One more important thing - when dealing with the Congressional office, make sure you're explicit about what you need. Many times they just send a generic inquiry to SSA. Instead, request that your Congressional case worker specifically ask for: 1. A review by the Office of Central Operations (not just your local field office) 2. A complete PEBES computation history showing how your DRCs were applied 3. An explanation of why the DRCs weren't incorporated as expected Congressional inquiries get special handling, but they're only as effective as the specifics included in the request. And it sounds like your previous Congressional inquiries may have just been routed back to the same local office that couldn't help you originally.

I'm dealing with a very similar issue right now! Filed at 67 (my FRA was 66) and my delayed retirement credits seem to be completely missing from my benefit calculation. Like you, I've been getting the runaround for months. What's really helpful from reading these responses is learning about the specific terminology to use. I had no idea about PEBES queries or AACT reports - I've just been asking generic questions about "my calculation" which probably explains why I keep getting transferred around. One thing that might help both of us - I found out you can also request a "Master Beneficiary Record" (MBR) printout which shows your complete benefit history and all adjustments. This is another specific technical term that might get you to the right person with system access. The fact that they told you "calculations aren't available because they come from an algorithm" is absolutely ridiculous. These are mathematical formulas that have been used for decades - there's nothing mysterious about them! Keep pushing and don't let them dismiss you with that nonsense.

One more thing to consider: if your income increases significantly in the future, your early filing reduction is permanent on your own benefit, but it wouldn't affect your survivor benefit amount. So if you expect your earnings to increase substantially in the next few years, that might change your break-even analysis. Also, make sure both you and your husband have created your my Social Security accounts online. This makes it much easier to track benefits and provides better documentation.

Your strategy sounds well thought out! One additional consideration: if you're concerned about getting consistent information from SSA, you might want to visit your local SSA office in person to get your plan documented in writing. They can provide you with a written summary of your options and timeline that you can reference later. Also, since you mentioned you have savings to be flexible, consider keeping a small emergency fund specifically earmarked for any potential delays in benefit processing during transitions. Sometimes there can be gaps of a few weeks when switching between benefit types, and having that buffer can provide peace of mind. Have you looked into whether your state has any additional resources for Social Security planning? Some states have SHINE (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselors who can provide free, unbiased advice on Social Security strategies.

just wondering if you solved this yet? im in a similar situation and wondering if I should just hire a financial advisor who specializes in SS to figure this out for me. feels like an unnecessary expense but the opportunity cost of missing out on benefits seems worse!

I'm new to this community but dealing with a very similar situation! I transitioned from SSDI to retirement benefits 6 months ago and I'm also trying to figure out spousal benefits. One thing that helped me was creating a my Social Security account if you don't already have one. Even though a lot of the historical info disappears after the SSDI-to-retirement conversion, you can still access your current benefit verification letter which shows your monthly payment amount (which equals your PIA at FRA). Also, I found this SSA publication helpful: "What Every Woman Should Know" (even though it's targeted at women, it has great examples of spousal benefit calculations). It's on the SSA website under publications. Based on what others have said about your numbers ($1,250 vs your husband's $2,800), you're definitely entitled to additional spousal benefits. Don't let the bureaucracy discourage you - that extra $150/month adds up to $1,800 per year! Good luck with your call tomorrow. I'd love to hear how it goes since I'm probably going to need to make the same call soon.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to apply online first thing tomorrow morning and specifically request the November start date. I'll make sure all my documents are ready and double-check the earnings limit since I might do some part-time work. I feel a lot better knowing that the timeline should work for getting my first payment in December. I'll update here if I run into any issues with the application!

Good luck with your application tomorrow! Just a heads up - when you're filling out the online application, there's a section called "When do you want your benefits to start?" and you can select November from the dropdown menu. Also, if you haven't already, create your my Social Security account at ssa.gov beforehand so you can check your earnings record like Miguel mentioned. It'll save you time during the application process. Keep us posted on how it goes!

One additional important point: Your husband will only be able to collect spousal benefits when YOU file for your retirement benefits. Since you're planning to wait until 70, he won't be able to receive spousal benefits until then, even if he's already retired from his federal job. There used to be a strategy called "file and suspend" that would have allowed him to collect while you delayed, but that option was eliminated in 2015 with the Bipartisan Budget Act. So factor that timing into your retirement plans.

Just wanted to add some clarity on the timing aspect that Matthew mentioned. Since your husband is retiring at 62 but you're waiting until 70, you might want to consider whether it makes sense for you to file earlier if the spousal benefit would be substantial for your household budget during those gap years. Remember that even if you file at your full retirement age instead of 70, you'd still get your full Primary Insurance Amount (PIA), and your husband could get up to 50% of that amount as a spousal benefit (assuming no GPO reduction as a FERS employee). You'd miss out on the delayed retirement credits that boost your benefit by 8% per year until 70, but you'd both have income coming in sooner. It's a trade-off calculation: your higher benefit at 70 vs. having both benefits starting earlier. A financial planner familiar with Social Security strategies might be helpful for running the numbers on your specific situation.