my mom got widows benefits and they messed up her payments THREE TIMES!! had to keep calling and fixing it. make sure you check EVERY STATEMENT when you get benefits!!!

As a newcomer here, I just wanted to say how helpful this discussion has been! I'm in a similar situation with my spouse and had been agonizing over the timing decision. The math breakdown showing it would take 11+ years just to break even by waiting 7 months for that small $33 increase really puts it in perspective. One question though - when people mention "spousal benefit is 50% of FRA amount," does that mean 50% of what the higher earner would get at their full retirement age, or 50% of what they actually get when they claim at 70? I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly for our own planning. Thanks to everyone who's shared their knowledge here!

I just wanted to thank everyone for the helpful advice. I called SSA this morning (finally got through after trying for 2 hours) and got confirmation that it's definitely WEP affecting my benefits. The agent walked me through my earnings record and confirmed I have 22 years of substantial earnings under Social Security. The good news: working just 3 more years would reduce my WEP penalty by about $300/month! That makes a huge difference, so I'm now planning to work until 2028 instead of retiring in 2025. Not ideal, but better than trying to live on significantly reduced benefits for the rest of my life. For anyone else in this situation - definitely call and ask for a detailed WEP calculation and how additional working years would change it. The differences can be substantial!

I'm so glad you were able to get through to SSA and get clarity on your situation! Your experience really highlights how important it is for people to understand WEP before making retirement plans. Just to add to what others have shared - you might also want to check if your state has any supplemental programs or if your teacher's pension system offers any additional benefits that could help offset the WEP reduction. Some states have created programs specifically to help public employees who are affected by WEP/GPO. Also, when you're planning those additional 3 years of work, consider whether maximizing your earnings during those years (if possible) could provide any additional benefit beyond just meeting the substantial earnings threshold. Every little bit helps when you're dealing with WEP reductions. Thanks for sharing your update - it's really helpful for others who might be facing the same shock you experienced!

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.

As someone who recently navigated a similar situation, I wanted to add a few practical tips for your transition back to work: 1. **Set up quarterly tax payments** - Since you'll likely owe taxes on your SS benefits now, consider making estimated quarterly payments to avoid a big bill at year-end. Your accountant neighbor might be able to help with this! 2. **Keep detailed records** - Even though there's no earnings limit after FRA, I still track everything for my own peace of mind and tax purposes. 3. **Consider the timing** - Since you're starting mid-year, your 2025 income will be prorated. This might keep you well below any Medicare premium thresholds even with future raises. 4. **Health insurance coordination** - Make sure you understand how any employer health benefits might coordinate with Medicare if your new employer offers coverage. Congratulations on finding a position that works with your caregiving situation! It's wonderful that you can get back into the workforce while still being available for your husband. Best of luck with the new job!

I went through this exact transition with my dad last year when he turned 65. One thing that really helped was calling SSA and asking them to send a written summary of his specific situation - they can provide a personalized breakdown of how the transition will work for him, including any Trial Work Period months he's already used and exactly when his Full Retirement Age will be. The phone rep was able to look up his work history and tell us exactly how much he could earn without affecting benefits. Also, if your husband does start working, make sure the employer knows about his situation so they can help track hours and earnings to stay under the limits. The hardware store job sounds perfect since it's with friends who would probably be understanding about keeping his schedule flexible!

I just wanted to share my experience as someone who recently went through this transition at 65. The most important thing I learned is that you absolutely need to report ANY work activity to SSA BEFORE your husband starts working, not after. Even if he thinks he'll stay well under the limits, unexpected overtime or a busy week could push him over without realizing it. Also, something nobody mentioned yet - if your husband has any other income sources (like a small pension, rental income, etc.), make sure SSA knows about those too when calculating his situation. They look at all income sources when determining work capacity. One last tip: when you do call SSA, ask to speak with a disability specialist rather than general customer service. They're much more knowledgeable about the complex rules around SSDI-to-retirement transitions and Trial Work Periods. The regular reps often give conflicting information about these specialized situations. Your husband is smart to want to ease back into work gradually - that hardware store job sounds like it could be perfect for testing the waters!

I'm sorry for your loss and understand your concern about planning ahead for your family's financial security. From my experience working with families in similar situations, your stepchild's DAC benefits will absolutely remain on your deceased husband's record when you file for your own retirement benefits. These are completely separate entitlements that don't interact with each other. What's particularly important to understand is that DAC benefits are survivor benefits, not dependent benefits. Once established on a deceased parent's record, they stay there permanently unless the beneficiary loses eligibility due to marriage, earnings above SGA, or medical improvement that removes their disability status. I'd also echo the suggestion about looking into widow's benefits. At 63, you could potentially file for reduced widow's benefits now (if you haven't already) while allowing your own retirement benefit to grow with delayed retirement credits until age 70. This strategy often maximizes lifetime benefits, but it depends on your specific earnings history and current financial needs. Consider speaking with a financial advisor who specializes in Social Security planning to run the numbers for your particular situation.

I'm a newcomer to this community and found this discussion incredibly informative as I'm facing a similar situation. My husband passed away two years ago, and we have a disabled adult son who receives DAC benefits based on his father's record. I've been so anxious about how my eventual retirement filing might affect his benefits, but reading everyone's experiences here has been tremendously reassuring. What strikes me most is how consistent everyone's real-world experiences have been - in every case shared here, the DAC benefits remained unchanged when the surviving spouse filed for retirement. It's also eye-opening to learn about the distinction between DAC survivor benefits versus regular disability benefits, and how important it is to use the correct terminology when speaking with SSA representatives. I'm particularly grateful for the suggestions about widow's benefits and working with a Social Security specialist. Like many of you, I've struggled with the SSA phone system and gotten conflicting information, so having these community insights and professional resources to explore gives me a much clearer path forward. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it's made navigating this complex system feel much less overwhelming.