I'm sorry for your loss, Gael. What you're experiencing is unfortunately common with the RIB-LIM rule that others have mentioned. I went through something similar when my mother passed - the initial estimate was much higher than what I actually received due to these complex calculations. One thing I'd recommend is requesting your husband's complete earnings record (Form SSA-7050-F4) along with that technical explanation others mentioned. This will help you verify that they're using the correct earnings history in their calculations. Sometimes there are errors in the earnings record that can affect benefit amounts. Also, if you do decide to request the detailed calculation, be prepared that it might take several weeks to receive it. The SSA doesn't generate these explanations routinely, so they have to create them specially upon request. But it's worth having for your records, especially since you're planning to switch to your own benefits at 70. The good news is that your survivor benefit strategy still makes sense - you're essentially getting paid to delay your own retirement benefits until they max out at 70, even if the survivor amount is less than you initially expected.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Gael. The RIB-LIM rule is one of the most confusing aspects of Social Security that many people encounter unexpectedly. What you're describing sounds exactly right - when a deceased spouse claimed early AND had dependent children receiving benefits, it creates this complex limitation that reduces survivor benefits. I went through something similar after my father passed. He had claimed at 62 and my younger brother had received child benefits for several years. The initial estimate they gave my mother was about $400 higher than what she actually received, and like you, she was told it was due to "system calculations" without any clear explanation. The key thing to remember is that this isn't an error - it's an actual Social Security provision, just one that's poorly explained. Since you're planning to switch to your own benefits at 70 anyway, you're still maximizing your lifetime benefits even with this reduction. The survivor benefit is essentially bridging you to age 70 when your own delayed retirement credits will kick in. Definitely push for that technical explanation others have mentioned. It took my mother three requests over two months, but she finally got a document that showed exactly how they calculated her benefit amount.

I'm facing a similar decision at 63 and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I'd add is that you might want to consider getting a personalized benefit statement from SSA that shows your projected benefits at different claiming ages. You can create an account at ssa.gov/myaccount and run the numbers yourself. Also, since you mentioned your husband will get the maximum benefit, that suggests his PIA will be around $4,000-$4,400 (the 2025 maximum). So your spousal benefit at YOUR FRA would be roughly $2,000-$2,200 (50% of his PIA). If your own benefit at FRA is $2,500, you'd stick with your own benefit since it's higher than the spousal amount. But here's the key point others have made: if you file early now, you'd get $2,200 permanently, AND if you later became eligible for spousal benefits, those would ALSO be reduced because you filed early. So you could end up with less than $2,200 total even when he files. Given that your husband is healthy and plans to work into his 70s, waiting until your FRA seems like the clear winner financially. Those extra few hundred dollars per month really add up over 20+ years of retirement!

I'm glad you're taking the time to research this thoroughly before making your decision! One additional consideration that might be helpful: since you're 64.5 now and your FRA is likely around 66-67, you're only looking at waiting about 1.5-2.5 years to get your full benefit. During that waiting period, your benefit will continue to grow due to delayed retirement credits until you file (though these stop at age 70). More importantly, you'll avoid the permanent reduction that would affect both your retirement benefit AND any future spousal benefits. Given that your husband is planning to work well into his 70s and you mentioned he's in good health, it sounds like you both have time on your side to maximize your benefits. The peace of mind knowing you'll get your full entitled amounts might be worth more than the immediate income from filing early. Have you also considered what you'll do for health insurance if you're not currently working? Sometimes that factors into the filing decision as well, since Medicare doesn't start until 65.

This is such a helpful thread - I'm learning so much as someone who's considering early retirement soon! The consistency in everyone's advice about challenging these reductions is really encouraging. It seems like the key points are: 1) Get detailed calculations for both the original and revised benefits, 2) Request Form SSA-561 for formal reconsideration, 3) Pay special attention to WEP/GPO issues if you have government pensions, and 4) Don't give up on trying to reach an actual person (even if it means using services like Claimyr). What strikes me most is how many people have had success getting at least partial corrections when they pushed back. The fact that SSA errors seem to go both ways (sometimes in the beneficiary's favor, sometimes against) suggests their calculation system has real issues that need addressing. @16a0b6935e92 - I really hope you get this resolved quickly. Your situation is exactly why I'm going to triple-check everything before I apply for my benefits. Please keep us posted on your progress - your experience is helping so many people understand their rights and options when dealing with SSA calculation errors!

I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in after reading through this entire discussion - wow, what an education! As someone who's still a few years away from retirement, this thread is both incredibly helpful and honestly pretty scary. The fact that SSA can just change your benefit amount months after you've started receiving payments is really unsettling. What's particularly striking to me is how many of these calculation errors seem to involve the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and government pensions. It makes me wonder if there's a systemic issue with how SSA handles these cases, especially given that @16a0b6935e92 disclosed her teaching pension upfront and they still got it wrong initially. The consistency in everyone's advice is really reassuring though - it's clear that challenging these reductions is not only possible but often successful. I'm taking notes on all the key steps: getting detailed calculations, filing Form SSA-561, focusing on WEP/GPO issues, and using services like Claimyr to actually reach someone. @16a0b6935e92 - please don't give up! Based on what everyone here has shared, it sounds like you have a really strong case for challenging this reduction. Your experience is helping so many of us understand what to watch out for and how to protect ourselves. Wishing you the best of luck in getting this resolved!

Hi there! This is a great question and a common situation many families face. Yes, your son can potentially receive both DAC benefits and partial SSI to make up the difference - this is called "concurrent benefits." Here's how it typically works: SSA will pay the higher of the two benefits first (in your case, the DAC), and then SSI can supplement up to the federal benefit rate if your son meets all SSI eligibility requirements. Since his DAC will be about $60 less than the full SSI amount, he should be eligible for that $60 difference in SSI. The good news is that since your son already receives Medicaid through a waiver, he likely meets the disability requirements for SSI. During your Monday appointment, make sure to ask specifically about: - Concurrent benefits eligibility - How the SSI supplement calculation works - Whether his current Medicaid waiver will transition smoothly - Any required documentation for the SSI application Having that waiver already in place should help streamline the process. Good luck with your appointment on Monday!

I thought the earnings limit was $1,800 not $1,850? Did they raise it or something?

One thing to add that might help others reading this - if you're in your first year of retirement like Ashley, you can also use the "annual earnings test" instead of the monthly test if it's more favorable. SSA will apply whichever test results in higher benefits for you. So if your total earnings for the remainder of 2025 (Nov-Dec) are under the prorated annual limit, they might use that instead. But since you earned $2,200 in just November, the monthly test is probably what they'll use. Just wanted to mention this option exists since the SSA reps don't always explain all the alternatives!