Oh, I stand corrected! Thanks for explaining that. I wish someone had told me about the limited widow's benefit when my wife passed. The SSA rep never mentioned it.

Thank you for this discussion! I had no idea the calculation could be so complicated. It sounds like we really need to talk with a knowledgeable SSA representative to understand exactly what amount Dad would receive under different scenarios.

Have u checked if u can get more on ur husbands record NOW? My wife got more on my record even before i retired! Worth checking!!

Thanks everyone for the advice! After reading all your comments, I'm leaning toward waiting until my FRA to claim any benefits. It seems like the math works out better long-term, even though it's tempting to take something now. I'm going to try that Claimyr service to talk directly with SSA and get the exact numbers for my situation. I'll also talk with my husband about our overall retirement strategy to make sure we're coordinating our claiming decisions properly. It's such a relief to get all this information!

I'm really curious about this. When did everyone receive their extra payment? Was it all on the same day or different days? I wonder if this is happening nationwide or just in certain regions. And is it affecting both retirement and disability payments? Maybe it's related to the COLA increase this year? So many questions!

UPDATE: I finally got through to SSA after using the Claimyr service someone suggested below (it actually worked!). The agent confirmed there was a system error affecting some beneficiaries and they are aware of the duplicate payments. She documented everything in my account and said I should just leave the money alone - they will automatically withdraw it within 2-3 weeks. She said I won't face any penalties since it was their error, but it was important that I reported it. Thanks everyone for your help!

one more thing - if ur gonna do this make sure ur actually eligible for a top up first. if ur own benefit is already kinda high (like $1,850 is decent!) u might not get anything extra anyway. my ex made waaaaay more than me during our 22yr marriage so for me its a big difference. but some of my friends found out they get nothing extra cuz their own benefit was already higher than half their exs benefit.

ugh i got so confused by all these rules when i was applying! the thing that helped me most was actually going to my local office in person with all my documents. they were able to look everything up right there and tell me exactly what i qualified for. so much easier than trying to figure it out online or over the phone.

WAIT! I just remembered something important - if you're working while collecting Social Security before your full retirement age, they'll REDUCE your benefits if you earn too much! I learned this the hard way and had to pay back some of my benefits. Make sure you check the earnings limit rules before applying!!

I just want to thank everyone for all the helpful information! I had no idea about so many of these rules. I'm going to create my Social Security account online today to check my own benefit amount, then I'll call and make an appointment to discuss my options before making any decisions. I'm thinking I might wait until closer to my full retirement age now that I understand the reduction for early filing. Really appreciate all the guidance!

my neighbor started taking ss at 62 and shes happy she did. bought an rv and travels now while shes still young enough to enjoy it. no point waiting til ur too old to have fun!

Thank you all for the advice! I think I'll try to reach SSA using that service someone mentioned because I really need to understand my specific situation. It sounds like I was wrong about several things - especially about my husband needing to stop working to collect benefits. If he can file at 70 while still working, that changes our planning quite a bit. I also didn't realize that taking my benefit early would permanently reduce my spousal benefit later. Lots to think about!

Do you have any other income? If not, might be worth just taking at 62 despite the reduction. Money now is sometimes better than more money later!

Thanks everyone for all this great information! I think I'm going to hold off filing until I can get a clearer picture of what my benefit amounts would be. I'm working part-time now, so I can manage for a while longer. I'll definitely check out creating that my Social Security account to see the estimates. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - might use that to actually speak with someone about my specific situation!

Regarding your earlier question about reporting this - yes, definitely report it! The SSA keeps track of these phishing attempts and it helps them warn others. Besides the Office of the Inspector General site that someone mentioned, you can also forward the email to phishing@ssa.gov. Remember for future reference: Any legitimate message from SSA will appear in your my Social Security message center. If you get an email notification, it will just tell you to log in to your account (which you should do directly by typing ssa.gov in your browser, not by clicking links).

My neighbor got hacked after clicking one of those links! They tried to change her direct deposit info for her SS checks. BE CAREFUL!!

I'm so confused...I went to SSA office yesterday and the person told me they aren't processing these yet and to come back in April. But you all are saying you've gotten calls? Are different offices handling this differently?

This is why I tell EVERYONE to file as early as possible when new benefits become available! My mother-in-law waited 3 months after the POMS update for GPO and now she's at the back of the line. The early bird gets the worm with SSA. Always file right away and let them sort it out.

my wife is a widow and she did exactly what ur talking about! she took her own SS at 63 and then when she hit FRA last year she switched to her husbands benefit which was higher. that SSA lady gave u wrong info for sure!!!

After reading through this thread, I wanted to provide some additional clarity on the survivor benefit amounts since your husband claimed early: When calculating your survivor benefit, SSA will look at: 1. The actual benefit your husband was receiving when he died (reduced for early claiming) 2. What your husband would have received if he had lived to his FRA (full amount) As his widow, you'll generally receive the higher of: - 100% of what your husband was actually receiving at death - 82.5% of your husband's PIA (the amount he would have received at his FRA) This is called the "widow's limit" or RIB-LIM rule. It can be complicated, but it's important to understand this when comparing your options. Don't feel bad about the confusion - this is one of the most complex areas of Social Security rules, and unfortunately, not all SSA representatives are equally well-versed in these details.