I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! My wife and I had to withdraw from our retirement accounts last year for unexpected medical expenses, and I've been researching the Medicare implications ever since. A few things I've learned that might help: First, make sure you understand which "tax year" will be affected - since Medicare looks back 2 years, your 2025 withdrawal will impact your 2027 premiums. Second, if you're working with a financial advisor at Edward Jones, they should be able to help you project your total MAGI and whether you'll cross an IRMAA threshold. Third, I found the SSA's online IRMAA calculator really helpful for estimating potential premium increases. And definitely keep that storm documentation organized - natural disasters are specifically mentioned as qualifying life-changing events on the SSA-44 form. The whole system is confusing, but at least Social Security benefits themselves aren't affected by retirement account withdrawals!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation two years ago. We had to withdraw $30,000 from my husband's 401k after our roof was damaged in a hailstorm. Here's what I learned: 1) The Medicare premium increase hit us in 2024 (two years after the 2022 withdrawal), and it was about $75 more per month for each of us. 2) We successfully filed the SSA-44 form and got the increase reversed! The key was having our insurance claim documentation and proof that the withdrawal was specifically for storm repairs. 3) The whole process took about 6 weeks from filing to getting approval. Don't let anyone scare you - if this was truly for disaster-related repairs and you have the documentation, you have a good chance of getting the IRMAA surcharge waived. The SSA representative we spoke with said storm damage is one of the most commonly approved life-changing events. Just make sure to file the form as soon as you get any notice about premium increases!

u should also ask if ur granddaughter can get SSI too, sometimes kids can get both depending on the situation

Just want to add one more tip based on my experience - when you do make that appointment (whether by phone first or directly in-person), try to schedule it for early morning if possible. The offices tend to be less crowded and the staff is usually fresher and more patient. Also, make copies of ALL your documents before you go - they'll want to keep copies of everything and having your own set helps if anything gets misplaced. Good luck with the process! It sounds like you're well-prepared and asking all the right questions.

I work for a disability advocacy organization and see cases like yours regularly. One thing that might help is requesting your husband's Social Security Statement to get a clearer picture of his potential benefits. You can do this as his spouse - SSA Form SSA-7050-F4 allows you to request another person's earnings record if you're married to them. Also, don't overlook that his recent steady employment at $25/hr could significantly boost his benefit calculation since Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings. If he works until his full retirement age, those final years of higher earnings will replace some of his earlier lower-earning years in the calculation. Given your health issues that forced early retirement, you might also want to explore whether you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, which aren't reduced for early filing like retirement benefits are. It's worth investigating all your options!

Just wanted to add that even though you've been separated for 23 years, your legal marital status is what matters for Social Security purposes. The length of separation doesn't affect your eligibility for spousal or survivor benefits - only divorce would change that. One thing to keep in mind is timing. If your husband files for his own Social Security benefits, you can immediately apply for spousal benefits (assuming you meet the other requirements). You don't have to wait for him to reach full retirement age - he just needs to have filed for his own benefits first. Also, since you mentioned money is tight, remember that if you do qualify for additional benefits through his record, they can sometimes pay retroactive benefits for up to 6 months from when you apply. So don't delay in contacting SSA once he becomes eligible or if he passes away. The calculations can be complex, but given that he's had several recent years of decent earnings, there's definitely a chance his benefit could be high enough to increase your monthly payment. Good luck navigating this!

Does anyone know when these changes actually start? I heard 2025 but not sure exactly when during the year?

I just remembered something IMPORTANT! If you have 30+ years of "substantial earnings" under Social Security, you might be COMPLETELY EXEMPT from WEP even under the current rules!!!! You should check if your 35 years of SS work all count as "substantial earnings" - the threshold changes each year. For 2023 it was around $28,050 I think?? If you have 30+ substantial years you might not even need to worry about WEP at all!!!!

After reading through this thread again, I realized I need to correct something in my earlier response. The provision about disabled spouses collecting as early as 50 only applies to surviving spouses (widows/widowers) whose partners have passed away. Since you're still living, your wife wouldn't qualify under that provision. As the expert correctly pointed out, for your situation, your wife would generally need to wait until age 62 to collect spousal benefits once you start receiving your retirement benefits. The only exception would be if she were caring for your child who is under 16 or disabled. I apologize for my error and the confusion it may have caused.

has she tried applying for disability again? sometimes ppl get denied first time but approved when they appeal. my sister got denied twice but then got a lawyer and won her case!!