my neighbor had something similar happen and turns out it was totally a scam!!! the letter looked real but had him call a fake number. make sure u call the real social security number not whatever is on that letter!

Just to add one more possibility to consider - did you receive any lump-sum payments in the past 6 months? Things like retroactive benefits, insurance payouts, or large severance packages? Sometimes these can trigger recalculations. Also, if you had significant earnings in 2024 that weren't reported until recently, they might have just now been factored into your Average Indexed Monthly Earnings (AIME), which would affect your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA). This is less common but does happen.

I had a 13-yr marriage and when I contacted SSA about ex-spouse benefits, they asked me all these questions about whether I was remarried after age 60 and what my current marital status was. Does anyone know if you can still claim on an ex's record if you remarried later? My sister said you can't but I think that's only for survivor benefits not divorced spouse benefits right?

Update: I finally got through to Social Security today! The representative confirmed I am eligible for divorced spouse benefits from my first husband. She calculated that I would receive an additional $275 per month on top of my current benefit. She also said I could only get 6 months of retroactive payments, which is disappointing but better than nothing. Thank you all so much for your help and for encouraging me to pursue this. I never would have known to question what I was told initially. The rep is sending me some forms to fill out, and I need to locate my marriage certificate and divorce decree to submit with my application.

One more important thing about your specific situation - since you mentioned having only 10 years of Social Security covered employment, make sure you meet the minimum 40 credits (quarters) needed to qualify for retirement benefits on your own record. If you don't have 40 credits, then you can only receive spousal benefits, making the comparison moot. Also, when you go in for your appointment, specifically ask them to document in their notes that you requested backdating. And before you leave, ask for a copy of your application summary that shows the filing date they used. This provides documentation if there's any dispute later about your backdate request.

After I finally got my Social Security backdated last year, they messed up my Medicare enrollment and tried to charge me penalties even though I had employer coverage! Then took 4 months to fix that error. And don't even get me started on how they calculated my WEP reduction - they got it wrong TWICE before getting it right. Just be prepared for a long battle with multiple phone calls and office visits. The system is completely broken. Print out the exact SSA rules about backdating from their website and bring them with you. Sometimes you have to educate THEM about their own policies!!

If ur not comfy with computers maybe just go to the local office instead? Thats what my husband did. Had appointment and did everything in person. Took like an hour but no computer stress!

That's an option, but many SSA offices still have long wait times for appointments - sometimes 1-2 months out. If you're comfortable enough to try online with some guidance, it's usually faster. But an in-person appointment is definitely valid if technology is a major barrier!

Just to clarify something important: if your husband passes away before you, your situation would change significantly. As his widow, you would be eligible for survivor benefits equal to 100% of what he was receiving - including all those delayed retirement credits from waiting until 70. This is actually one of the key retirement planning strategies for couples with age differences. The higher earner often delays benefits until 70 specifically to maximize the survivor benefit for the younger spouse. So while you don't benefit from his delayed credits now, they could provide significant financial protection for you later.

That's actually comforting to know. I didn't realize survivor benefits would include his delayed credits. At least there's some benefit to his decision to wait until 70.

wait im confused now cause my cousin said when she took a big withdrawal from her retirement it put her over the tax thing and her benefits went down the next year??

Thank you everyone for the helpful responses! Just to make sure I'm 100% clear now: 1. My annuity withdrawals WON'T count toward the $23,000 earnings limit, so they won't reduce my monthly SS check 2. BUT those withdrawals WILL count for determining how much of my SS benefits are taxable 3. The formula I was confused about relates to taxation, not to the earnings test This is such a relief! I was so worried about losing part of my SS check if I took money from my annuity. Taxes are a separate issue, but at least my monthly income will stay consistent.

Does anyone know if you have to take your Medicare at the same time as SS? I already have Medicare but wasn't sure if backdating SS would mess with that somehow?

One more critical point about backdating past FRA: while you can get up to 6 months of retroactive benefits, be aware that any months you backdate means you're giving up the delayed retirement credits (DRCs) you earned for those months. Since you're about a year past your FRA, you've earned approximately an 8% increase to your benefit amount (DRCs add about 8% per year). If you backdate to January, you'll lose the DRCs for those months between January and now. That said, getting those retroactive payments might outweigh the slightly lower monthly benefit amount going forward. It's a personal decision based on your financial needs and life expectancy.

Has anyone else noticed that the SSA website contradicts what their own reps tell you on the phone?? I swear I read something different online than what I was told when I finally got through to someone!

Just wanted to follow up - did you manage to get this sorted out? I'm curious because I'll be in a similar situation next year when I reach my FRA and plan to switch to survivor benefits.

You might want to talk to a tax professional if this is your first year with both work income and Social Security. The calculations can get complicated, especially with the earned income thresholds if you're under full retirement age. I'm 63 and still working part-time, and I had to pay back some benefits last year because I earned too much. The limit for 2024 is $21,240 if you're under FRA.

Didn't see it mentioned but don't forget about STATE taxes too! Some states tax Social Security and some don't. I moved from Minnesota to Florida partly because MN taxes SS benefits and FL doesn't. Smart to check your state rules!

One other thing to consider - sometimes these letters arrive because the employer or plan administrator failed to properly update the status of your account after you rolled it over. It's technically their responsibility to file Form 8955-SSA to tell Social Security you've taken a distribution, but many don't do this consistently. If you're 100% certain you rolled over the full amount from PwC, I wouldn't lose sleep over this. At most, maybe set a calendar reminder to call PwC's benefits line during a low-stress week when you have some spare time, just for peace of mind.

Has anyone noticed these letters seem to come in WAVES? My brother, sister and I ALL got these within the same month for jobs we had 15-20 years ago. Seems like SSA must be going through old records by year or something. What a waste of resources when they could be processing actual claims faster!!