I just went through this exact process last year and wanted to share some additional insights! The one-month delay is definitely standard - your February payment will be for January benefits. One thing that really helped me was calling my bank ahead of time to let them know I'd be receiving Social Security direct deposits starting in February. Some banks flag large new recurring deposits as suspicious activity, so giving them a heads up prevented any holds on my first payment. Also, since you're planning for January expenses, consider that your final paycheck from work might have different tax withholdings if HR knows you're retiring - I got a slightly larger final check than expected which helped bridge that gap. The SSA timing is frustrating but once you get into the rhythm it becomes predictable. Good luck with your retirement!

I'm going through the exact same situation right now - hitting FRA in December and planning to start benefits in January 2025! This thread has been incredibly helpful. I had no idea about the one-month delay and was also planning on that first payment arriving in January for my budget. It's really frustrating that SSA doesn't make this timing clearer during the application process. I've been reading through everyone's experiences and it sounds like this catches a lot of new retirees off guard. I'm definitely going to need to adjust my financial planning for those first few weeks of January now. Has anyone found any official SSA documentation that clearly explains this payment timing? I'd love to have something in writing to reference when I'm doing my final budget planning.

Whatever you do, make sure you ask specifically about how early filing affects the spousal portion!! My sister-in-law messed this up and is getting way less than she expected because she didn't understand how the reductions were applied.

I'm in a very similar situation - 63 and considering filing early while my husband is on SSDI. From what I've researched and heard from others, you definitely can receive both your own retirement benefit and potentially a spousal supplement from his SSDI record. The key thing to understand is that when you file for your own benefits before FRA, you're automatically considered to be filing for any spousal benefits you're eligible for too (this is called "deemed filing"). So SSA will calculate both and give you whichever combination results in the higher total payment. Based on your numbers ($1,380 own benefit vs. his $2,450 SSDI), it sounds like you might not qualify for much of a spousal supplement since your benefit is already fairly close to 50% of his. But definitely get the exact calculation from SSA because there are nuances with how they figure the Primary Insurance Amounts vs. actual payments. One tip: if you can't get through to SSA by phone (and trust me, it's nearly impossible), try going to your local office in person early in the morning. I found they were much more helpful face-to-face and could run all the scenarios for me on the spot. Good luck!

Another consideration: once your daughter turns 18, even if she continues on survivor's benefits as a disabled adult child (DAC), she might also qualify for SSI if those survivor benefits are below the maximum federal benefit rate (currently $943/month for 2023). Also, when she turns 18, think about whether you should become her representative payee. If her disabilities affect her ability to manage finances, having you continue as her payee might be best. SSA will evaluate this when she transitions to adult benefits. Regarding work - some parents in your situation find that working full-time actually improves their overall financial situation because of benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions, even after accounting for the loss of SS benefits. It's worth doing a complete financial analysis.

I went through this exact situation 3 years ago with my son who has autism and intellectual disability. Here's what I wish I had known: 1. Start the CDB application NOW - don't wait. I made the mistake of waiting until 2 months before his 16th birthday and it was a nightmare of stress. 2. Get a comprehensive psychological evaluation done by a neuropsychologist if you don't have one recent. SSA weighs these heavily for intellectual and developmental disabilities. 3. Consider opening a special needs trust or ABLE account now while you still have time to plan. Once she's 18 and potentially on SSI, asset limits become really important. 4. Document EVERYTHING about her daily care needs. I kept a daily log for 2 months showing what assistance she needed with activities of daily living - this helped enormously with the determination. The financial hit when you lose your benefits is real, but manageable if you plan ahead. I actually ended up in a better place financially after a year of full-time work, plus my son qualified for additional state services we didn't know about before. One more tip: if your local SSA office isn't helpful, try calling the national number and asking to speak with a disability specialist. Some offices are just more knowledgeable than others.

Just one more thing to keep in mind: When calculating survivor benefits, the age at which the deceased claimed their own benefits can affect the survivor benefit amount. If they claimed early (before FRA), that can reduce the survivor benefit. If they delayed claiming (after FRA), the survivor benefit includes those delayed retirement credits. Also, should either your current husband or ex-husband pass away, you should contact Social Security promptly. As another commenter mentioned, retroactive benefits are limited, and the application process can take time. Having all your documentation ready (marriage certificates, divorce decree, birth certificates, Social Security numbers) will make the process smoother.

One more consideration that might be helpful - if you're still working when you become eligible for survivor benefits, be aware of the earnings test. If you claim survivor benefits before your Full Retirement Age and you're still earning income, Social Security may temporarily reduce your benefits if your earnings exceed certain limits. For 2024, you can earn up to $22,320 without any reduction, but they'll reduce benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above that limit. Once you reach your FRA, the earnings test no longer applies. This might factor into your timing decisions if you're planning to continue working.

my neighbor is in this exact situation and she just keeps checking the news every day hoping it'll pass. she's missing out on like $900 a month because of GPO! thats REAL money that could change her life

I'm in a similar boat as your husband! I'm a retired state employee with a pension (no SS contributions during those years) and my wife has been paying into Social Security her whole career. We've been holding off on me applying for spousal benefits because of the GPO mess. From everything I've read and heard from others here, you're absolutely right that he doesn't need to have applied previously - he can just apply once the law passes (fingers crossed it does!). The key thing is that if this bill goes through, it completely eliminates both GPO and WEP, so all those previous calculations become irrelevant. I'd definitely recommend staying on top of the legislative updates and having all your documentation ready to go. We've been keeping track through Congress.gov and contacting our representatives regularly to show support. Here's hoping 2025 is finally the year this gets fixed!