DONT forget to ask about survivors benefits for YOU after she passes!!! My neighbor got widower benefits after his wife died from cancer and it really helped him!!! The SSA doesn't always tell you everything you're eligible for unless you ASK SPECIFICALLY!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's diagnosis. This is such a difficult situation, and you're being incredibly thoughtful to research all the options during this challenging time. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like SSDI could provide meaningful financial advantages - potentially $200+ more per month if she's below her full retirement age. With pancreatic cancer being on the Compassionate Allowance list, the approval process should be much faster than typical disability cases. One practical tip: when gathering medical documentation, make sure her oncologist's records explicitly state "pancreatic cancer" and include the terminal prognosis. Sometimes medical records use technical terms or codes that might not trigger the automated Compassionate Allowance screening as quickly. Also, consider having someone help you with the application process if possible - whether it's a family member, friend, or even a disability advocate. During such an emotionally draining time, having support with paperwork can be invaluable. Whatever you decide, you're clearly doing everything you can to ensure your wife is taken care of. That speaks volumes about your character during what must be an incredibly painful time.

You've received excellent advice here! I'm a financial planner who works with many clients in similar situations. Just to summarize the key protections you have in place: 1. Filing separately keeps you protected from joint tax liability for his unfiled returns 2. Keeping assets solely in your name prevents them from being seized for his tax debts 3. Your Social Security benefits are calculated only on your work record - his tax status has no impact on your benefit amount 4. Even if the IRS eventually pursues him, they can only garnish up to 15% of HIS benefits, not yours One additional tip: when you apply for benefits in January, you might want to specify that you want direct deposit into an account that's solely in your name (which it sounds like you already have set up). This adds another layer of protection. You've been incredibly smart about protecting yourself financially. Many people don't take these precautions and end up paying the price for their spouse's poor financial decisions. Stick with your plan - filing separately and keeping everything separate has served you well and will continue to protect you in retirement.

I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since it sounds so similar to yours! I just turned 62 and am in almost the exact same boat - husband with years of unfiled taxes from failed businesses, me as the primary earner, and I've been filing separately for protection for about 5 years now. I haven't filed for Social Security yet (waiting until 65), but I've done a lot of research and spoken with a few professionals. Everything everyone has said here is consistent with what I've learned - your benefits are completely based on YOUR work record, and filing separately actually protects you from his tax issues rather than hurting your SS benefits. The one thing I'd add is that I've kept detailed records of all the years I've filed separately and all the financial protections I've put in place, just in case I ever need to prove to the IRS or SSA that our finances have been completely separate. My attorney suggested this as an extra layer of documentation. You're definitely not being too cautious - after watching my husband make poor financial decisions for decades, protecting my retirement security has become my top priority. It's unfortunate we have to do this, but we didn't create these problems and we shouldn't have to suffer financially because of them. Good luck with your filing in January!

I'm in a similar boat but from a different angle - I've been getting disability benefits for 5 years and worked part-time in 2024 earning about $15,000 (under SGA limits). I'm wondering if those earnings would trigger any kind of recalculation for my disability benefits or if the automatic recomputation process only applies to retirement benefits? I haven't seen any adjustment deposits and my benefit amount hasn't changed. Does anyone know if disability beneficiaries get the same automatic earnings recalculations that retirement beneficiaries do?

I went through something very similar last year and it took almost 8 months to get resolved! What I learned is that the reconsideration process can actually interfere with the automatic recomputation system. When you file a reconsideration, it essentially puts a "hold" on your record while they manually review everything, which prevents the automated system from running its normal calculations. In my case, I had to be really persistent. After 5 months of waiting, I called and specifically asked them to expedite the reconsideration since it was blocking the automatic process that should have happened months earlier. The agent told me they could either withdraw my reconsideration request and let the automatic system run, or continue with the manual review. I chose to stick with the manual review since I was already halfway through the process. One tip: when you do call back, ask specifically about the "ARF flag" on your account - that's the automatic recomputation flag. If it's been disabled due to your reconsideration, you'll want to know that. Also, document every call with dates, agent names, and what they told you. It really helps when you need to escalate or reference previous conversations.

I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Harper. Losing a parent unexpectedly is devastating, and you're showing incredible strength by taking care of all these details for your father. I wanted to share something that might help streamline this process - when you call SSA (definitely do this to verify the death was reported), ask them to walk you through everything in one call rather than making multiple calls later. Specifically ask about: - Confirming the death report - The $255 lump-sum death benefit application - Survivor benefits application (even though your dad's benefit is higher) - Any Medicare premium adjustments needed - Whether there were any pending benefit adjustments for your mother Also, when you call, have your father available to give verbal consent for you to handle his SSA matters. This can save you from having to make separate calls or visits later. One practical tip that helped me when I went through this - keep a simple log of every call you make (date, time, who you spoke with, confirmation numbers). SSA representatives sometimes give different information, and having a record helps if you need to follow up. You're doing everything right by being proactive about this. Take care of yourself too during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Harper. My heart goes out to you and your father during this incredibly difficult time. I wanted to add one more resource that might be helpful - if you're having trouble getting through to SSA by phone, many local SSA offices allow you to schedule appointments online at ssa.gov. Sometimes an in-person visit can be more efficient than trying to get through on the phone, especially for complex situations like this where you're handling multiple issues at once. Also, I noticed several people mentioned the funeral home reporting issue. In my experience, this happens because funeral homes typically only report deaths to the state vital records office, and there can be a delay before that information reaches SSA. So definitely make that direct call to verify. One last thing - if your father uses direct deposit for his Social Security, make sure his bank account information is current with SSA. Sometimes when there are changes to benefits or when survivor applications are processed, there can be temporary holds or issues with payments that are easier to resolve if everything is up to date. You're handling so much right now, and it sounds like you're being incredibly thoughtful about making sure nothing falls through the cracks. Don't hesitate to reach out for help from other family members or friends when you need it.

Congratulations on the job offer! One important thing to add - if you decide to keep your Social Security active and let the earnings reduction happen naturally, make sure to report your new job to SSA as soon as possible. You can do this online through your my Social Security account or by calling them. If you don't report it promptly and SSA finds out later (which they will when you file taxes), they may create an overpayment that you'll have to repay anyway. It's much better to be proactive about it. Also, keep detailed records of your earnings and any correspondence with SSA. This will help if there are any discrepancies later when they do the annual earnings reconciliation. Good luck with your new job - it sounds like going back to work is the right choice for you at 63!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this discussion has been! I'm approaching retirement age myself and had no idea about these withdrawal options or the earnings limits. The distinction between withdrawing the application completely vs. letting benefits be suspended due to work earnings is really important to understand. @Amara Nwosu, it sounds like you're getting great advice here - especially about reporting your new job right away to avoid overpayment issues later. Best of luck with your new position!