I work for a disability advocacy organization and see this situation frequently. Your brother-in-law should expect his first regular SSDI payment within 4-8 weeks of approval (so likely by mid to late October). The backpay typically follows 2-4 weeks after that. Regarding child support - NY follows federal guidelines that limit garnishment to 65% of backpay for arrears and typically 50-65% of ongoing monthly payments. However, he should immediately contact the NY State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) child support enforcement unit to discuss his situation. Sometimes they'll agree to a lower percentage if he can demonstrate financial hardship. Important: Make sure he keeps detailed records of all his current living expenses (rent, utilities, food, medical costs) as this documentation can help when negotiating with child support enforcement. Also, since DSS will want repayment from his backpay period, he should ask for a written breakdown of exactly what they expect to recover so there are no surprises. The waiting is brutal, but hang in there - the payments are coming!

I went through almost the exact same situation in NY about 2 years ago! Got approved in August and didn't see my first payment until early October - about 6 weeks. The backpay took another month after that. For the child support piece, they ended up taking about 55% of my backpay (I owed around $8,000 in arrears) and now take about 45% of my monthly payments. The key thing that helped me was calling the child support office directly before the money arrived. I explained my situation - being on assistance, needing to catch up on basic bills - and they actually worked with me on the percentage. Also heads up about DSS - they're going to want back every penny they gave him during the backpay period, so he should ask them for an exact calculation of what they expect to recover. When I got my backpay, between DSS repayment and child support, I only kept about 30% of it, but at least the monthly payments started flowing regularly after that. The waiting is absolutely horrible but the money will come! Tell him to keep calling SSA every few days for status updates - sometimes that helps move things along.

Hey just wondering - does anyone know if the OP could have done something different? Like if he had waited until Full Retirement Age instead of taking benefits at 65? I'm trying to figure out what to do with my own situation and don't want to make the same mistake!

I'm sorry to hear about your financial struggles, Natalie. This is unfortunately a common misunderstanding about Social Security benefits. The key thing to remember is that you always receive the HIGHER of either your own benefit OR the spousal/ex-spousal benefit - never both combined. Since you're already receiving $1,425 monthly on your own record, your ex-wife would need a Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) of at least $2,850 for you to qualify for any additional ex-spouse benefit. That's because the maximum ex-spouse benefit is 50% of her PIA. While you can't change your past filing decision, I'd recommend looking into other assistance programs that might help with your financial situation. Your local Area Agency on Aging can help you find programs for utilities assistance, food support, prescription drug help, and other resources specifically designed for seniors facing financial hardship.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Connor. I went through something very similar about 18 months ago when my husband passed. The confusion you're experiencing is completely understandable - even some SSA representatives don't fully grasp how survivor benefits work independently from your own retirement benefits. The short answer is: your early filing for your own retirement benefits does NOT reduce your survivor benefit amount. Since you waited until after your FRA to apply for survivor benefits, you're entitled to 100% of what your husband was receiving (or would have received at his FRA). Here's what helped me: I kept detailed notes of every conversation with SSA, including the representative's name and ID number. When I got conflicting information, I was able to reference previous calls. Also, don't be afraid to hang up and call back if you get a rep who seems unsure - I learned this the hard way after getting incorrect information twice. One thing that really caught my attention in your post - you mentioned applying for survivor benefits "about a year after reaching your FRA." Make sure to ask specifically about retroactive payments. You might be eligible for up to 6 months of back payments, which could be substantial depending on the benefit amounts. The waiting and uncertainty is stressful, but you should end up with whichever benefit is higher - either your current reduced amount or your husband's full benefit amount. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Connor. This is definitely one of the more confusing aspects of Social Security, and you're not alone in getting mixed messages from different representatives. The good news is that everyone here is giving you correct information - your early filing for your own retirement benefits absolutely does NOT affect your survivor benefit amount. These are calculated completely separately. Since you wisely waited until after your FRA to apply for survivor benefits, you're entitled to receive the full 100% of your husband's benefit if it's higher than your current reduced benefit. I'd strongly recommend calling back and specifically asking them to explain in detail how they calculated your new benefit amount. Ask them to confirm that they're giving you the higher of: (1) your current reduced retirement benefit, or (2) 100% of your husband's benefit amount. If the representative seems uncertain about this, don't hesitate to ask to speak with a supervisor or call back for a second opinion. Also, definitely ask about retroactive payments since your husband passed away over a year ago and you're just now applying for survivor benefits. You could be entitled to several months of back pay. Document everything - names, dates, what was said. The rules are clear on this, but sometimes it takes persistence to get them applied correctly. You should end up in a much better financial position once this gets sorted out properly.

I went through this exact same confusion when I turned 70 last year! The misinformation about earnings limits is everywhere, and it's so frustrating. Your daughter is absolutely right - there is NO earnings limit once you reach full retirement age. Since you're 70 and already collecting benefits, you can work as much as you want without any reduction to your Social Security payments. I now work seasonal tax prep and make around $2,000 a month during busy season, plus my husband and I do some consulting work. Our benefits have never been reduced. The only thing to keep in mind is that your additional income might affect your taxes (potentially making more of your SS benefits taxable) and could impact Medicare premiums if your income gets high enough, but it won't touch your actual Social Security benefit amount. Enjoy the freedom to work without worry! It's one of the few perks of getting older.

I'm so glad you asked this question! I'm relatively new to navigating Social Security myself and this thread has been incredibly helpful. It's amazing how much misinformation circulates about these rules. Just to add one more confirmation - my neighbor who's 73 has been working part-time at Home Depot for the past three years while collecting his full Social Security benefits. He's never had any issues or reductions. The key thing everyone has mentioned is correct: once you hit your Full Retirement Age, the earnings limit completely disappears. It sounds like you can definitely take on those extra summer hours at your nephew's landscaping business without any worries about your benefits! The tax considerations others mentioned are worth keeping in mind for next year's tax planning, but your monthly SS check will remain untouched regardless of how much you earn.

Just to provide a complete answer: The SSA automatically processes survivor benefits in situations where: 1. Both spouses were receiving benefits 2. The marriage is properly documented in SSA records 3. The death is reported through official channels (funeral homes, vital records) The process includes: - Payment of the one-time $255 death benefit - Adjustment to the higher of the two benefit amounts You should verify that your new monthly amount equals what your wife was receiving. If her benefit was higher than yours, you'll now receive that amount instead of your own benefit. The only reason you might need to contact SSA is if: - Your new benefit amount seems incorrect - You have eligible dependents who might qualify for survivor benefits - You need to update other information (banking, address, etc.) Otherwise, the automatic processing you experienced is working as designed and is becoming more common as SSA improves their systems.

I'm so sorry for your loss. It sounds like everything processed correctly for you, which is wonderful during such a difficult time. The automatic processing happens when SSA has all the necessary information on file - your marriage records, both of your benefit amounts, etc. One thing I'd recommend is creating or logging into your mySocialSecurity account online if you haven't already. This will let you verify your current benefit amount and see the official records of the changes. It's good to have documentation showing the transition happened properly, just for your own peace of mind. You're right to trust the system when it works this smoothly. The people insisting you need to visit an office likely had different circumstances or are thinking of how things used to work years ago when more manual processing was required.