Thank you all for your responses! I've learned so much from this thread. Based on what everyone's shared, it seems like I can collect both CASDI and Social Security retirement without the disability payments counting against my earnings limit. I'm going to try calling SSA again tomorrow morning to confirm, and I might try that phone service if I can't get through again. This has been hugely helpful!

Just wanted to add one more point that might be helpful - since you mentioned having trouble with the online verification process due to not having credit cards or loans, you can also try visiting your local Social Security office in person to apply. I know it's not as convenient, especially with your back injury, but sometimes it's easier than dealing with the phone system. You can make an appointment online at ssa.gov to avoid waiting in line. They can help you with both the retirement application and answer any questions about how your CASDI affects things. Bring your medical records and disability paperwork just in case they need to see them.

Just to follow up on the June situation: If you want to avoid going over the limit, you could ask your employer to shift one of your June shifts to July, or take one unpaid day off in June. At your hourly rate of $16.64, working about 117 hours would keep you just under the $1,950 limit. Alternatively, if this is a one-time situation and you'll be under the limit for all other months, you might actually be better off just working the extra hours, going slightly over in June, and having a small benefit reduction rather than losing a full day's wages.

As someone who's been navigating the earnings limit for a couple years now, I can confirm what others have said - SSA definitely goes by when you EARNED the money, not when you got paid. One thing that might help with your tracking: I created a simple calendar where I mark each work day with my hours and calculate running totals. It takes literally 2 minutes after each shift but saves so much stress at month-end. For your June situation, here's something to consider: since you're consistently under the limit other months, you might want to just work the extra shift and take the small benefit reduction rather than lose a full day's pay. The reduction is $1 for every $2 over the limit, so if you go over by ~$47, you'd only lose about $23 in benefits but gain a full day's wages. But definitely call SSA first about that "non-service month" provision someone mentioned - that could be a game changer if the staffing shortage qualifies as beyond your control!

Thank you all for the helpful information! So it sounds like I would get his benefit instead of mine (which is good since his is higher), but I need to be prepared for a potential gap in payments during the transition. I'll also need to consider how my age affects the percentage I'll receive. This has been really enlightening - the SSA website doesn't explain these specific situations clearly at all. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to consider whether taking your survivor benefits immediately when the time comes is the best financial decision. If you're younger than your Full Retirement Age, you could potentially delay claiming the survivor benefits (if you have other income sources) and let them grow until you reach FRA to get the full 100%. However, given that your current benefit is only about half of his, it would probably still make financial sense to switch right away even with the age reduction. You might also want to consult with a financial advisor or use the SSA's online calculators to run different scenarios based on your specific ages and benefit amounts.

I'm so sorry for your sister's loss. This is indeed a complex situation, but I want to reinforce what others have said - you're on the right track getting documentation from both sides. One thing I'd add is that when she calls SSA (or uses that Claimyr service someone mentioned), she should specifically ask them to reference POMS DI 10505.010 which covers the earnings test exclusions. This is the internal SSA manual section that addresses Medicaid waiver payments like Difficulty of Care. Having that specific reference might help the representative give her a more definitive answer and ensure proper documentation in her file. Also, since she's caring for an adult disabled child, she may want to ask about potential auxiliary benefits on her late husband's record for their son if he hasn't already been evaluated for that.

can someone please explain to me how you accomplished this with the earnings test? I have called Social Security at least 10x and get a different answer every time. My husband passed and I am receiving difficulty of care payments from a home and community based service through a Medicaid waiver myself for the care I provide for my adult disabled daughter at home. The program does not take taxes from me, but yet half of the reps say it disqualifies me from the in care benefits because it is considered earned income. HOW can it be earned income when I am not able to pay FICA on the monies, not able to earn my own work credits, not able to invest in a 401k, and not able to add to my own Medicare. I would be completely reliant on my deceased husband's record. This makes no sense. I do earn way above the yearly amount to determine my in care benefits, BUT I essentially have no way to prepare myself for my own retirement due to needing to fill out 2014-7 irs form because the program does not take taxes due to me providing care for her in my home. How did anyone get this letter of determination? I fear losing the benefits and being punished for taking care of my medically fragile adult daughter.

I'm in a similar situation - worked for the city for 25 years and have about 10 years of Social Security credits from before that. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening, especially the horror stories about surprise overpayments! One thing I wanted to add: I called my HR department at work and they were able to give me the exact language about how my pension is classified (whether it's from "non-covered employment" under Social Security). They also had a fact sheet about WEP that explained how it would affect retirees. Might be worth checking if your state government has similar resources - sometimes they're more familiar with how their specific pension system interacts with Social Security than the general public realizes. Also planning to follow the advice here about getting my earnings record checked well before I apply. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

Thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences! As someone new to navigating Social Security and government pensions, this thread has been incredibly helpful. I'm particularly grateful for the specific form numbers (SSA-1-BK, SSA-150) and the emphasis on using precise language like "non-covered employment" when describing my pension. The timing coordination advice really stands out - it sounds like starting Social Security and my pension around the same time could save a lot of headaches with recalculations and potential overpayments. I'm also planning to contact my HR department as suggested to get official documentation about how our pension system is classified. One follow-up question: for those who went through this process, how far in advance did you start gathering documentation and preparing? I'm about 18 months away from retirement and wondering if I should start requesting my earnings record and other paperwork now, or if that's too early. I'd rather be over-prepared than scrambling at the last minute!