One more thing to know - you can check your mySocialSecurity account online to see your payment schedule and any notices. Sometimes they post information there before sending letters in the mail. The website has been much more reliable for me than trying to call.

I'm glad you got this sorted out! This is actually a really common source of confusion for Social Security recipients. The weekend/holiday payment schedule isn't well publicized, so many people panic when they see an "early" deposit. For future reference, you can also check the SSA's official payment calendar on their website - it shows all the adjusted payment dates for the year when regular dates fall on weekends or holidays. It might help you plan ahead so you're not caught off guard next time this happens!

Based on the benefit amounts you shared ($3,100 for your own at 70 vs $2,400 for survivor at FRA), I can confirm your advisor's strategy makes sense. Taking survivor benefits now and switching to your own at 70 would maximize your lifetime benefits. Just one more important point: since you haven't received any payments yet, your withdrawal should be processed without requiring any repayment. Make sure you submit both the withdrawal form AND a new application for survivor benefits at the same time to minimize any gap in processing. And don't worry - this type of correction is exactly why the withdrawal provision exists. You haven't made any permanent mistake here.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also consider calling ahead to your local SSA office to schedule an appointment rather than just mailing in the forms. When I helped my sister navigate a similar situation, the in-person appointment made a huge difference - the representative was able to process both the withdrawal and new survivor benefit application on the same day, which eliminated the processing gap entirely. Also, bring documentation of your husband's death certificate and your marriage certificate to the appointment, even though they likely already have this information. Having everything in one place can speed up the process significantly. The fact that you caught this before receiving any payments puts you in the best possible position to make this correction smoothly!

Thank you all for the helpful responses. I'm going to try contacting SSA directly to get a definitive answer for our situation. The Claimyr service someone mentioned sounds helpful since I've had trouble getting through on the phone before. I appreciate the clarification about Colorado recognizing common-law marriage, but it sounds like that alone won't help with the grandchildren's eligibility. Neither child has disabilities that would qualify for SSI, so that's unfortunately not an option either. I'll update this thread if I learn anything that might help others in similar situations.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work in family law and see situations like this frequently. While the adoption route seems daunting with teenagers, it's actually not uncommon and can still provide benefits. Colorado has a streamlined process for stepparent adoption when there's been long-term care, and since you have conservatorship already, that demonstrates the legal relationship. Even if your partner adopts them at 14 and 16, they could still qualify for student benefits through age 19 if they're in high school, which could help with college costs. The adoption might also help with other things like medical decisions, inheritance, and family medical leave. It's worth consulting with a family attorney who specializes in these situations - many offer free consultations and can walk you through the process and timeline.

What an absolutely amazing outcome! 🎉 This is such a perfect example of why it's so important to not panic when these unexpected payments happen. The fact that your CDR triggered them to discover the self-employment income miscalculation is incredible - and that monthly increase of $428 is going to be life-changing! I'm so glad you took everyone's advice to call rather than just worrying about it. This whole thread has been so educational for those of us navigating SSDI. Thank you for taking the time to update us with the good news - it really gives hope to others who might find themselves in similar situations!

Wow, what an incredible journey and outcome! 🎉 As someone completely new to understanding SSDI processes, this entire thread has been absolutely fascinating and educational. I had no idea that continuing disability reviews could trigger such thorough file reviews that uncover calculation errors going back years. The fact that they missed your self-employment income from 2016-2019 and then corrected it with such a substantial backpay amount is amazing - and that ongoing monthly increase of $428 is just the cherry on top! Your experience really highlights how important it is not to panic when unexpected things happen with SSA, even though the initial fear is totally understandable. Thank you so much for taking the time to update us with the resolution - stories like this are incredibly valuable for those of us trying to navigate these systems and give real hope that sometimes the bureaucracy actually works in our favor, even if it takes time. Congratulations on this life-changing correction! 🙌

One more important detail - when planning your strategy, remember that your own retirement benefit continues to grow until age 70 (at 8% per year after FRA), but survivor benefits do NOT grow after your FRA. This means there's no advantage to delaying widow benefits past your full retirement age of 67. In your case, taking reduced widow benefits at 60, then switching to your own benefit at 67 (or even 70 for maximum growth) is likely the optimal strategy given the benefit amounts you mentioned. At age 70, your own benefit would be about $3,472/month compared to the $3,200 survivor benefit at FRA.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Michael. Losing a spouse is incredibly difficult, and trying to navigate Social Security on top of grief is overwhelming. You're absolutely right to be confused - the SSA website is not user-friendly at all! But the good news is that you DO qualify for widow benefits regardless of your own benefit amount. The 50% rule only applies to spousal benefits while both spouses are alive, not survivor benefits. Your strategy of taking reduced widow benefits at 60 and switching to your own higher benefit at 67 is actually textbook perfect for your situation. You'll get about $2,288/month in reduced widow benefits ($3,200 x 71.5%) for 7 years, then switch to your own $2,800/month at 67. If you wait until 70 to claim your own benefit, it would grow to about $3,472/month. The key is making sure SSA processes everything correctly when you switch. As others mentioned, get everything in writing and follow up to confirm the change went through. You've got this!