I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! I worked 15 years as a teacher in a state system that didn't contribute to Social Security, and now I'm trying to piece together enough quarters from other jobs to qualify for benefits. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the distinction between Medicare credits and SS credits, or that the Fairness Act wouldn't actually give us credit for those teaching years toward the 40 quarters. That's disappointing but good to know. One question for the group: Has anyone successfully appealed or gotten clarification from SSA about borderline cases? I'm wondering if there are any situations where teaching years might count if there was some SS withholding during certain periods (like summer jobs through the school district that were covered). Also wanted to echo what others have said about contacting representatives. I just called mine yesterday after reading Keisha's post about the GPO eliminating survivor benefits entirely - that's absolutely outrageous and something needs to change. StarSeeker, you're so close with 33 quarters! I hope you can push through those last 7. This whole system seems designed to make it as difficult as possible for educators to get the benefits they deserve.

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm also dealing with the education/Social Security mess. I taught for 12 years in Ohio where we didn't pay into SS, and I'm currently at 28 quarters from other jobs. Reading everyone's experiences has been really eye-opening. StarSeeker, I feel your frustration about needing those additional quarters. Like others mentioned, I'd definitely recommend checking your exact status on ssa.gov - sometimes the count is different than what we calculate ourselves. One thing I learned recently that might help both you and your husband: if either of you worked any federal jobs (even temporary or seasonal), those usually count toward SS quarters even if they were decades ago. Worth double-checking your records for anything like that. The Fairness Act discussion here has been really informative too. I've been following it but didn't realize how much bipartisan support the current version has. Even if we can't count on it passing, it gives me hope that lawmakers are finally recognizing how unfair WEP and GPO are to educators and public servants. Hang in there with the part-time work - 7 quarters isn't that far! And thank you to everyone who's shared their knowledge here. This community is exactly what I needed to find.

One more important point about the DAC benefits for your husband's son: When he converts from SSI to DAC, he'll receive a benefit equal to 50% of your husband's Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) while your husband is alive. If your husband passes away, the son's benefit would increase to 75% of your husband's PIA. This conversion won't affect your spousal top-up at all, as the family maximum typically doesn't apply in these situations. Both you and the son can receive your full entitled benefits without reducing each other's amounts.

As someone who went through a similar situation, I wanted to add that when you call SSA about the spousal top-up, ask them to calculate the exact amount you're entitled to and when your eligibility started. They should be able to tell you over the phone before you even go in for the appointment. Also, regarding the DAC benefits for your stepson - make sure the application gets filed soon because there can be processing delays, and you don't want him to miss out on any potential benefits while waiting. The transition from SSI to DAC is usually worth it financially, but as others mentioned, definitely check on the Medicaid situation first since that can be tricky to navigate. One last tip: if you end up going to the SSA office, try to schedule an appointment rather than walking in. The wait times for walk-ins can be brutal, especially if you need to discuss multiple benefit types like you do.

this is so confusing!!!! how is anyone supposed to keep track of all these rules and limits and trial periods???? and they wonder why people just give up trying to work at all!

Thank you everyone for all this valuable information! I've learned so much. I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to find out exactly where I stand with my Trial Work Period and get clarity on my specific situation. I'm also going to look into both the Ticket to Work program and whether any of my expenses qualify as Impairment-Related Work Expenses. Really appreciate all the help!

I'm glad you were able to get through and figure out what was causing the delay! It's so typical of SSA to have missing documents that you already submitted - I've had similar experiences with other government agencies. The fact that your benefits will still start in January even with processing delays is really reassuring. That's one less thing to worry about during what's already a stressful time. Thanks for updating us on your progress - it's helpful to see how these situations get resolved. Hopefully the resubmission goes smoothly and you see movement in your application soon!

I'm so glad you got through and found out what was holding up your application! The missing direct deposit form issue is unfortunately very common - I went through something similar when I applied for my widow's benefits earlier this year. They had my bank information from years ago but needed the updated form anyway. It's frustrating that their system doesn't flag these missing documents earlier in the process. Since you're planning to start benefits in January, you should be in good shape now that you know what they need. Just make sure to keep copies of everything you resubmit and maybe send it certified mail so you have proof of delivery. The 7-10 business day timeframe they gave you sounds reasonable, and it's great news that your benefits will still start on time even if there are processing delays. Thanks for sharing the update - it really helps others who might be dealing with similar delays to know what to look for!

I had another question about this - if I file for benefits mid-year, does the earnings limit apply to all my earnings for the entire year, or just what I earn after I start receiving benefits?

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - turning 66 next year and trying to figure out the best strategy. One thing I wanted to add is that if you do end up going over the earnings limit, the "lost" benefits aren't actually lost forever. Once you reach your full retirement age, SSA recalculates your benefit and gives you credit for those withheld months by increasing your monthly payment. So if you're close to FRA anyway, the temporary reduction might not be as bad as it seems. Has anyone here actually experienced this recalculation process?