I'm currently going through the exact same process - turning 67 next month and planning to file for both my own retirement benefits and divorced spouse benefits. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely leaning toward the phone route now, especially after learning about services like Claimyr that can help avoid the long hold times. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful - I called SSA last week just to ask some preliminary questions, and the representative mentioned that they can actually do a "benefit estimate" over the phone to help you understand what you'd receive from each option before you formally apply. This might be worth doing first so you know whether the divorced spouse benefit would actually increase your monthly payment. Also, regarding the marriage certificate - I was in the same boat and couldn't find mine after 20+ years. I was able to order a certified copy online from the county clerk's office where we got married for about $15, and it arrived in less than a week. Much easier than I expected! Good luck with your application process!

I'm in a very similar situation - just turned 67 last month and was married to my ex-husband for 15 years. After reading through all these responses, I decided to go with the phone route and it worked out really well! A few things that might help you: 1) I used Claimyr to avoid the hold time - totally worth the small fee! Got connected to an SSA rep in about 20 minutes instead of waiting hours. 2) The rep was able to do a quick benefit estimate right on the call. Turns out my ex's benefit was high enough that I'll get about $200 more per month than just my own benefit alone. 3) They started my application over the phone and gave me a protective filing date, then mailed me forms to complete and return with my documents. This felt much less stressful than trying to do everything online. 4) The rep specifically told me that divorced spouse benefits are one of the most error-prone applications when done online because people often misunderstand the questions or enter dates incorrectly. One tip - even if you don't have your ex's SSN, they can still process your claim. I only had his name and approximate birth year, and they found his record just fine. The whole process took about 45 minutes on the phone and now I'm just waiting for my first payment next month. Much smoother than I expected!

I'm going through something similar right now - applied in mid-February and it's been radio silence since then. The lack of communication is honestly the most stressful part. I keep checking the website hoping for ANY update but nothing changes. It's good to see from everyone's experiences that this seems to be normal, even though it's frustrating. I'm trying to stay patient but it's hard when you're planning your finances around this income. Thanks for posting this question - it's reassuring to know others are dealing with the same waiting game!

I'm in a very similar situation - filed my Social Security retirement application in late January and haven't heard a peep since then! Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and frustrating. It sounds like 6-10 weeks is pretty typical right now, which puts me right in that timeframe. The lack of communication really is the worst part - you start wondering if your application got lost or if there's some issue you don't know about. I think I'm going to take the advice about calling them soon to at least verify they have everything they need. It's wild that in 2025 we still have such an outdated system for something so important. Thanks to everyone sharing their timelines - it helps to know this radio silence is unfortunately normal!

This is why I never remarried after my husband died! I knew I'd lose his higher SS benefit. My sister's financial advisor told her never to remarry before 60 for this exact reason. Seems so unfair they penalize people for finding love again!

I'm sorry you're dealing with this frustrating situation! As a newcomer here, I've been reading through everyone's responses and learning so much. It really does seem unfair that the remarriage age cutoff is so strict - 52 vs 60 shouldn't make such a huge difference when you were married to your first husband for over two decades. One thing I'm curious about - have you considered whether it might be worth consulting with a Social Security claiming strategy specialist or fee-only financial planner who specializes in SS benefits? Sometimes they can spot options or strategies that aren't immediately obvious. Given the potential difference between your $1,500 benefit and what could have been $2,900, it might be worth the consultation fee to make sure you're not missing anything. Also, regarding the delayed retirement credits you asked about - that 8% annual increase is guaranteed and inflation-protected for life, which is pretty rare these days. If you're in good health and can afford to wait, it might be worth running the numbers on delaying at least a year or two. Good luck with your SSA appointment next month!

I'm dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I wanted to add one more resource that really helped me understand my options: the Social Security Administration has a retirement estimator tool on their website that can help you project different benefit amounts. What I learned from using it is that you can actually model different claiming scenarios - like taking SSDI now, switching to survivor benefits at 60, or waiting until FRA. It helped me visualize the financial impact of each choice over my expected lifetime. Also, I found that writing down specific questions before calling SSA made a huge difference. Instead of asking "what are my options," I'd ask things like "Can I switch from SSDI to survivor benefits at age 60 even though I'm currently receiving SSDI?" The more specific your questions, the better answers you tend to get. Good luck with your planning - you're asking all the right questions now to maximize your benefits later!

I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this whole discussion has been! As someone who's been navigating the SSA system for years due to my own disability issues, I can confirm that getting consistent information is like pulling teeth. One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet - if you're planning to make any major decisions about switching benefits in the future, consider getting a written statement from SSA about your projected benefit amounts. I learned this the hard way when my verbal estimates turned out to be way off from what I actually received. You can request a detailed benefit statement that shows your survivor benefit amount at different ages (60, FRA, etc.) compared to your SSDI/retirement benefit projections. Also, @Aisha Abdullah, since you mentioned your husband never filed for Social Security before he passed, his benefit calculation might be more complex. Make sure any SSA representative you work with understands they need to calculate his "deemed" retirement benefit based on what he would have received at his FRA. This is different from cases where someone was already receiving benefits when they died. The fact that you're thinking about this now at 52 puts you way ahead of most people. You have 8 years to get all the right information and make an informed decision!

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same worry when I started collecting at 64. The key thing that helped me was understanding that Social Security has what they call a "Special Rule" for your first year of retirement. Essentially, they recognize that most people have already earned income for part of the year before they start collecting benefits, so they only look at your earnings from the month you start collecting forward. In your case, starting in September, only September-December earnings matter for 2025. Your $49,000 from January-August is completely irrelevant to the earnings test. Just make sure when you apply that you clearly indicate September as your retirement month, and you should be all set!

I just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're absolutely on the right track with your understanding! I was in a very similar situation last year when I retired at 65 in October. I had earned about $52,000 from January through September and was panicking about the earnings limit. The SSA representative I spoke with was very clear that the "first year of retirement" rule (the Special Rule) means only your post-retirement earnings count. So in your case, starting benefits in September means only September-December earnings matter for 2025. One tip: when you apply, be very specific about your retirement date and that you're stopping or significantly reducing work in September. They'll ask about your expected earnings for the remainder of the year, so have a good estimate ready for your September-December income. Also, keep good records of your earnings by month just in case they need clarification later. The whole process was much smoother than I expected once I understood how the first-year rule works. You should be in great shape!