I'm so sorry for your loss, Xan. This is such a challenging situation to navigate while you're grieving. I wanted to add something that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you have any trouble locating your divorce decree, you might also check with the attorney who handled your divorce (if they're still practicing). Many law firms keep copies of final divorce documents for years, and they might be able to provide you with a copy more quickly than going through the courthouse. Also, when you do call SSA at 8 AM as others suggested, have a pen and paper ready to write down the name of the representative you speak with and any reference numbers they give you. If you need to call back or follow up, having those details can help ensure continuity and avoid having to re-explain your entire situation. Based on everything shared here, it sounds like you have an excellent case for survivor benefits. The potential increase from $2,200 to around $3,100 monthly would make such a meaningful difference. Don't let the process intimidate you - you've got a whole community here supporting you, and you're absolutely entitled to these benefits after a 25-year marriage. You've got this!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Xan. This thread has been incredibly comprehensive and helpful - I've learned so much just reading through everyone's experiences and advice. I wanted to add one small but potentially important detail that I haven't seen mentioned yet: when you do get your appointment with SSA (whether in person or over the phone), ask them to confirm the exact date your ex-husband's benefits stopped. Sometimes there can be discrepancies in their records, and you want to make sure your survivor benefits start from the correct month to maximize your retroactive payments. Also, if you're comfortable sharing, please update us on how the process goes! This thread has become such a valuable resource for anyone dealing with ex-spouse survivor benefits, and hearing about your actual experience could help future community members who find themselves in similar situations. Wishing you strength and success in getting the benefits you're entitled to - based on everything shared here, it really sounds like you have a very strong case and should see that significant monthly increase everyone has been discussing.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who went through this decision process recently. Your husband's situation sounds very similar to mine - I'm 62 with 23 years in Texas education and prior private sector work. One thing I learned that might help: the Social Security Administration has a WEP calculator on their website that can give you a rough estimate of how much the reduction would be. It's not perfect, but it helped me understand the financial impact better than trying to guess. Also, regarding the earnings limit - those withheld benefits do get paid back to you in a lump sum when you reach FRA, but there's no interest earned on that money. So you're essentially giving the government an interest-free loan for several years. That factored into my decision to wait. One more consideration: if your husband is planning to work past his FRA anyway, he might benefit from waiting until then to file. Not only would he avoid the earnings limit entirely, but he'd also get his full (albeit WEP-reduced) benefit amount instead of the early filing reduction on top of WEP. The Texas TRS pension won't be affected by when he takes Social Security, so that's one less thing to worry about. But definitely get that earnings record checked - I found two missing years that would have cost me about $150/month.

I've been following this discussion as a newcomer and wanted to share something that might be helpful. My father-in-law was in a very similar situation - Texas educator with prior private sector work, trying to decide about Social Security timing. One resource that really helped us was the AARP Social Security Calculator, which specifically accounts for WEP reductions and can model different filing scenarios. It's more user-friendly than the SSA calculator and helped us visualize the long-term financial impact of filing early versus waiting. Also, since your husband qualifies under the Rule of 80, you might want to consider this strategy: he could retire from teaching now (or soon), start his TRS pension, then work part-time in the private sector while collecting Social Security. This would avoid the earnings limit issues since TRS pension income doesn't count toward the SS earnings limit - only wages from current employment do. The key insight we learned is that once you're receiving the teacher pension, the WEP reduction is locked in regardless, so the timing becomes more about optimizing the Social Security side of things rather than trying to avoid WEP entirely. Just another angle to consider in your planning!

I'm new to this community but going through a similar situation with my own benefit planning. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful! It sounds like the key takeaway is that you need to get the exact monthly benefit amounts in writing for both scenarios before making any decision. From what I'm understanding, the $10k retroactive payment might sound attractive upfront, but if it permanently reduces your monthly benefit by even $100-200, that could cost you tens of thousands over your lifetime. At your current survivor benefit of $2,260 and projected retirement benefit of $3,125 at 70, you're already looking at a significant monthly increase - don't let them pressure you into giving up part of that increase for a one-time payment. I'd definitely recommend the in-person appointment suggestion someone mentioned above. Having everything written down and being able to ask follow-up questions face-to-face seems like the best way to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about such an important financial decision.

I went through this exact decision two years ago and I'm so glad I waited until 70! The SSA agent was very persistent about the retroactive benefits - kept emphasizing the immediate $8,500 I could get. But I did the math and realized it would have cost me about $180/month for life. Here's what helped me make the decision: I asked the agent to mail me a written comparison showing both scenarios - my monthly benefit if I took retroactive vs. waiting until 70. Seeing those numbers on paper made it crystal clear. In my case, I would have broken even at around age 74, but since I planned to live well beyond that (and thankfully am in good health), waiting was the obvious choice. The key is don't let them rush you into a decision during that phone call. Ask for everything in writing, take time to review it, and maybe even bring it to a financial advisor or trusted family member to look over. This is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make - a few extra days or weeks to think it through is worth it for a choice that affects the rest of your life.

Great to see you got through to SSA and have an appointment scheduled! Just wanted to add a couple things that might be helpful for your meeting: 1. If you can find any old tax returns from when you were married, those might have his SSN on them (joint returns would show both). Even if you don't have them, it's not necessary since SSA confirmed they can find his record without it. 2. Since you mentioned he earned "almost triple" what you did, you're likely looking at a significant increase. At FRA, survivor benefits aren't reduced, so you should get 100% of what he was entitled to (or what he was receiving if he had already claimed). 3. Don't forget to ask about Medicare implications if you're eligible - sometimes survivor benefit changes can affect Medicare premiums. Really hoping this works out for you and provides the financial relief you need. Keep us posted after your appointment!

So glad you were able to get through and have an appointment scheduled! This is exactly the kind of situation where the SSA's ability to locate records with basic information really shines. Since you mentioned you were married for 17 years (well over the 10-year requirement) and never remarried, you're in a strong position for approval. One thing to keep in mind - since you're already receiving your own reduced benefit that you took at 62, the survivor benefit calculation will be separate. You'll essentially switch from your current benefit to the higher survivor benefit if eligible. The good news is that taking your own benefit early won't reduce the survivor benefit amount. Wishing you the best of luck at your appointment! This could be life-changing financially, and it sounds like you have all the documentation you need.

One last thought - your sister should consider scheduling an appointment with SSA now, even though she's not eligible yet. They can provide an estimate of what her survivor benefit amount will be at different claiming ages, which will help with financial planning. Also, they can explain the earnings limit if she plans to continue working while receiving benefits before her full retirement age. The earnings limit is quite restrictive and can cause benefits to be withheld if she earns too much.

I'm so sorry for your family's loss. This is such valuable information being shared here. I wanted to add that your sister might also want to check if her late husband had any life insurance through his employer or if there are any union benefits she might be entitled to. These aren't Social Security benefits, but they could provide some immediate financial relief while she waits until age 60 for survivor benefits. Also, if he was a veteran, there may be VA survivor benefits available that have different eligibility requirements than Social Security. It's worth checking all possible sources of support during this incredibly difficult time.