tell him good luck!!! my aunt says to make sure he brings his doctors phone numbers and addresses to the application. they ask for ALL that stuff and it slows things down if you dont have it ready

I went through this exact situation with my husband two years ago when he developed ESRD. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned - make sure your brother keeps detailed records of his dialysis appointments and any work days he's missed due to treatment or complications. Even though ESRD is on the compassionate allowance list, having a clear paper trail showing how the treatment schedule interferes with normal work hours really strengthened our case. Also, his nephrologist should be willing to write a letter specifically stating that the dialysis schedule and associated fatigue make regular employment impossible - this was crucial for us. The whole process took about 6 weeks from application to approval, and having his employer's support during that time was invaluable. Wishing your brother the best with his treatment and application!

One more important thing to understand: The earnings limit increases in the year you reach Full Retirement Age, and then disappears completely once you hit FRA. For example, if your FRA is 66 and 6 months, and you turn that age in 2025, the earnings limit in those months before your birthday is much higher (around $56,520 for 2024, and will be higher for 2025), and they only deduct $1 for every $3 over the limit (not $1 for every $2). Then once you reach your FRA month, there's no earnings limit at all - you can earn any amount without reduction. So depending on how close you are to FRA, you might want to factor this into your work planning.

I went through something very similar when I started collecting at 62 and then picked up some consulting work. The whole earnings test thing is really poorly explained by SSA - they make it sound like you're being "penalized" when really it's more like they're just collecting back an overpayment and will give you credit later. What helped me was thinking of it this way: when you collect early, SSA calculates your monthly benefit assuming you won't work much. If you do work and exceed the limit, they temporarily reduce your payments to account for that, but then when you reach full retirement age, they recalculate as if those "withheld" months never happened - so you get a permanently higher monthly benefit. It's actually not a bad deal in the long run, just really stressful when you're not expecting it! The key is just making sure you track your earnings carefully so you can budget for any reductions if you go over the limit again.

That's wonderful that you found a good solution! Having her son take the lead is definitely the right approach. Just a heads up - even with family members, the SSA office might still ask your neighbor to verbally confirm that she wants her son to handle things on her behalf, so it's good that you'll all be there together. Best of luck with the appointment, and you're such a thoughtful neighbor for helping her get this sorted out!

What a wonderful example of community support! I'm new here but wanted to chime in with one additional tip - when you go to the SSA office, try to arrive early (like 15-30 minutes before they open) if possible. The earlier appointment slots tend to move faster, and with your neighbor's memory concerns, avoiding the afternoon rush when she might be more tired could be really helpful. Also, bringing a small snack and water bottle for the wait can make a big difference for elderly folks. You're doing such a kind thing by helping organize this for her!

Definitely contact the SSA directly. I've found the SSA agents to be very knowledgeable and helpful once you actually get to speak with one. They'll need your husband's SSN and earnings history to give you an accurate estimate. Since it's been quite a while since his passing, having his SSN and death certificate information handy when you call will speed things up.

I'm in a similar situation - widow at 58 and trying to plan ahead. One thing I learned from my research is that you might also want to check if you're eligible for any divorced spouse benefits if you were married to anyone else for 10+ years before your husband. Sometimes people don't realize they have multiple options to consider. Also, when you do call SSA, ask them to run scenarios for you at different claiming ages (60, 62, your FRA, etc.) and get those numbers in writing if possible. I've heard stories of people getting different answers from different representatives, so having documentation helps. The representatives are usually very patient about explaining the calculations if you ask them to walk through it step by step. Good luck with getting through to them - the wait times can be brutal but it's worth it for accurate numbers for your planning!

After reading through this thread, I want to offer some additional information that might help with your decision: 1. You can request a detailed benefit calculation from SSA that will show exactly what your benefit would be at 62, FRA, and 70, as well as what your husband's spousal benefit would be once you file. 2. Remember that if you file at 62, your benefit will be reduced by approximately 30% from your FRA amount for life. 3. If your husband is receiving $625/month now, and your FRA benefit would be around $3,400, then his spousal benefit would potentially increase his total to around $1,700 (half your FRA amount). 4. This means filing at 62 could give him an additional $1,075/month, but would permanently reduce your own benefit by about $1,000/month compared to what you'd get at FRA. 5. The breakeven calculation should consider both your life expectancies and immediate financial needs. Have you considered whether you might work part-time between 62-67? If you claim benefits early but continue working, you'd be subject to the earnings test, which could temporarily reduce or eliminate your benefits until you reach FRA.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you might want to consider a "file and suspend" strategy if it's still available, though I believe the rules changed in 2016. Also, since you're still 5 years away from 62, you have time to potentially increase your benefit even more by maximizing your earnings in these final working years. Social Security calculates benefits based on your highest 35 years of earnings, so if you're earning more now than in some of your earlier years, these next 5 years could significantly boost your eventual benefit. Another consideration: have you looked into whether your husband might be eligible for any other benefits? Sometimes people miss out on things like supplemental security income (SSI) if their regular Social Security is very low, though I'm not sure if his pension would disqualify him. Given that you're planning to work until 65+ anyway and would be subject to the earnings test, waiting definitely seems like the right call. The extra spousal benefit for a few years likely won't offset the permanent reduction to your own benefit that you'd be receiving for potentially 25+ years.