I'm new here but wanted to add something that might help with your planning. My sister has been receiving DAC benefits for about 10 years now, and one thing our family learned the hard way is to keep very detailed records of ALL communications with SSA throughout this process. When we transitioned her from SSI to SSDI, there was a gap period where her SSI stopped but the SSDI hadn't started yet, and it took months to sort out. Having documentation of every phone call, every form submitted, and every decision made was crucial for resolving the issues. Also, I wanted to mention that some states have Disability Resource Centers or Independent Living Centers that offer free benefits counseling specifically for people with disabilities and their families. They're often more knowledgeable about state-specific programs and can help you understand how federal benefits interact with state services. The counselor we worked with actually caught an error in how SSA calculated my sister's benefits that resulted in an additional $150/month - money we would have never known we were missing! It might be worth looking into whether your state has similar resources available.

I'm new to this community but have been lurking and learning so much from everyone's experiences! My family is in a very similar situation - my 28-year-old son has autism and has been on SSI since he turned 18. My husband just turned 65 and we're trying to figure out the optimal claiming strategy. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening. I had no idea about the family maximum benefit rule or the protective filing date - these are exactly the kinds of details that can make a huge financial difference but aren't well explained on the SSA website. One question I have after reading all this: for those who have gone through the SSI to DAC transition, approximately how long did the process take from application to first SSDI payment? I'm trying to plan for that potential gap period that @Yuki Nakamura mentioned, and want to make sure we have enough savings to cover any interruption in benefits. Also, has anyone had experience with their disabled adult child receiving both SSI and SSDI simultaneously? I'm curious how that worked out practically in terms of reporting requirements and monthly payments. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this discussion has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate government websites!

u should just go to ur local office instead of callin.. my dad always says u get better service in person than on the phone with gov stuff

I went through something very similar a few years ago! You're absolutely right that both types of recalculations should happen - the earnings recomputation for your higher earning years AND the adjustment of reduction factor for the months you repaid. The frustrating part is that SSA's phone system seems to route these calls to general customer service reps who honestly don't understand the technical stuff. Here's what worked for me: I had to be very persistent and specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" or "Claims Specialist" who handles post-entitlement work adjustments. Don't let them transfer you to just anyone - insist on someone who specifically deals with ARF and earnings recomputations. Also, when you call, use the exact terminology: "I need an ARF recalculation due to work deductions" and "I need an earnings recomputation for post-entitlement earnings." This helps ensure you get routed to the right person. One more tip - if you can, try to get an in-person appointment at your local office. In my experience, the local office staff are generally more knowledgeable about these complex situations than the national call center. Good luck!

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you'll want to keep detailed records of all your survivor benefit payments leading up to January 2025. When SSA calculates your retroactive payment, they'll need to verify exactly what you received each month to determine the correct difference. I'd recommend downloading your Social Security statements and keeping copies of your benefit deposit records. Also, if you have any questions during the application process, don't hesitate to ask the SSA representative to walk through the calculation with you step by step - they should be able to show you exactly how they're determining your retroactive amount. Having everything documented will help ensure you get the full amount you're entitled to and can help resolve any discrepancies quickly.

Just wanted to add one more consideration that might be helpful - when you apply in January, make sure to ask the SSA representative about any potential Medicare Part B premium adjustments. Since your monthly Social Security benefit will increase by $1,400, this could affect your Medicare premiums if you're already enrolled or planning to enroll soon. The income increase might push you into a higher IRMAA bracket, but since you're switching from survivor benefits to your own earned benefits (rather than getting a windfall), there may be ways to address this. It's worth asking about during your application appointment so you're not surprised by any premium changes later.

Welcome to the community! This has been such an educational thread for me too. I'm actually facing a similar decision timeline and hadn't fully grasped how all these pieces fit together until reading everyone's experiences. Your question about Medicare IRMAA is spot-on and something I think many people overlook in their planning. From what I understand, those IRMAA surcharges can really add up - we're talking potentially $2,000+ per year in additional premiums for higher income brackets. Combined with the 10-year inherited IRA rule that forces distributions, it could create some expensive years down the road. It sounds like the key takeaway from this whole discussion is that while RMDs won't hurt you on the Social Security earnings test (which is great!), they create this ripple effect through Social Security taxation and eventually Medicare premiums that requires some serious long-term planning. Has anyone here worked with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization? I'm thinking I might need professional help to model out all these scenarios properly.

As someone who's been working in retirement planning for over 15 years, I want to echo what many others have said and add a few practical tips. RMDs from inherited IRAs are indeed NOT counted toward the Social Security earnings test - this is unearned income, not wages or self-employment income. However, I'd strongly recommend creating a year-by-year projection that includes: 1. Your expected RMD amounts (which will grow each year) 2. Your Social Security benefit amounts 3. Any other income sources 4. Estimated tax liability including SS taxation thresholds The "combined income" formula for SS taxation is: AGI + nontaxable interest + 50% of SS benefits. Once this hits $25,000 (single) or $32,000 (married filing jointly), up to 50% of benefits are taxable. At $34,000/$44,000, up to 85% becomes taxable. Also consider that with the inherited IRA 10-year rule, you might want to take larger distributions in early years when you have more control, rather than being forced into large distributions later that could push you into higher brackets right when Medicare IRMAA kicks in. Every situation is unique, but having a comprehensive plan that looks at the full picture will serve you much better than trying to optimize each piece separately.

I'm sorry for your loss, Liam. As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add something that might help with the timing aspect of your situation. Since your aunt passed on November 3rd and her regular payment date was the fourth Wednesday, you're right to expect that November 27th payment for October benefits. However, I'd recommend calling SSA as soon as possible because there can sometimes be delays in processing final payments when a death occurs close to the regular payment date. The system needs time to verify the death report and ensure the payment is legitimate before releasing it. Also, when you do call, ask specifically about their "final payment verification process" - this will help ensure the October payment gets processed correctly and isn't accidentally flagged as an overpayment later. The advice others have given about keeping detailed records and not spending any payments beyond October is absolutely crucial. The SSA representatives should be able to give you a clear timeline for when to expect that final payment once they confirm everything in their system.

I'm sorry for your loss, Liam. As someone new to this community, I wanted to add a practical tip that helped me when I dealt with my grandmother's Social Security situation last year. When you call SSA, write down the confirmation number they give you for your call, along with the representative's name or ID number. This became really important later when I had to reference our conversation about her final payment. Also, I'd suggest asking them to place a "memo" on her account noting that you're the executor handling her affairs - this can help streamline future calls if you need to follow up. The advice everyone has given about that October payment being legitimate is correct, but don't be surprised if there's a brief delay while they manually review everything. In my experience, final payments sometimes take 2-3 weeks longer than the regular schedule because they go through additional verification steps. The most important thing is getting that direct confirmation from SSA that they've processed the death notification and understanding exactly what payments are still due to the estate.