One more thing i learned the hard way - make sure you specificlly tell them you want your benefits to START in January. Don't just say you're applying for benefts AT age 70. If your birthday is in Jan. but you file in Dec. be VERY CLEAR about this!!!

As someone who just went through this process myself (turned 70 last month), I can confirm what others have said about the timing. I applied in November for December benefits and received my full DRCs, though it took about 2 months for the final adjustment to show up correctly. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - when you apply online or at the office, there's actually a specific question asking what month you want your benefits to BEGIN. Make sure you select January 2025, not December 2024. This prevents any confusion about whether you're trying to claim benefits before your 70th birthday. Also, keep copies of everything and take screenshots of your online application if you file that way. Having documentation makes it much easier to resolve any issues if they come up later.

Just to add one more piece of advice - since your husband will be retiring at the end of March next year, you might want to create a my Social Security account online (if you haven't already) to make the application process smoother when the time comes. Also, make sure to apply for benefits about 2-3 months before he wants them to start. While he can apply right after reaching FRA in October for November benefits, giving SSA a little extra processing time is always smart. And remember that even though the earnings test won't apply, his benefits might still be subject to federal income tax if your combined income exceeds certain thresholds. Up to 85% of Social Security benefits can be taxable depending on your overall income.

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact scenario two years ago! I reached my FRA in September and filed for benefits in November while still working full-time. Got my full benefit amount with zero issues. The key thing to remember is that Social Security looks at this on a month-by-month basis once you reach FRA, not annually. So even though your husband's total 2025 earnings will be high, SSA only cares about what he earned in the months before reaching FRA in October. One small tip - when he does apply, have his recent pay stubs ready. Sometimes they ask for documentation to verify current employment status, and having everything organized can speed up the process. The whole thing was much smoother than I expected!

Daniel, I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! The good news is that multiple people have confirmed your pension and deferred comp won't count against the earnings limit - that's a huge relief for your planning. Regarding the death certificate issue, I had a similar problem when my father passed. What worked for me was requesting to speak specifically with a "Claims Development Representative" rather than a general customer service rep. These specialists have access to more detailed records and can often verify death information without requiring additional documentation, especially since your ex was already receiving benefits when he passed. For the survivor benefits decision, you might want to consider this strategy: if you're eligible for survivor benefits (which sounds likely given your 19-year marriage), you could potentially take reduced survivor benefits starting at age 60 while letting your own retirement benefit grow with delayed retirement credits until age 70. This could maximize your lifetime benefits depending on which amount is higher. I'd definitely recommend getting estimates for both scenarios before making your decision. The February appointment wait is outrageous - definitely try some of the workarounds others have suggested!

I'm so sorry you're going through this bureaucratic nightmare! The death certificate situation is particularly frustrating when SSA clearly already has this information in their system. A few suggestions that might help: 1. **For the death certificate issue**: Since your children received benefits on his record after his death, SSA definitely has his death recorded. When you call back, specifically ask to speak with a "Technical Expert" or "Claims Specialist" and mention that his death was already established for your children's survivor benefits. Reference those benefit payments as proof they have the death information. 2. **Congressional assistance**: This is exactly the type of federal agency issue that Congressional offices are equipped to handle. Contact your Representative's or Senator's constituent services - they can often cut through red tape that would take you months to resolve. 3. **Survivor benefit timing**: You have some valuable options here. Since you can take survivor benefits as early as 60 (though reduced), you might be able to claim those while letting your own retirement benefit grow until 70 with delayed retirement credits. The optimal strategy depends on the relative amounts. 4. **Getting through to SSA**: Try calling right when they open (8 AM local time) or during lunch hours when call volume might be lower. The Claimyr service others mentioned could also save you hours of frustration. The earnings limit clarification is great news for your planning - having that pension and deferred comp income without it affecting your Social Security makes retirement much more feasible!

To summarize for you and make sure everything's clear: 1) Your husband can stop working anytime - tomorrow, next year, or 5 years from now. His stop-work date has no direct connection to his FRA. 2) He reaches FRA in January 2026, meaning he can file for 100% of his benefit at that time. 3) If he wants benefits to begin in January 2026, he should apply around October 2025. 4) If he works in 2026 after starting benefits, there's no earnings limit since he'll be at FRA. Is this timeline making sense now?

I went through this exact same confusion with my own retirement planning! One additional tip that might help: if your husband has been a high earner in recent years, it's worth checking if working those final months in 2025 would actually increase his Social Security benefit amount. The SSA calculates benefits based on your highest 35 years of indexed earnings, so sometimes those last few months of work can bump up your average if you're earning more now than in earlier years. You can create an account on ssa.gov to see his earnings record and estimated benefits. But as everyone else has said, he's absolutely free to stop working December 31st, 2025 (or earlier) and still get full benefits starting January 2026!

My sister applied for her SS retirement last year and she said they asked her a bunch of questions about whether she ever had a different SSN or if she'd ever used another name that wasn't from marriage. Just something else to be prepared for! Also they wanted to know about any pensions from jobs that didn't pay into Social Security (for WEP calculation I guess).

I'm new here but wanted to share my recent experience since it might help! I just went through this exact process last month - had my phone appointment in early October for December benefits after my November FRA. The timing worked out perfectly and I received my first payment right on schedule in January. A couple of things that really helped me: I created a simple checklist of all my documents beforehand and had them spread out on my desk during the call. Also, when they asked about my desired start date, I was very clear that I wanted benefits to begin the month AFTER my FRA to get the full amount. The representative was really helpful and walked me through everything step by step. Your January 10th appointment should give you plenty of time for April benefits. Good luck with your retirement!