So from what everyone's saying, since I'll keep working anyway and don't need the income right now, waiting until 70 makes the most sense - especially since it would give my wife a higher survivor benefit if needed. I appreciate all the input - will probably try to get an appointment with SSA to get my specific numbers before making the final decision.

omg everyone's making this so complicated lol. just take it when u need it. all these calculations and projections... nobody knows when they're gonna die!

My sister works for SSA (not saying which office) and she told me they're EXTREMELY understaffed right now. Like worse than she's ever seen in 15 years. The payment centers have backlogs of thousands of claims. So even after your claim gets to the payment center, it might still take several weeks to process depending on which center got it and how backlogged they are. Just sharing some inside perspective!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that my first payment finally showed up in my bank account this morning! So it took exactly 4 weeks from the February 19th date when the payment center received my claim. Thanks to everyone who provided advice and reassurance. For anyone else going through this process - be patient and trust that the system does eventually work, even with those mysterious delays between offices!

Want to add somthing I found out to late. Tell your dad to make sure SSA has HIS direct deposit info on file before your mom passes. My mom died and dad had no income for almost 2 months because they were depositing to moms account that got frozen when she died. The survivor benefit stuff is a mess.

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses. This clarifies so much for us. I'll make sure to work with the hospice social worker to look into the additional medical cost assistance programs mentioned, and I'll definitely make sure my dad has his direct deposit information on file with SSA. It sounds like there's no benefit to pursuing the compassionate allowance route in our situation, which helps us focus our energy on more productive paths. I truly appreciate all of your insights and experiences during this difficult time.

my mom had this problem to. they make it confusing on purpose i think. she ended up just sticking with the surviver benefits becuz they were like $300 more then her own. but it depends on how much you and your husband worked and how much you both made over your lifetime.

BTW be careful about any retroactive benefits they might try to give you!!! My friend switched at her FRA and they offered her 6 months of retroactive benefits which SEEMED great but actually permanently reduced her monthly amount!!! The rules are super complicated and the reps don't always explain everything correctly.

just wait for the letter the other person mentioned, usually comes pretty quick. my husband got his in like 10 days after the approval showed up online

One other option you could try before calling: If you saved a PDF copy of your application (which they recommend during the application process), your requested start date would be shown there. Many people overlook this, but if you did save it, check that file.

is this the same if ur on disability? i turn 67 next yr and was wondering if i should wait to switch from SSDI to retirement

Seeing alot of good info here but nobody mentioned TAXES! Depending on ur other income, delaying might push u into a higher tax bracket when u finally claim. My neighbor waited till 70 and now has to pay taxes on 85% of his SS cuz his required minimum distributions from his 401k plus the bigger SS benefit put him over the limit. Somethin to think about!!!

i think they just take your full retirement amount for 6 months and subtract what survivor benefits you already got for those 6 months. that's what happened with my uncle last year when he did this exact same thing.

I'm in a similar situation and meeting with an SSA representative next week. One thing I've been told is that you can request a benefit verification letter through your online account once you get back in. This will show your current survivor benefit amount which helps when making comparisons. Also worth noting - when you switch from survivor to retirement, your Medicare premium payment method might change. I was told to watch out for this to avoid any gaps in coverage.

I recommend having them run a complete AERO (Automatic Earnings Recomputation Operation) calculation during your call to ensure all your earnings are properly counted. Sometimes earnings from recent years or certain employers don't get automatically included in your benefit calculation. Also - very important - ask them to calculate what's called your "RIB-LIM" amount. This is a special calculation that applies to people who took survivor benefits early and are now considering switching to their own retirement benefit at FRA or later. The RIB-LIM calculation can sometimes result in a higher payment than the standard calculation. Finally, since you mentioned health concerns, remember that the general breakeven point between taking benefits at FRA versus age 70 is typically around age 82-83. If you have serious health concerns, maximizing monthly income sooner rather than later may make more sense than waiting.

How did the call go? I'm curious what you decided because I'm in nearly the same situation but haven't reached my FRA yet.

My aunt with COPD had to transition from Medicaid to just Medicare last year and she found a really good Medicare Advantage plan that covers most of her respiratory treatments and oxygen supplies. Not saying it's ideal but there are options if you do lose Medicaid. Also her social worker at the hospital helped a lot with finding patient assistance programs for her medications - have you talked to your hospital's social work department?

Here's what I recommend based on your follow-up comments: 1. Yes, paying for legal consultation is a legitimate expense and wouldn't count against you for spend-down purposes. 2. Look into Qualified Income Trusts (QITs) or Miller Trusts as well - they can help with income limit issues. 3. For your immediate needs, don't convert all the crypto at once. Work with an attorney first to establish the proper structures. 4. Since you mentioned a 3-5 year timeline, you might want to explore how to balance maintaining some benefits while using the crypto to supplement your care and improve quality of life. 5. Medicare Part D Extra Help program might be an option to help with prescription costs even if you lose full Medicaid. Remember that timing and sequence of actions is critical with asset transfers and benefit eligibility.

One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned yet - when your husband passes away (hopefully many years from now), you'd be eligible for survivor benefits. As a widow, you'd receive 100% of whatever your husband was receiving at his death. If he took benefits at 62 with a 30% reduction, your widow benefit would also be that reduced amount. Some couples maximize by having the higher earner delay as long as possible (to age 70) to create the largest possible survivor benefit.

my bro n sis-in-law just thru this. big headache. they had 2 go in person to ssa office cuz every time they calld they got diffrnt answers!! makes u crazy!!