefits ($1,700/month) don't count toward the earnings limit 2. Only my work income ($1,500/month = $18,000/year) counts, which is under the $22,320 limit 3. There's a special monthly limit ($1,860) in my first year of claiming 4. I still need to watch out for taxes on my benefits if my combined income is over $25,000 5. Passive income doesn't count toward the earnings limit but does affect taxation This forum has been so much more helpful than the SSA website! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this.
You've got it exactly right! And one final tip: if your work situation changes and you think you might exceed the earnings limit, contact SSA right away to adjust your benefits. It's much easier to handle proactively than dealing with an overpayment notice later.
Social Security filing strategy with age gap - claim at 62 or wait until spouse reaches FRA?
Hi everyone, I'm getting a bit confused about the best strategy for filing for Social Security with our age gap situation. I'll be 62 next month and my online benefit estimate shows about $1000/month if I claim now. My Full Retirement Age amount would be around $1400, though it might increase slightly since I have some zero-earning years that could be replaced if I keep working part-time.My husband is quite a bit younger - he has about 6.5 years until his FRA (67). His estimated benefit at FRA will be approximately $3600.From what I've researched, I think I can claim my reduced benefit now at 62, then when my husband files at his FRA, I could request a spousal benefit increase. At that point, would my total benefit bump up to about $1800 (half of his $3600)? Or would it only increase to around $1400 (my own FRA amount)?Does it make more sense for me to take mine early, or should I wait until my FRA or even beyond? Our age gap is making this pretty complicated and I want to make sure I'm understanding the spousal benefit coordination correctly before making any decisions. Thanks for any insights!
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FINALLY someone mentioned survivor benefits! This is CRITICAL to understand. OP, if your husband passes away before you, you'll receive HIS BENEFIT AMOUNT as a survivor benefit (including any delayed retirement credits). Since women typically outlive men by several years, the higher the husband's benefit, the better long-term financial security for the wife.
Thank you all for the amazingly helpful responses! I'm leaning toward claiming at 62 based on our specific situation with the age gap and eventual spousal boost. I'll make sure to discuss with my husband about him possibly delaying until 70 for the survivor benefit protection. I'm going to try contacting SSA directly before making my final decision - hopefully I can get through without hours of waiting (thanks for the Claimyr suggestion). The earnings test information was also really valuable since I do plan to continue part-time work. I'll need to keep an eye on those limits.This has been incredibly helpful - I feel much more confident about making this decision now!
Ayla Kumar
dose the granddaughter have to live with you to get these benefits? i heard somewhere that the kid has to be in your household for a year before they can get ss
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Dananyl Lear
•That's not accurate for legally adopted children. Once the legal adoption is complete, the child is immediately eligible for benefits on the adoptive parent's record regardless of how long they've lived in the household. You might be thinking of dependency requirements for tax purposes or perhaps SSI disability, which has different rules than retirement benefits for dependents.
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Lim Wong
My sister went thru all this last yr with her step grandson. The benefit amount was around $850 for him which really helped with all his expenses! But it took like 11 weeks to get the first payment and they wouldn't backdate it so definitely apply ASAP. Good luck with everything!!
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Mary Bates
•Thanks for sharing your sister's experience! 11 weeks is longer than I expected - good to know so I can plan accordingly. Every bit helps with raising a child these days!
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