Update: I went to my local SSA office today with the SSA-561 form and all my documentation. The claims representative actually reviewed everything while I was there and found that SSA had incorrectly recorded my work start date! They had me starting 3 months earlier than I actually did, which is why they thought I had used up all my Trial Work Period months. She's submitting a correction along with my formal appeal. I'm cautiously optimistic but still nervous about the outcome. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

This is such great news! It's a perfect example of why appealing these overpayment notices is so important - SSA makes administrative errors more often than people realize. The fact that they had your work start date wrong by 3 months shows how crucial it is to have your own documentation and records. For anyone else reading this thread, Ava's experience highlights a key point: always bring copies of EVERYTHING when you visit the SSA office - employment letters, pay stubs, any correspondence you've had with SSA, etc. Sometimes having a human being look at your actual documents can catch errors that got lost in their computer system. I hope this gets resolved quickly for you! And thank you for sharing the update - it gives hope to others dealing with similar situations.

Thank you for this update! I don't use Twitter so I would have missed this. At least there's an official timeline now. I appreciate everyone's help and suggestions!

I've been dealing with this exact same issue! Been locked out for about 10 days now with the same error message. I tried calling the 800 number yesterday and after waiting 2 hours and 45 minutes, I finally got through to someone who told me they're aware of the problem but couldn't give me any specifics on when it would be fixed. She did mention that if it's truly urgent (like needing to report a death or stop payments), they can sometimes handle certain things over the phone, but for most account access issues we just have to wait. So frustrating when you're trying to plan for retirement and can't access your own information!

I'm new here but dealing with a similar situation, so this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 63 and started collecting early retirement last year, then got diagnosed with a chronic condition and applied for SSDI. Still waiting on approval, but reading everyone's experiences gives me hope. One quick question for those who've been through this - when SSA converts your payment from retirement to disability, do you get any kind of notification letter explaining the change? I want to make sure I understand exactly what's happening with my benefits if/when my SSDI gets approved. Also, QuantumQuest, have you considered reaching out to your local SSA field office in addition to calling the main number? Sometimes it's easier to get face-to-face help, especially for complex situations like ours. Just a thought!

I'm also new to this community and this thread has been incredibly informative! I'm currently going through a very similar situation - I'm 64, started early retirement last year, and just got approved for SSDI due to a combination of chronic back issues and diabetes complications. One thing I wanted to add that I learned through my own research: make sure you keep detailed records of ANY work you do, even if it's just a few hours here and there. SSA can ask for this information going back several years, and having good documentation can save you a lot of headaches later. Also, regarding the Trial Work Period that several people mentioned - I was told by my disability attorney that even if you don't use all 9 trial work months, it's still good to be conservative with your earnings. The last thing you want is to accidentally trigger a review of your disability status right when you're getting back on your feet financially. QuantumQuest, your situation with the heart condition improving is actually pretty common - many people worry that if their condition gets better, they'll automatically lose SSDI. But as long as you follow the work rules and report your activity, you should be able to test the waters with part-time work safely. Good luck!

I'm sorry for your family's loss. As someone new to navigating these benefits, I found this thread incredibly helpful. The GPO rules are so complex and it sounds like even with the offset, it's still worth applying since every situation can be different. I had no idea about the time limits for retroactive benefits or the appeals process. Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge and experiences - it really helps those of us trying to figure out this system for our elderly parents. Wishing your father the best outcome with his application!

I'm also dealing with a similar situation for my elderly father who was a federal employee. What I've learned from researching this is that even though the GPO typically reduces benefits significantly, there can be exceptions or special circumstances that aren't immediately obvious. For instance, if your mother had any periods where she worked for government but also paid into Social Security, or if there were any calculation errors in the original benefit amount, it could affect the final determination. I'd definitely recommend getting that official SSA calculation done - sometimes the actual numbers work out differently than the rough estimates we can do ourselves. Also, don't forget to ask about any potential one-time death benefits (like the $255 lump sum) that might not be subject to GPO. Good luck with the application process!

As someone who's been through the SSA maze myself, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely CAN choose the higher survivor benefit between your ex-husband and current husband when the time comes. The 10+ year marriage rule for your first marriage is key here, and since you were married almost 12 years, you're covered. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned much is to keep detailed records of BOTH spouses' work histories if possible. When I applied, having information about approximate earnings helped the SSA representative give me a better estimate during my appointment. Also, don't forget that if you're still working when you start collecting survivor benefits before your Full Retirement Age, there are earnings limits that could reduce your benefits temporarily. The strategy that @Zara Khan mentioned about potentially taking a reduced survivor benefit first and switching later is really smart - it's called "claim and switch" and can maximize your lifetime benefits in some situations. Definitely worth exploring with a benefits counselor when you get closer to 60!

I wanted to add something that might be helpful for your planning - consider also looking into whether either of your husbands has or will have government pensions (federal, state, local). If so, the Government Pension Offset (GPO) could reduce any spousal or survivor benefits you might receive by 2/3 of the pension amount. This doesn't affect your own Social Security benefit, but it could significantly impact which survivor benefit option gives you the most money. Since you're in a planning phase, it's worth asking both spouses about any government employment in their work history. I learned about this the hard way when my friend's teacher's pension nearly eliminated her Social Security survivor benefit. The SSA website has a GPO calculator that can help you estimate the impact if this applies to your situation.