my sister got QI last yr and she got 2 payments in december just like theyre telling you! its normal

I went through this exact same thing when I got approved for QI about 6 months ago! The double payment in the transition month is totally normal - you're not getting overpaid. The SSA rep was right. What happens is your October benefit gets paid on November 27th (your old schedule), then your November benefit gets paid on December 3rd (your new schedule). After that, you'll just get payments on the 3rd each month. The payment date change happens because when you qualify for QI, SSA has to adjust how they process your account since the state is now handling your Part B premium instead of deducting it from your Social Security. It's just an administrative thing. Definitely keep that letter they sent you - it's your proof that this change was authorized. And like others mentioned, your payment amount should be higher now since they're not taking out the Part B premium anymore. Mine went up by the full premium amount and it's been smooth sailing ever since!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! This clarifies things a lot. It sounds like the best strategy is definitely for my husband to delay until 70 to maximize what I might receive as a survivor benefit later on. I'm also going to look into that service that was mentioned for when the time comes to actually deal with SSA. The stories about the difficulties getting through to them and getting the correct benefit calculated are concerning. One last question - does anyone know if there's a good way to estimate exactly what the survivor benefit would be? Is there a calculation tool on the SSA website I could use?

As someone who recently went through Social Security planning with my spouse, I can confirm what others have said - the survivor does get the deceased spouse's actual benefit amount at time of death, including any delayed retirement credits. One thing I'd add to the excellent advice already given: consider getting a consultation with a fee-only financial planner who specializes in Social Security optimization. They can run detailed scenarios for your specific situation and help you understand all the claiming strategies available. Sometimes there are nuances based on your exact ages, earnings histories, and other factors that generic advice might miss. Also, definitely keep good records of your husband's Social Security statements and benefit estimates if he does delay until 70. Having that documentation could save you headaches later when dealing with SSA to establish the correct survivor benefit amount.

I'm dealing with a similar GPO situation and wanted to share what I learned from my experience. When you have a "suspended" status showing since 2018, that's typically just an administrative record created when you enrolled in Medicare through your spouse - it doesn't mean you were actually entitled to benefits then. From what I've gathered through my own research and calls to SSA, you're definitely limited to the 6-month retroactive payment from your January 2024 application date. The key is making sure they calculate your GPO reduction correctly (2/3 of your gross monthly pension) and that you explicitly request the maximum retroactive benefits allowed. One tip that helped me: when you call SSA, have your pension award letter ready and ask to speak with someone who specializes in GPO cases. The regular representatives often don't fully understand how GPO works with spousal benefits. Also, document everything - dates, names, what they told you - because you'll likely need to make multiple calls to get consistent information. Good luck with getting this sorted out! The whole process is frustrating but it sounds like you should be entitled to some benefits after the GPO reduction.

I went through something very similar with GPO and retroactive benefits last year. The confusion about the "suspended" status is completely understandable - it's misleading because it makes you think you were entitled to benefits since 2018, but you're absolutely right that you can only get 6 months retroactive from your January 2024 application date. Here's what worked for me: I called SSA first thing in the morning (8 AM EST) and specifically asked to speak with someone experienced in GPO calculations. I had my state pension award letter, my husband's Social Security statement, and a calculator ready. The representative was able to walk through the GPO reduction (2/3 of my pension amount) and confirm my retroactive entitlement on the spot. One thing to watch out for - make sure they don't accidentally apply WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) instead of GPO to your case. Some representatives get these two provisions confused, but GPO applies to spousal/survivor benefits while WEP applies to your own retirement benefits. With your pension amount of $3,750/month, your GPO reduction would be about $2,500, so if your spousal benefit calculation is higher than that, you should receive the difference. Don't give up - persistence with SSA is key, and that retroactive payment can really add up!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this transition last year. I was incredibly anxious about the earnings limit too, especially since I had a good consulting opportunity that would put me well over any previous limits. I'm happy to report that everything everyone has said here is accurate - once you hit FRA, you're completely free from the earnings test. I've been earning significantly more than I ever did before retirement, and my SS benefits have remained exactly the same each month. The only "gotcha" was at tax time when I discovered that yes, a good portion of my benefits were taxable due to my higher income, but that's just regular income tax, not a reduction in benefits. Don't let anyone scare you with incorrect information - the SSA website is very clear on this, and it's one of the few things that actually works exactly as advertised!

As someone who works in benefits administration (though not for SSA), I can confirm what others have said here. The earnings test completely disappears at Full Retirement Age for Social Security retirement benefits. I've seen so many people get confused by this because they mix up different concepts - earnings limits vs. taxation, SSI vs. retirement benefits, etc. Your neighbor might be thinking of the old rules from decades ago, or confusing it with other programs. The key thing to remember is that "earnings test" and "income taxation" are two totally different things. After FRA, there's no earnings test period, but your benefits may still be subject to regular income tax depending on your total income. The SSA has gotten much better at explaining this on their website over the years. Good luck with your application process!

To answer your question about COLA timing: The official 2025 COLA will be announced in mid-October 2024 when the September 2024 CPI-W data is released. The increase (if any) will be applied to benefits beginning January 2025. You'll receive an official notice by mail in December 2024, and it will also appear in your my Social Security account in December if you have one set up. Based on current inflation trends, analysts are projecting a COLA between 2.5-3.1% for 2025, but that's just an estimate until the official announcement in October.

As someone new to Social Security benefits, this is really eye-opening and scary! I had no idea these phishing scams were so common. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and the detailed advice about protecting ourselves. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and share it with my parents who are also on SS. It's amazing how these scammers target people during COLA announcement periods when we're all naturally more anxious about our benefits. I'll make sure to only ever go directly to ssa.gov and never click email links. Stay safe everyone!