Just to follow up on what others have said - the adjustment won't happen automatically. When I went through this process, I learned that SSA refers to this as the ARF (Adjustment of Reduction Factor). Here's what worked for me: 1. Gather documentation of all months where benefits were reduced or withheld due to earnings 2. Call SSA and specifically ask for the ARF recalculation (use those exact words) 3. If the representative seems confused, ask to speak with a technical expert 4. Follow up in writing through your my Social Security account In my case, the adjustment took about 3 months to process and resulted in an increase of about $180 per month, plus they provided back payments to my FRA date. This was based on approximately 14 months of fully withheld benefits over a 4-year period. Remember, SSA is severely understaffed right now, so patience and persistence are key.

i'm in this exact situation right now! hit my FRA in october and still waiting. from what i've been reading on ssa.gov they're supposed to do this automatically, but i finally broke down and called last week. the agent said it takes 6-8 months for these recalculations! wish i would have called sooner.

i think u need his w2s too maybe? or at least thats what my aunt needed when she did this

Thank you all for your help! I called SSA this morning but couldn't get through after waiting an hour. Will try that Claimyr service tomorrow. I found all our documents including his social security card. I had no idea I might be missing out on hundreds of dollars each month for the past 2 years. Really appreciate everyone's advice!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful information! I'm going to gather my documents (marriage certificate, divorce decree) and schedule an appointment with SSA. It sounds like I should be able to claim on my ex's record since I've reached my FRA, but I'll get whichever is higher between that amount and my own benefit. I wish I could have delayed my own benefit to let it grow, but at least I understand the rules now. I appreciate all your insights!

Good plan. Make sure to specifically ask them to calculate both amounts for you before making a final decision. Sometimes the difference can be very small, and it's worth understanding exactly what you'll receive. Best of luck with your appointment!

I think about this all the time. I'm 67 and still haven't filed. Every month I wonder if I'm making a mistake by waiting. Does anyone know if the life expectancy tables account for income and education level? I've read that makes a big difference.

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses! I really appreciate the different perspectives. I hadn't considered the survivor benefit angle at all, which is a major oversight on my part since my wife would likely outlive me based on our family histories. I'm going to take a closer look at that SSA life expectancy table and run some more specific calculations that include the survivor benefit impact. I'm still leaning toward claiming before 70, maybe at my full retirement age of 66 and 6 months, as a middle ground approach. But I feel much better equipped to make this decision now. It's comforting to know others struggle with the same questions!

i no i said it before but seruously apply for both! my uncle got early retirement at 62 then SSDI got approved like 8 months later and they paid him all the backpay from when he first applyed!!! he got like $7000 in one payment! dont miss out on that!!

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful responses! I've decided to apply for both early retirement and SSDI. I've gathered all my medical records going back to 2019, created a list of all treatments I've tried, and my doctor has provided a detailed statement about my limitations. I've also started tracking my daily pain levels and how they affect my work capacity. I'm still nervous about the SSDI process, but the potential difference in benefits makes it worth trying. I'll update this thread once I hear something from SSA. Thanks again for all the guidance!

Wait so your own benefit is higher than your husbands? In my case my husbands benefit was way higher than mine would ever be so I just took his. But if yours is higher then yeah do what everyone is saying.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to try making an appointment at my local office instead of dealing with the phone system. I'll be very clear that I ONLY want survivor benefits for now. I'll also bring printouts of the SSA rules about this to the appointment, just in case. It's so frustrating that even the SSA employees seem confused about their own policies sometimes. I just want to make sure I'm not leaving money on the table while I wait for my FRA in a few months.

One other thing to consider - if you're planning to file at 62, make sure you understand that your benefit will be permanently reduced by about 30% compared to waiting until your Full Retirement Age (which would be 67 if you're turning 62 now). Not trying to talk you out of it, just making sure you're aware of the reduction.

make sure u check if ur eligible for any other benefits too... my neighbor thought she could only get her own retirement but turns out she qualified for some of her ex husbands benefits too and gets an extra $300/month

Yes, she did get backpay, but it was a real hassle. They initially only went back 3 months, and she had to fight for the full amount. Make sure you keep records of EVERY communication with SSA - dates, names of representatives, what was discussed. This helped her case tremendously when proving she had been trying to resolve the issue all along.

So sorry about both your husbands passing away. That must be really hard. Sending hugs!

OMG the SSA is soooo incompetent sometimes!! They lost my marriage certificate TWICE during my application process! And then had the nerve to send me a letter saying I needed to provide it AGAIN. I was FURIOUS!! 😡😡 Make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you submit and get receipts!!! Don't trust them to keep track of your documents!!

Just wanted to add something important - make sure you're actually eligible for spousal benefits when you apply. If your husband hasn't filed for his own benefits yet, you can't claim spousal benefits on his record (unless he's doing a restricted application, which is only available to people born before 1954). Also, if you're taking spousal benefits before your FRA (Full Retirement Age), they'll be permanently reduced. At FRA, spousal benefits are 50% of your husband's PIA (Primary Insurance Amount).

One thing to keep in mind is that the earning requirements for quarters of coverage increase each year. Back in the 1980s, you only needed around $400-500 for a quarter. Now in 2025 you need about $1,820 per quarter. So if you had some part-time work way back when, it might have given you quarters that younger workers wouldn't get for the same amount of work today. This could explain why the rep saw something different than what you're seeing online - they might be counting older quarters that you've forgotten about.

Final update: I used the Claimyr service that someone suggested above, and it worked! I got a call back in about 40 minutes when a representative was available. The new rep confirmed that I do indeed have 40 quarters - my last one came from some consulting work I did in late 2023 that hasn't updated in the online system yet. She said the online system typically updates annually and I should see the change in the next month or two. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.