Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! I called my local SSA office this morning and got some additional information. They confirmed what many of you said - my son can receive both benefits, but the SSI amount will be reduced. They also explained that the autism diagnosis doesn't affect his current benefits from his dad at all. I'm going to go ahead with the SSI application mainly for the Medicaid coverage. Really appreciate all your help navigating this complicated system!

I'm so glad you got the confirmation you needed from SSA! Just wanted to add that when you do apply for SSI, make sure to ask about expedited processing if available. Some offices can fast-track applications for children with certain conditions like autism, especially if you have all the medical documentation ready. Also, don't be discouraged if the first application gets denied - it's unfortunately common and doesn't mean your son doesn't qualify. Many families have to go through the appeals process. The most important thing is that you're getting him the services he needs. Wishing you and your son all the best!

Just wanted to add one more important consideration that hasn't been mentioned yet - if your wife is caring for your child who is under 16 or disabled, she could potentially receive survivor benefits immediately (regardless of her age) as a "mother's benefit" or "caregiver benefit." This benefit would be 75% of your PIA and wouldn't have the same age restrictions as regular survivor benefits. Also, don't forget that any unmarried children under 18 (or up to 19 if still in high school, or any age if disabled before 22) would also be eligible for survivor benefits of 75% of your PIA each. These family benefits are subject to a family maximum, but it's something to factor into your overall planning. The planning you're doing now is really smart - having all this information ahead of time can make an incredibly difficult situation much more manageable for your wife.

This is such valuable information everyone is sharing! As someone who works with families going through these situations, I want to emphasize one key point that might not be obvious: the timing of when you pass away can significantly impact the survivor benefit calculation. Since you're 63 and haven't claimed yet, if something happened to you now, your wife's survivor benefit would be based on your current PIA (Primary Insurance Amount). But if you wait until, say, age 67 or 70, she'd get the benefit of any delayed retirement credits you've earned - which could be 24-32% higher than your PIA. However, there's a balance to consider: waiting longer means fewer years of potential survivor benefits. It might be worth running the numbers both ways - claiming earlier vs. waiting for delayed retirement credits - to see what maximizes the total lifetime benefit for your family situation. Also, make sure your wife knows where to find all the important documents she'd need (your Social Security number, marriage certificate, death certificate, etc.) and consider creating a simple guide for her about the steps to take with SSA. The last thing you want is for her to be searching for paperwork during an already difficult time.

Thank you all for the incredibly helpful advice! I'm definitely going to wait until January 2025 to start my benefits, but I'll apply in November 2024 to get the ball rolling. I'm relieved to understand that my 2024 earnings won't affect my 2025 benefits as long as I start in January. And I'll look into that Claimyr service to speak with an SSA agent about the specifics of my situation. For my wife, we'll need to compare her own benefit at 62 versus the reduced spousal benefit to see which would be higher. Looks like we have some calculations to do! I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain everything so clearly. This stuff is complicated and it's easy to make costly mistakes when you don't fully understand the rules.

Great thread with lots of solid advice! Just want to add one thing about Medicare enrollment since you mentioned turning 65 in January 2025 - make sure you sign up for Medicare Part A and B during your Initial Enrollment Period (3 months before your 65th birthday through 3 months after). Even though you're retiring early, you'll need Medicare coverage starting at 65. Also, if you have employer health insurance through COBRA or retiree benefits, you'll want to coordinate the timing so there's no gap in coverage. Medicare and Social Security enrollment are separate processes, so don't assume applying for one automatically handles the other. The January 2025 start date for Social Security benefits that everyone's recommending is definitely the smart financial move given your 2024 earnings!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add some perspective on the documentation process that might be helpful. I just completed my Social Security retirement application last month at age 62 and successfully applied for my 16-year-old daughter's benefits simultaneously. Beyond the basic documents others mentioned (birth certificate, Social Security card), I found it helpful to bring a copy of my most recent tax return showing my daughter as a dependent, and her school enrollment verification. The SSA representative said this helped streamline the process since it clearly established both the relationship and her student status. One thing that surprised me was that they were able to provide a detailed breakdown of the family maximum calculation right there in the office. Since you mentioned having just one child and no ex-spouse collecting benefits, you're likely in a very favorable position - I was told that single-child families rarely hit the actual family maximum limits. The representative also explained that child benefits automatically stop the month your child turns 18 (or graduates high school if still under 19), so that's built into their calculations when they show you the projected benefit amounts. This timing consideration might be important for your college planning since benefits could potentially stop before or during your daughter's freshman year depending on her birthday and graduation timing. I'd definitely recommend calling ahead to schedule an appointment rather than walking in - the wait times have been much better with scheduled appointments, and they can dedicate more time to walking through all the scenarios and calculations with you.

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share some insights that might help with your decision-making process. I recently helped my brother navigate a very similar situation when he was considering early retirement at 62 with a 14-year-old son. One thing we discovered that hasn't been fully discussed here is the impact of your daughter's age on the total benefit period. Since she's currently 13 and you're planning to retire at 62 next summer, she would potentially receive benefits for about 4-5 years (until she turns 18 or graduates high school). This relatively short benefit period is important when weighing the FAFSA implications that others have mentioned. We found it helpful to create a spreadsheet comparing scenarios: taking early retirement now with child benefits versus waiting until full retirement age. While waiting would increase both your benefit and hers, you'd lose several years of actual payments. In my brother's case, the math actually favored taking early retirement because the cumulative benefits over those extra years outweighed the higher monthly amounts from waiting. Another consideration is that if you're planning to work part-time or have any earnings after claiming at 62, there are earnings limits that could reduce your benefits (and consequently your daughter's). For 2025, if you're under full retirement age, you can earn up to $23,400 without any reduction in benefits. I'd recommend getting that written estimate from SSA and then perhaps consulting with a fee-only financial advisor who can help you model out the long-term financial impact, including college costs and aid implications. This decision involves too many variables to make without running the actual numbers for your specific situation.

I went through this exact same decision process about 2 years ago! My situation was very similar - small benefit vs. my husband's much larger one. After running the numbers with an SSA representative (took several calls to get consistent info), we decided I should wait. One thing that really helped was using the SSA's online benefit calculators at ssa.gov to model different scenarios. You can see estimates for claiming at different ages. Also, don't forget to factor in Medicare timing - you'll want to sign up for Medicare at 65 even if you're not claiming SS yet to avoid penalties. The math really does favor waiting in most cases when there's such a big difference in benefits. The spousal benefit reduction from early filing can be substantial and permanent. Good luck with whatever you decide!

I'm new to this community and just starting to research Social Security strategies for my own situation. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm curious though - for those who have actually gone through this process, how far in advance did you start planning? My spouse and I are still a few years away from eligibility, but reading all these comments makes me realize there's a lot more complexity than I initially thought. Should we be meeting with a financial advisor now, or is it better to wait until we're closer to retirement age? Also, does anyone have experience with how Social Security coordinates with other retirement income like 401k withdrawals?