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Has anyone successfully challenged a CDR decision? My cousin was cut off even though his condition was the same, and it took him nearly 2 years to get benefits reinstated with backpay. The whole time he couldn't work OR get benefits! What a nightmare system.
Yes, there's an appeals process for unfavorable CDR decisions. The first step is to file a Request for Reconsideration within 60 days. If that's denied, you can request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. If you request continued benefits within 10 days of the initial unfavorable decision (and indicate you believe your condition hasn't improved), you can continue receiving benefits during the appeal process. This is called 'Section 10(a)' continuation.
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who else gets confused between all these dif benefits? survivors, retirement, spousal, SSI, SSDI...my head spins! 🤯
It's definitely confusing! Quick summary: Retirement benefits are based on your own work. Spousal benefits are based on a living spouse's record. Survivor benefits are based on a deceased spouse's record. SSDI is disability insurance based on work credits. SSI is needs-based for limited income/resources. Each has different rules!
Just to clarify some technical details about your strategy: This approach (survivor benefits first, then switching to retirement) can work very well when your own benefit at 70 exceeds your survivor benefit. A few important facts: 1. Your survivor benefit reached maximum value at your FRA (66 years, 8 months) 2. Your own retirement benefit grows until age 70 (getting 8% delayed credits per year) 3. Taking survivor benefits early at 64.5 means you're accepting a reduced amount (about 88-90% of the full survivor benefit) 4. But that reduction doesn't affect your own retirement benefit at 70 So mathematically, your strategy makes perfect sense if your own benefit at 70 is indeed higher than your survivor benefit would be at FRA, as the SSA rep confirmed.
Thank you for breaking down the math! So even though I'm taking reduced survivor benefits early, it was still the right move if my own benefit at 70 will be higher than the full survivor benefit would have been? That's a relief!
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To clarify what appears to be causing confusion: 1. Your Full Retirement Age (FRA) is reached in November 2024 (66 years and 10 months after January 1958) 2. When applying, you should select November 2024 as your benefit start month/entitlement date 3. Social Security benefits are paid in the month AFTER they're due, so your November benefit payment will arrive in December This is not the same as selecting December as your start month, which would mean your entitlement begins in December and you'd receive that payment in January. And yes, you can apply up to 4 months before your intended start date.
Thank you for breaking it down so clearly! So I reach FRA in November, should select November as my start month on the application, and will receive my first payment in December. I'll plan to apply in August to give SSA plenty of time to process everything.
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There's a lot of good advice here, but I want to clarify a few technical points: 1. The strategy you're describing (claiming survivors at 60, then your own at FRA) is technically NOT a "restricted application" as one commenter mentioned. Restricted applications only apply to spousal benefits, not survivor benefits. 2. You'll need 40 credits (typically 10 years of work) to qualify for your own retirement benefit. At your age, you'd need to earn about 33 more credits. 3. The Family Maximum Benefit (FMB) for survivors is generally 150-180% of your husband's basic benefit rate, though the exact formula is complex. 4. If you work while receiving survivor benefits before your FRA, you'll be subject to the earnings test. In 2025, for every $2 you earn above $22,440 annually, $1 will be withheld from your benefits. 5. Mother's/father's benefits are available until your youngest child turns 16, regardless of the family maximum, so that's another option. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment at your local office rather than just calling - you'll get more personalized attention.
Thank you for these clarifications! I was definitely confused about the restricted application term. The earnings test information is really helpful too - I'll need to factor that into my planning. I've been trying to make an appointment at my local office but they're scheduled out for months. I might try again after reading all this helpful information since I'll know what specific questions to ask.
Just to add my two cents - I receive survivors benefits (I'm 63) and I'll switch to my own benefit when I turn 67. It works great! The SSA computer system automatically compares your survivor benefit to your own benefit amount each year, so when your own benefit eventually exceeds your survivor benefit, they'll automatically switch you. You don't even have to file a separate application. BUT - big warning - do NOT claim your own retirement benefit at 62 if you're planning this strategy! If you do, you'll get the LOWER of the two benefits forever. This is a common mistake people make.
This is an excellent point! Many people don't realize that if they claim their own retirement benefit early, they permanently restrict themselves to the higher of the two benefits (own or survivor's) at that point, rather than being able to take one first and switch later. Just to clarify for everyone: With survivor benefits, you can claim one benefit type first and switch to the other later IF you haven't taken your own retirement early. This is different from spousal benefits, where the rules changed after the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act.
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Im confused about something.. if the GPO reduced your spousal benefit to $0 before, why would it change now? Did your non-covered pension amount go down or something??? This whole GPO thing is SO UNFAIR to those of us who worked in public service!
Great question. There are a few scenarios where GPO impact could change: 1. A change in pension amount (unusual, but possible with pension recalculations) 2. A recalculation of the spouse's PIA that increases the spousal benefit potential 3. Administrative correction of a previous error 4. Changes in other income affecting taxation (doesn't affect GPO directly but might affect net payment) The GPO reduction is 2/3 of the non-covered pension amount. So if her spouse's benefit increased significantly due to delayed retirement credits or earnings recalculations, it's possible the math now works out differently. For example: If her spouse's PIA increased enough that 50% of it (reduced for early filing) is now greater than her own benefit plus 2/3 of her pension, she might now be eligible for a partial spousal benefit where before it was reduced to zero.
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Will my $23,500 PT job income affect my Social Security benefits and Medicare costs at 66?
After taking early retirement at 62 to care for my husband with Parkinson's, I'm now 66 and 7 months and considering a part-time position at my neighbor's accounting firm. I haven't worked since I retired, but this opportunity seems perfect for my situation. I've heard the annual earnings limit is changing for 2025 to around $25,000. If I take this job, I'd make approximately $23,500 for the year.Two main concerns:1. Will this income affect my monthly Social Security benefits since I'm past FRA (I think)?2. Could this additional income increase what I pay for Medicare Part B or my Medigap plan?I don't want to accept the position only to discover it causes financial complications with benefits I'm already receiving. Any insights from those who've navigated this situation would be greatly appreciated!
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Yes, I'm receiving a reduced benefit because I claimed early. I had to retire to care for my husband when his Parkinson's suddenly worsened. At the time, we needed the income and didn't know how long I'd be out of work. In hindsight, we might have made a different choice, but we did what seemed best with the information we had at the time.
Just to add some perspective here - claiming at 64 instead of 66+4mo (OP's FRA) means approximately a 13-14% permanent reduction in benefits. While that's significant, sometimes life circumstances make early claiming necessary, as was the case here. The good news is that working now won't change the existing benefit amount, but might lead to slightly higher benefits after the annual recalculation if this year's earnings are higher than one of the 35 years used in the original calculation.
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If you need to handle a name change AND apply for benefits, here's what worked for me recently: 1. First, I made an in-person appointment specifically for the name change document verification (called my local office directly) 2. During that appointment, had them scan all my marriage certificate and ID documents 3. Then scheduled the phone appointment for the actual benefit application 4. When they called for the benefit application, everything went smoothly since my documents were already in the system The key is separating the identity verification from the benefit application. Hope this helps!
This is EXACTLY what I needed to know! Thank you so much for laying it out step by step. I'll call tomorrow to set up the document verification appointment first. Did you have any issues with them calculating your benefit amount correctly during the phone appointment?
No problems with the calculation. The agent was able to see all my earnings history and gave me three different estimates based on starting benefits at 62, my FRA (which was 66 and 8 months), or waiting until 70. Just make sure to ask them to explain how they calculated your PIA (Primary Insurance Amount) so you understand where the numbers come from.
dont waste ur time w/ phone appointments!!! JUST APPLY ONLINE!!! its soooo much easier, i did mine last month took 25 mins tops. but make sure u have ur bank info ready they need direct deposit now
While online applications work for many people, they don't support all scenarios. Name changes, spouse applications, or WEP/GPO situations like the original poster mentioned typically require speaking with an agent. But yes, for straightforward retirement claims, the online option is definitely the fastest route.
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wait i thought SS only counted 30 years not 35??
Social Security definitely uses 35 years, not 30, for the benefit calculation. They take your highest 35 years of earnings (after indexing them for inflation), average them, and use that to determine your primary insurance amount (PIA). If you have fewer than 35 years of earnings, they'll use zeros for the missing years, which lowers your average.
Thanks everyone for the helpful information! Based on your responses, I'm going to download my earnings history and check my lowest-earning years in the top 35. Even though I've had 30+ years at max contribution, I definitely had some lower-earning years in my 20s that might get replaced. Seems like it's worth analyzing before I make my decision about continuing to work.
Smart move! Just remember that when they do the calculation, they adjust all your past earnings for inflation ("indexing"), so those early years get a boost in the calculations. My SSA agent explained that a year where I earned $25,000 in the 1980s might actually count as $70,000+ in today's dollars after indexing. That's why some of my recent work didn't help as much as I expected - my indexed early years were actually pretty competitive with my current salary!
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One factor that hasn't been mentioned yet is that claiming early could affect your Medicare Part B and D premiums later through IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount). Since you plan to invest the SS money, the investment income could push your Medicare premiums higher when you enroll at 65. Also, don't forget to check if the Government Pension Offset (GPO) might affect you in the future if you were to marry. GPO can reduce or eliminate spousal/survivor benefits if you receive a pension from non-covered work. With your state pension, part-time work, and investments, I suspect the smart play is to delay SS as long as possible to maximize the benefit when you do take it. The 8% guaranteed increase per year from FRA to 70 is essentially free money with no risk.
I hadn't even considered the IRMAA implications for Medicare premiums. That's a great point. Between the earnings test, WEP reduction, potential tax implications, and now IRMAA considerations, it seems like waiting is probably the better strategy in my case. I appreciate everyone helping me see all the angles I was missing!
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Freya Andersen
I'm so FRUSTRATED with how the SSA makes this decision so complicated!!! Why can't they just tell us the objectively best choice instead of making us guess?? I've spent HOURS on their website calculating different scenarios and still don't feel confident. And trying to factor in taxes makes it even MORE confusing! The whole system needs an overhaul!
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Isabella Costa
•Because there isn't one objectively best choice - it depends on individual circumstances, longevity, other income sources, tax situation, marital status, and personal preferences. No government agency should be telling people when to claim their benefits. They provide the information and tools, but the decision rightfully belongs to the individual.
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GamerGirl99
Don't overthink this. At your asset level ($1.8M), the SS decision isn't going to make or break your retirement either way. You're in an enviable position where you'll be fine regardless. I tend to favor taking it at 62 because it gives you more flexibility early in retirement when you're most active and can enjoy it. Just my two cents having been on both sides of the decision.
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Amina Diallo
•That's a really good perspective. I think I'm getting too caught up in optimizing every last dollar when, as you point out, I'm fortunate to be in a position where either choice leads to a secure retirement. Maybe the peace of mind from having SS locked in is worth more than potential optimization.
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