I'm also in a very similar situation and wanted to add my experience for anyone following this thread. I'm a retired teacher with 28 years in the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System, and my husband passed away 2 years ago. I calculated that his $1,950 survivor benefit would be completely eliminated by GPO against my $3,200 TRS pension, so I never applied. What's giving me some hope is that I found an old email thread from 2023 with my financial planner where we specifically discussed survivor benefits and she advised against applying due to GPO. I also have documentation from a TRS pre-retirement seminar where they explained how GPO would affect Social Security benefits. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is that some people in teacher retirement Facebook groups are reporting that certain SSA offices are asking for statements from retirement counselors or pension administrators confirming that members were advised not to apply due to GPO. I'm planning to contact my TRS representative to see if they can provide something like that. The inconsistency between different SSA offices is really concerning. It seems like your success might depend on which office you visit and how knowledgeable the representative is about these complex GPO repeal cases. Has anyone had success requesting a specific appointment with someone who specializes in these cases? I'm still trying to get through on the phone to schedule my appointment. This whole process has been incredibly stressful after already dealing with the grief of losing a spouse. But reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that persistence will pay off.

I'm in almost the exact same situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a retired federal employee (32 years with the VA) and my husband passed away 3 years ago. I never applied for his $2,400 survivor benefit because my FERS pension of $4,100 would have eliminated it completely under GPO. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's clear that documentation is going to be key. I'm going to dig through my emails to see if I have anything from retirement planning sessions or conversations with my financial advisor about not applying due to GPO. One question for those who have already had their appointments: Are SSA representatives asking for specific forms of documentation, or are they pretty flexible about what counts as evidence that you didn't apply because of GPO? I'm worried I might not have the "right" kind of paperwork. Also, has anyone tried contacting their congressman's office BEFORE their SSA appointment? I'm wondering if getting their office involved early might help ensure the SSA office treats the case more seriously. The waiting and uncertainty is really stressful, especially when we're talking about thousands of dollars in retroactive benefits. But I'm encouraged by some of the success stories mentioned here. We all deserve fair treatment after years of being excluded by this unfair rule!

I really appreciate all the responses! I'm going to call SSA tomorrow to find out if I'm under the new proportional withholding system or still on the old all-or-nothing approach. Either way, it's good to know that changes are happening, even if gradually. And just to be clear - I understand I'll still lose the same TOTAL amount to the earnings test either way. I'm just hoping for smaller reductions spread throughout the year rather than zero benefits for half the year. Makes budgeting so much easier!

I'm a newcomer here but this conversation is really helpful! I'm 62 and just started receiving survivor benefits last year. My local SSA office mentioned something about changes to how they handle the earnings test, but they weren't very clear about the details. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the new proportional system would definitely be better for budgeting purposes, even though the total withholding amount stays the same. Has anyone found out which specific SSA processing centers or regions have implemented this new system yet? I'm in Texas and wondering if I should even bother calling to ask about it or if it's not available here yet. Also, for those who have successfully gotten through to SSA - what's the best time of day to call to avoid those crazy wait times?

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I've decided to take those last few days of December off. My manager was understanding once I explained the situation. Going over by even a little bit sounds like it creates a huge headache. I'll save the extra hours for January when I have a fresh earnings limit to work with. Really appreciate all the insights!

Good call on taking the time off! I went through something similar a couple years ago and learned the hard way that SSA is very strict about the "when earned" rule. Even though it seems unfair that a January paycheck for December work counts against the previous year's limit, that's exactly how they calculate it. The peace of mind is worth more than those few extra hours of pay. Plus, you'll have that higher 2025 limit to work with starting in January. Better to be safe than deal with overpayment notices and benefit reductions later!

Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I went through this - make sure to keep detailed records of your last day of work and any final payments. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking my earnings by month for 2025, which made it much easier when SSA asked for documentation later. Also, if you do decide to move your retirement date up to May 31st like you mentioned, double-check that you won't lose any employer benefits (like health insurance coverage) by leaving a few weeks earlier. Sometimes there are month-end cutoffs for benefits that could affect your transition to Medicare eligibility. One last tip: when you call SSA to discuss your situation, ask them to put notes in your file about the conversation. This creates a paper trail that can help if there are any issues later with the earnings test calculation.

I'm in a very similar situation - turning 64 next month and planning to retire in August after earning about $38K so far this year. This thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my local SSA office: if you're planning to do ANY contract or freelance work after retiring (even just occasional consulting), make sure you understand how that income gets counted. They told me that self-employment income is handled differently and there's something called "substantial services" that could affect your eligibility for the monthly test. Also, for anyone else reading this - I called the SSA customer service line three times before I got someone who actually understood the first-year rule. Don't give up if the first person you talk to seems confused about it. Ask to speak with someone who specializes in earnings test calculations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here. It's so much more helpful than the confusing official publications!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm going to apply in early May, which will be about 4 months before my September eligibility. I'll make sure my mySocialSecurity account is up-to-date first and have all my documents ready. One more question - does anyone know if I need to provide my birth certificate even if I'm applying online? I have a passport, but my original birth certificate is in a safety deposit box that's not very convenient to access.

Just wanted to add my recent experience - I applied for Social Security benefits in January 2025 for my July FRA, so about 6 months early. The system accepted my application without any issues and I received confirmation that it's being held for processing at the appropriate time. I know some people have mentioned concerns about applying too early, but the SSA representative I spoke with said they prefer having applications in the system early rather than rushing to process last-minute submissions. This gives them time to identify and resolve any potential issues before your benefit start date. My advice: don't stress too much about the exact timing as long as you're in that 3-6 month window. The most important thing is making sure all your information is accurate when you submit. Good luck with your application!