Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clarifies a lot. From what I understand, my wife will be able to claim spousal benefits (up to 50% of my benefit) but only after I file for my own retirement. And she'll qualify for Medicare at 65 through my work record. I'll definitely look into the timing carefully since I was planning to delay claiming until 70 for the increased benefit, but now I need to factor in when she should start receiving her spousal benefit. Might need to run some calculations to see what makes the most financial sense for our situation. Appreciate everyone's input and the tips about contacting SSA - will definitely help when we're ready to apply!

You've got it right! One strategic consideration: If your wife needs benefits before you want to claim, you might look into a

Based on the discussion so far, let me clarify the timing for your husband: - Born November 1958 - FRA = 66 years + 8 months = July 2025 - Apply online 3-4 months before benefits start - If starting at FRA in July 2025, apply in March/April 2025 Since his employer wants him to stay through 2025, he has excellent options: 1. He can reach FRA in July 2025, apply for benefits, AND continue working with no earnings limit penalties. 2. He could delay applying past FRA while working, earning delayed retirement credits of 8% per year (prorated monthly at 2/3% per month) until age 70. Option #2 could significantly increase his lifetime benefit if he has average or above-average life expectancy. Many financial advisors recommend this approach if you don't need the money immediately, especially for the higher-earning spouse.

Yes, Medicare enrollment at 65 is separate from your Social Security retirement benefit decision. He should absolutely sign up for Medicare during his Initial Enrollment Period (3 months before his 65th birthday month, his birthday month, and 3 months after). Failing to enroll in Medicare Part B during this window can result in permanent late enrollment penalties, even if he's still working. However, if he has creditable employer health insurance from a company with 20+ employees, he can delay Medicare Part B enrollment without penalty until that coverage ends. He should still enroll in Medicare Part A at 65 though, as it's premium-free and can serve as secondary insurance to his employer coverage.

I just got my annual Social Security statement and had EXACTLY ZERO increase even though I worked all last year! Pretty sure this is related to the trust fund issues they're not telling us about. They can't afford to pay us what we deserve anymore!!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This makes a lot more sense now. I was expecting the same pattern of increases I saw before, but I didn't understand all the factors involved. Sounds like: 1. The recalculation only helps if my current earnings are replacing much lower earnings years 2. At my income level, additional earnings only impact benefits at 15% of the value 3. The October 2024 recalculation might still show a small increase from my 2023 earnings I appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this. The Social Security system is so much more complicated than I realized!

I kept working until 74 and my benefit went up about $175/month from when I was 70. But remember you're also paying FICA taxes on those earnings with no additional delayed retirement credits. Do the math for your situation to see if it makes financial sense.

After reading through all these comments, I just wanted to summarize the key points for anyone else with this question: 1. Yes, SSA continues to recalculate benefits based on new earnings AFTER age 70 2. Recalculations happen automatically, usually in October of the following year 3. You'll only see an increase if current earnings replace a lower year in your top 35 4. This is separate from delayed retirement credits, which stop at 70 5. The actual increase depends on your specific earnings history Hope that helps!

As others have mentioned, your husband might be eligible for a spousal supplement if 50% of your PIA exceeds his own PIA. One more thing to consider—has your husband checked his earnings record on ssa.gov to make sure all his work years are correctly recorded? It's not uncommon to find errors, especially for jobs from many years ago. If he has 35+ years of work history, also consider whether his current earnings might be higher than some earlier years. Working even just a few more months could potentially increase his benefit if he's replacing a lower-earning year in his top 35.

I wish I could get a straight answer from SSA!!! Their website says one thing, the phone people say another, and then when you go to the office they tell you something completely different! No wonder we're all confused about what benefits we can get. The whole system needs to be simplified!!!

One more important detail: When you're preparing your documentation, make sure it clearly shows that the vacation time was non-transferable. Meaning, you couldn't have chosen to take that vacation time in 2025 instead of getting it paid out. This helps establish that it truly was earned and attributable to 2024, not 2025. The SSA publication that addresses this is called "Special Payments After Retirement" (https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10063.pdf). I'd recommend having a copy of this with you when you talk to SSA representatives, as some of them may not be familiar with these rules.

In my experience, the local field offices are hit-or-miss with understanding special payments. If you're getting nowhere, ask to speak with a Technical Expert (TE) - they generally have more specialized knowledge about these complex situations than the regular service representatives. Also, document EVERY interaction with SSA - date, time, who you spoke with, and what they told you. This was extremely valuable when I had to escalate my case after getting incorrect information multiple times.

does your part time job affect your benefits? I thought theres some kind of earnings limit even after fra??

After reading all your helpful comments, I've decided I'll definitely switch to my own retirement benefit when I reach my FRA in 3 months. The math makes sense - getting that extra $700/month right away is better than waiting. And I'll continue my part-time job since I enjoy it and there's no earnings limit after FRA. I have an appointment scheduled with SSA next week to discuss the switch. Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences!

make sure u bring all ur documents for ur kid they r super picky and will make u come back if u forget anything

I'm getting so many conflicting answers from SSA about this same issue! Last week one rep told me to apply for my son right away, this week another one says I need to wait. Does anyone know if there's a specific regulation or rule I can reference when I talk to them?

One important thing no one has mentioned: when you set up direct deposit to a new account, you should be aware that if there's ever an overpayment issue, the SSA has the right to withdraw funds from that account to recover the overpayment. Just something to keep in mind - it's in the fine print when you set up direct deposit. Not saying it will happen, but it's good to be aware.

Just a follow-up tip: After you make the change online, wait 1-2 business days and then call the SSA's automated system at 1-800-772-1213. Use the automated options to check your direct deposit information. This lets you verify the change was recorded correctly without having to speak to a representative. It's a good peace-of-mind check that doesn't require waiting on hold for hours.

wait so if ur born on may 19 do u actually get may benefits or just june onwards? im confused bc my uncle said u get benefits for ur birthday month but only if ur birthday is before like the 3rd of the month or something weird like that?

i remember my dad telling me all about how he kept working part time after claiming SS at his FRA... u might wanna look into that bc u can earn AS MUCH AS U WANT after FRA with no reduction in benefits!! could be good if u wanna ease into retirement instead of stopping completely